The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-06

answer further questioning as safely.
Miss Graham rang the gong for dis
missal. As the children fled from the
room in an orderly line she dejectedly
sat down, elbows on the desk, with
chin cupped in the hollow of her
palms and pressed her eyelids with the
tips Of her long, lean fingers.
May the incident we tell be about
love? ?" sounded in her ears, and eyes
tightly shut. again saw this growing
child just entering girlhood asking
permission to write about that which
had somehow passed her by.
Passed me by" repeated Miss era
ham, mentally. mo, not while mem
DRY lasts"
Loud voices of the moment as the
| boys wrangled over their .'mibs" and
the less Ineligible jimble of jingles
which time immemorial has ASSOCIATE
ed with rope jumping. came in thru
the open windows on the summer
breeze. The setting sun, bathing the
red walls of the school house in
wilder tone of blatant blood-red,
aroused her from her reveries and
sent her hurrying boarding house
ward.
The next afternoon. like every
school afternoon preceding it, found
the forty-odd pupils seated in their
respective places, all eyes intent upon
teacher" and ears equally divided be-
tween pupil reading Homework" and
whatever else there was Of immediate
interest. The range of subjects, from
My Trip on a Household TO My
First Party Dress" found Miss. Gra-
ham professionally attentive, with an
abnormal memory with respect to
grammatical errors. But 1t was the
romantic girl with her paper en-
titled MY Uncle's Love Story" which
brought the model instructor to rigid
attention.
What was it this child was saying?
The voice, not yet decided whether
it would be soprano or alto, rose and
fell in dramatic cadences. And my
uncle loved this pretty lady very
much, and the lady loved my uncle.
But one day they had an awful
quarrel and the pretty lady sent my
uncle away mad"
Surely this was not the Miss Gra-
ham of but a moment before? Was
this woman standing back of her
chair tilted perilously forward, the
same composed automaton of years
habit?
The child continued in words un-
consciously plagiariZed. "And pride
kept them apart. Altho my uncle
cared a great deal for his sweetheart,
he would not admit he was wrong,
nor would the lady. And as the years
passed by they lost track of one an
r. other"
The child paused in the rapid read
| ing to eaten breath.
But my uncle could never marry
; another" she went on, her brow fur
rowing as she found difficulty in de-
} ciphering her own script, because he
, loved only this girl. He always says
he knows she is waiting for him, too.
I And he prays every night that some
5 fine day they will meet again."
The child sat down and was i'm
: mediately followed by suffering lad
who in his efforts to tell of My Dog
Spitz" diverted attention from the
tears yelling in the eyes of their in
structor.
After school the authoress of my
Uncle's Love Story was a very proud
little girl as she impaired to her bosom
pals Miss Graham's self-invitation %
} her home that evening. And" she
went on in a theatrical manner at the
unusual opportunity that gave her the
center of the stage. 'she asked me
my uncle's name. And when said
Robert Devon" she added with
grandiloquent sweep of h err arm, Il
thought she would faint"
But of no less interest was the scene
enacted tho following morning for the
t edification of this same audience with
, the addition of Mr.. Strenly. just en-
[ tering the courtyard on his way to the
, gymnasium.
| You. Sarah. will be my Uncle Rob-
ert and I'll be Miss Graham"
Mr. Strenly stopped.
The super staggered up. holding
imaginary skirts in one hand whila
with the other she pointed dramati-
. cally.
/. Bob" she shrilled, coming on
Sarah, to the danger of sarahs equi-
: librium.
Mr.. Strenly listened.
} Now you must say" was the whis-
pered prompting, Ito find you after
all these years, my-dear.'
I Mr.. Strenly stared in open mouth
| amaZement.
Y And when the words had been prop
erly repeated. Sarah was the recipient
< of loud kiss. Just like they did,"
/ was the announcement by way of q
finale.
did you ever!" calculated Mr..
Strenly.
l Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
l paper Syndicate)