The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-02
EVENING STORY
From Mary.
BY JANE WILKINS.

BY JANE WILKINS.
| Copyright, 1915 by Mcclure Newspaper |
Syndicate.)
Grandma Bates sat alone at the |
window. rocking. She was always |
| rocking, these days. She was too /
feeble for work about the house, and
| her old eyes too dim for much fine |
sewing. She sat rocking gently. look |
| ing out at the mellow autumn land |
scape.
Leaves a-falling," she murmured |
to herself. when they are most
beautiful and brightest-colored they
can drop. They don't have to hang
on and on. Oh. if folks were only
like that: if only there were some
thing could dol"
The sound of quick footsteps on the
porch outside arrested her attention
and she looked up eagerly as a slim,
dark-haired girl entered the room.
| Mary's coming was always like the
| coming of the sun to Grandma Bates.
Mary's smile could dispel the darkest
| of her clouds.
/ But today Mary was not smiling.
There were traces of tears on her rosy
She buried her head in the old lady's
lap and shook with sobs.
''Oh, grandma, grandma"
Grandma Bates stroked the girls
smooth head with tremulous hand
There, there, honey, don't cry" she
urged. Whatever your trouble is 1
guess I've had it. too. There isn't
much 1 haven't been thru in my time,
and know things come out right
somehow. Tell grandma what you're
crying about
ITS Jim, grandma We've had a
quarrel. Oh, yes, it was silly. can't
tell you what it was about, but 1T hap
pened a week ago. 1 told him didn't
| To q gain
1-yes, I did-and he hasn't, all this
week He acts as if he thought
meant what I said. He ought to have
, Known
over the old lady's face, and the light
, of whimsical memories warmed her
. eyes.
Just sol" she agreed. IT remem-
Der when Quarreled with your grand
father, too. 1t was about the color
Of horse, I think, or something as
. stupid. Josiah was stubborn, and so
was I. If it hadn't been for my
mother"
!, what did she do?" Mary asked
quickly. sr
"Oh. that would be telling! You
just leave it to me, Mary. l. can fix
il up between you and Jim"
well, shan't be the first to make
eny advances. grandma, you know
that"
''Oh, yes. I know that. Never you
mind! I'll fix it up!''
: Mary sighed and turned YEARLY to
the big bundle she had been carrying.
: I've just been getting some wool
: from the Red Cross to knit for the
3 soldiers" she said. Il wonder, grand
2 ma, whether you'd like to make some
sweaters, too"
\ The old lady's eyes frightened
eagerly. -
knit: For the soldiers? Well, I
t should say I can knit. Why, the
: socks I made for Josiah back in
81 Within half an hour Grandma Bates
{ was busily clicking her needles over
! a lapel of khaki-colored worsted and
!. Mary was listening, with an OCCASION
l a. preoccupied sigh, to tales of that
other war, the war to which her
grandfather had marched away never
] to return. s@sA '
And so, thru the week that follow
r ed, they knitted together the old lady
guiding the girls fingers as she learn
ed to turn heels and toes, ''purl" and
4 ''bind-off.f Perhaps both of them
t knitted thoughts into the smooth rows
of stitches, wistful thoughts, bitter
| thoughts, prayers, but outwardly they
gave no sign. Grandma Bates was
happy t. have something to do" and
declared daily. when her granddaugh-
E ter protested at her devotion to the
/ work, that t'she would rather wear
out than rust OUT Mary, too, was
glad to have occupation. In some
strange way the wool seemed to alb
serb some of the bitterness of waiting
and self-reproach. make it little
easier to bear. Jim had not yet
come around and the little grand
mother said no more about her plan
OF reconciliation. Mary longed for
. him with all her heart, but she could
! not bring herself to make any. adj
vance. The quarrel had been her
fault. and yet
And then, one day. the girl came in
Il white-lipped and sat with her knitting
s untouched, her eyes dark and tragic.
tGrandma Bates knew that something
had happened, but she wisely kept
her silence, and at last Mary spoke.
'He'senlisted." she said DULY.
.'Jim's enlisted. His sister told me SO
this morning. And if he goes without
my seeing him again"
He won't" said the old lady con-
fidently. Either he will come and see
you, or else you will write and ask
him to-
"Oh. 1 can't. If only I weren't SO
stubborn and stupid! I can't, grand
ma, and I'm sure that Jim will never
\ come first"
But Mrs. Bates shook her wise old
II head and said no more.
- Several days passed and nothing
happened, except that Mary grew pale
with the struggle she was wagirrg, tht
d struggle with the Bates ..family stub
it bornness-" See tried to knit, but ever
e that was no longer a solace. At every
o step on the walk, every white envelope
@ that came thru the mail. every ring
e of the phone, her pulse leaped. only to
IF fall again. There was no message
n from her Jim.
" But Mary's grandmother kept stead
lily at work upon the sweaters, socks
a and helmets which she completed with
st amazing rapidity. And If any one haf
noticed, there was a curious, happ,
g little smile about her lips at times q
= fSocref furinlxle in her eve Ufera Shf