The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-02
EVENING STORY.
stretching the Mark.


novel? Here's the water. the moon.
a log, and man and a 'girlEal at |
their best. Wouldn't it inspire any |
one?" Jessie Wilson. the girl, laughed
roguishly at the opportunity she had
opened for the man at her side.
1.-The lake is beautiful with that
moon ray glimmering from away out )
in the night, and the girl, too, is beau
,tiful, if she will pardon me,for saying
it; but the man doesn't seem to fit J
into this beauty Andrew Parsons re-
piled seriously.
How serious you are. If I didn't
know men we'll L would think you
meant that, but you don't, do you?"
she asked.
Yes, all of it," he answered. But
let us talk of something else. You
are going away tomorrow, aren't
you -
Yes; back to the old city to write
on examinations. 1 just hate school
and examinations! 1 would make mis-
takes on purpose if it wasn't for the
disgrace dad and mother would think
it. They want me to teach after 1
I'm twenty now. A girl at twenty
wants to have some fun, doesn't she?"
Twenty is very young" he an
swered. But, tell me, why don't you
want to teach?'
Because 1 am not intended for a
teacher. 1 just hate teaching and
teachers. There's not one of them
that is nice-no. not one 1 have met"
Her tone was decided.
He smiled a trifie, but the moon
was behind cloud and she could not
see him. You'll return next Mon
day, with it all over he said when
he spoke again.
mer resort on earth to spend the sum-
mer. Will you be here?"
No, leave on Saturday"
You don't seem to be bit sorry"
she pouted.
mo, 1 am not'' He watched her
face closely. and chucked inwardly
at the pout on her lips. For, you
see, am coming back a week from
Saturday to spend a two months va
cation here he continued.
Wont that be splendid" she ex-
| claimed, and her pleasure was ap-
parent.
These two had met two weeks be-
fore. but as they sat there on the log.
looking out over the lake without say
ing word, they each realized that
the friendship between them was some
| thing more than friendship. They
were direct opposites in nature they
knew, and perhaps that was why they
were attracted to one another. She
was bright. fairylike little thing,
who lived from day to day, caring
little for the morrow and forgetting
everything unpleasant of Yesterday.
He was q quiet deep-thinking man,
with a wonderful conception of man
kind and a love for nature, but car
ing little for pleasure.
The next morning he was at the
| station to see her off and wish her
luck.
1T will just be luck that will get
me thru" she said. II do not know
thing about algebra, and am sure
I'll funk The algebra teacher is a
thing from him."
After the train pulled out Parsons
looked after 1T with a sigh. It won
der what she would think if she knew
| was an algebra teacher?" he unused.
Il wonder What she would think if
| she knew I was going to mark the
very paper she is afraid she will fail
on. I won't know which one is hers,
tho, thanks to that number system"
For two days Andrew Parsons had
| been marking algebra papers, and he
| gave an ejaculation of thankfulness
when he started to mark the last one
| of the pile. No. was the only means
OF Identification on the paper. The
| first solution was correct. It had been
correct on SO per cent of the other pa
| pers Not another answer was right
| This is failure, sure" he muttered,
and because"the answers were so far
wrong he did not think it necessary to
| reread the paper, but placed ten marks
| beside No. on the slip.
| ANY one who couldn't pass on that
| paper doesn't know much about alge-
| bra. he remarked to the marker next
to him, as he tied up the algebra pile.
Andrew had the composition papers
to mark, too, and then he would be
able to go back to the lake. No.
this time was on the top of the pile.
1 wonder If this person is any better
lat composition ?" he thought
| No. 6 was better at composition, he
could tell that by the way the essay
commenced. 1t was a girl, he could
see by the writing. She had chosen
the subject, "A Character Study in
everyday Life" AS he read, Andrew
| became more and more interested
; Something about the essay and the
/ person the essayist was describing
was familiar to him. AS he got farth-
| er on it dawned upon him. No. was
Jessie Wilson, and the character" she
was writing about was no other than
| himself
1t was no wonder his cheeks burned.
Sucn hero-worshiping description of
himself, told in such glowing original
language, would make any man blush
He read and reread it. There was not
| fault to be found with it, 1t was the
most wonderful composition he had
ever read The last paragraph partic-
ulariy abounded with praise and ended
up with the words: "A perfect man
man any woman could Worship"
! The humor of it struck Parsons. To
| think that he should be reading her
| little confession, that was the funny
part of it. His laugh attracted the
attention of the other markers but he
would not explain the cause of his
merriment
Il have just read the first essay that
| ! consider worth l 0 per cent" was all
| that he would say
| He undid the algebra bundle once
| more. No. 6 was right on top. He re-
read the paper. Forty marks were re-
| quired for a pass. and he had only
given her ten. In the very first ques-
| ton he had marked all wrong he To-
! ted clever niece Of i,at