The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-15
EVENING STORY
Old Clothes.
BY ELIZABETH REYNOLs.

Copyright. 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)
Yes she has on the old blue vel
veteen dress that Avis Kenmore
brought back with her from Chicago
that winter she gave her big party
for those New York bankers that
came out west Jim kenmore made
good with them. they say. and now
she leads in this town all-Mrs.
James Kenmore-as she has on her
visiting cards. Yes, she's stylish
enough, but if I was her Ia not let
my husbands sister wear old clothes
Whv. that hat she has on was Alvis's
last winter"
You don't say So, Well. some
| folks is mean. I have heard that Jim
Kenmore's mother was an invalid for
ten years or more, and that this sis
ter, Agatha Kenmore, tended her.
| Gave up all her youth to her-I've
| heard tell. Now her brother gives her
| a home in their handsome house,
and she does look nice always. I must
say, even if she does wear her sister
in-laws old clothes
| An angry fame burned in the
cheeks of an unwilling listener to the
| above conversation that took place on
an interurban train it sped thru
| green country fields toward a -four
| ishing town where what were once
| farm acres now throve a prosperous.
| busting city" And none of it's citi-
zens was more prosperous than Mr..
James Kenmore. banker, but the
| flaming cheeks of his wife bore out
| the old adage: Listeners hear no
| good of themselves An auto veil
| was more closely adjusted before the
| two gossips. gathering up their pack
ages, hurried out of the train when
| 'Glenview," the city was dubbed,
| was called by the conductor.
Mrs. Kenmore-for the unwilling
listener was she-waited a little be-
hind that her neighbors might not
see her. She caught d glimpse of
bow to the erstwhile gossips. Agatha
was always so courteous. as was
James Kenmore also When she
Avis-was the village belle, she had
chosen James Kenmore from all her
admirers because she knew that he
| was-besides being a coming bust
| ness man-more of a gentleman than
any of her other admirers.
Things had prospered with them,
and Avis took credit to herself that
she had in many shrewd ways helped
her husband to his success.
4 For thing, she was when
| there was occasion for it. both saw
ing and a good manager Now there
was no anxiety as to money matters.
but still the ha bit of thrift" as some
II, strong
upon her. She made the most of
everything. people who knew her best
said She felt that it was incum bent
for herself, as the wife of "GIenview's''
richest citizen, to dress well. and al
ways insisted that her husband, too.
should be well groomed, and her
clothes were always of the best ma
terial, for she was too good an econ
omist to buy anything poor. And
when Agatha came to live with them,
first it was a handsome set of furs
that passed over to her sister-in-law
with excuses-until it had become
a habit to say: Agatha that suit
or hat whatever it might be-..is
almost as good new, but you know
l am getting larger all the time, and
it's little tight for me. Can't you
/. fix it up for yourself?" And Agatha
who was more of student than a So
, ciety woman-took the garments
without a murmur. only glad to feel
that she was not more of an expense
to Brother James than was abso-
lutely necessary.
} Her ambition, in her youth. before
the pressing cares came that took all
her energies. was to become writer
She still nursed her hope of a GER
tain success in a literary way and
one reason perhaps for the very bright
: smile with which she returned the be-
fore mentioned goSsipS' greeting was
that only that very day in Chicago she
had an interview with a publisher
who told her that the book she ha
been working on SO long was pretty
sure of acceptance.
As she was preparing to walk from
the station to her brothers home, hei
sister-in-law's voice called: Agatha
= the auto is here to meet us. We viii
: ride home'
2 oh responded Agatha. Il haf
' not thought of it" Then-for she bac
I the keenest of intuitions-'I did no
$ know You were on the train, sister.
S do not mind walking. you know"
j. AvlS's only reply was: Agatha il
future L shall be very much hurt il
= you do not use the car and everything
= that is your brothers just exactly a.
= if it were your own-as 1 do"
When they reached home dinner
r was about ready, and it was only a.
! bedtime that Avis knocked at her-sis
: ter-in-1 laws door, and on being told t.
= come in, she walked over to the biz
closet and said: IF you don't mind
D Agatha. | want to look over you
: WARDROBE
$ No. indeed, that's all right" re
C piled Agatha You see I fixed vi
: that pretty mauve chiffon you CAV
n me- Isn't it pretty"
\ Aviss reply was to take down from
e Its hanger the dress in question and
e putting it carelessly over her arm
t she said: Agatha, where is that OLE
n green cloth coat I handed to you sew
f eral days ago."
o Hanging therein the back of tn,
e closet, Agatha said, by this tim
somewhat mystified
h That,too, was pulled from its hange
$ and thrown over a chair back. A ha
n box was opened and several hat
4 joined the other articles of clothin,
i. that had once had former ownership