The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-14
EVENING STORY
ssThings Worth WHILE"
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.


tattons for her that extended months
ahead. There was hardly q day that
she could count on as her own. The
very thought of what lay before
her. bored her. There would have
been some variation II Aleck had been
going to be there, but she was sure
he would not be. Something terrible
had happened to A1eck. she was con-
vinced. She had heard nothing OF him
for nearly q month, and to think that
they were engaged. too! He had
probably met some ether girl he liked |
and was on . honeymoon. She de-
termined not to feel melancholy about
it, for. she assured herself. their en-
gagement had been nothing but
farce, anyway. He had intended
marrying her for her. aunt's money,
his name would bring her. Besides it
had been considered a good match.
Love? why, that was only for
country girls and story books!
Just the same Kathleen did feel
melancholy. Aleck was different from
nearly so artificial as the others.
Perhaps that was why he had forgot
ten her. She couldn't help acknowl-
edging that she was artifictal-her
every movement and word had been
part OF d pose while in his company.
No wonder he had wearied of her.
Oh, to be the little country girl she
had been before she went to college!
Oh, to have the dreams she had had
then! Her college course was not to
blame. she told herself in fairness. 1t
all came from coming to live with her
aunt instead Of going back to teach
the country school. as she had
planned. OF course, it would have
been foolish to have turned down the
chance Of becoming heiress to her
dered IL it had made her happy.
Kathleen jumped to her feet hastily.
It was useless to sit there getting senti-
mental. She looked at her engage
ment pad YEARLY. "A Red Cross tea
at Mrs. De VANS" for that afternoon
rkng for her maid to assist her to
dress.
Mrs. De vain's tea dragged thru
the afternoon. 1t was hot on the lawn,
and Kathleen had Just about decided
to feign illness as an excuse for leav-
ing, when the feature of the after
Moons entertainment was announced
an address from Miss Marshley,
returned nurse from the front. Miss
Marshley had a gripping personality
and a great story to tell. kathleen did
not miss word OF it,
You have no idea what is going
on ever there" Miss Marshley said as
she neared the end of her address
How lucky we are to be safe here
at home enjoying entertainments like.
this one while the boys are bleeding
on the fields of Flanders! Every one
of us should do something to bring
this war to an end-things worth
while. We can, and We must! Pleas
ure must be forgotten and the stern
duties of life taken on. Every one
must help where she is best suited to
help. It would be ridiculous to sue-
gest to you ladies to go out on farms,
where help is needed most. but there
is some other place where you are
needed. You have judgment--find
that place!" &. i
Kathleen sat quite still after The
speaker had finished. her mind work.
ing rapidly. what useless being she
was she thought. What little value
she was to the world when every one
was needed to be valuable! The few
dollars she had given to patriotic pur-
poses had been given to her by her
aunt and were not a sacrifice at all.
She would have to do something-one
Of the things worth while. What was
| she best suited to? There was not a
| thing that she had learned at college
or since that would help In any way
| in the winning of the war. Then her
| mind travelled back to the days be-
| old days on the farm. She jumped to
her feet with . little cry OF joy as she
| thought Of 1t. She would go back to
| the farm, where help was needed the
| most! She would show these shallow
| Drained women that she was q real
Aleck Beatty that she was not the
artificial girl he had mistaken her for.
| The thought of Aleck caused the tri-
umphant smile to fade 1ust q little.
| A1eck was really one of the shallow
brains. too, tho she hated to admit it.
| Two weeks later found Kathleen
| milking cows. She had insisted upon
being put to work almost upon her
arrival home. How fine it was to be
| back at the old farm aeaini She won
dered how she could have left it tor
the life in the city.
AS the milking progressed. Kathleen
became conscious Of the fact that some
! one was watching her. She realized,
too. that it was the man whom. she
had noticed working in the next field,
| when she first started to milk. Try.
4 ing to make it 'appear quite accidental
she looked up. When her eyes met his
she almost overturned the pail OF
milk.
nAleck." she cried, excitedly
what are you doing here? You are
Aleck. aren't you?" After she had
| spoken she was afraid she had made
a mistake. for the man before her was
i in overa1ls and was as brown as q
berry. but II he wasn't Aleck he was
his<doub1e.
"You bet I am >Aleck." he replied
as soon as he could gain his voice
land the most surprised Aleck In ths
4 woridI" He climbed over the fence
without waiting for an invitation
"You look sweet in that milking cos
tune. and you are really milking
Where did you learn to do it,"
She told him as hurriedly ~ She
could. for she was eager for an ex.
PLANTATION, too.
.'That is just why came to work on
the next farm" he said when she fin.
ished. at was sick 'of being dressed
up all the time and not getting. any.
thing out Of life but a bored existence
I wanted to enlist. but they wouldn'
take me because of my stiff knee. q