The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-26
EVENING STORY
Reconstruction Romance.
BY DORA H. NOLAN.

Reconstruction Romance.
BY DORA H. NOLAN.
Just three months from the day on
which the armistiee was signed,
mammoth ship. largest of all things
in the world, steamed into the harbor
of the metropolis of the western hem
sphere. Every person on the west
side of that city was made aware OF its
approach, for a giant siren cleared its
throat and let forth a long drawn-out
below. which died down to a gurgle,
rose and fell again and again.
The siren, located on the roof of
skyscraping building, was fulfilling a
mission quite different from that for
which 1t had been designed. 1t had
been installed to give warning of enc
German air raids? Who remembered,
now, that they had ever been feared?
One of thousands who had helped
to make of that fear a thing to be
| laughed at, and who was now leaning
over the rails of the Leviathan receiv-
ing the tumultuous welcome of flag
and steam whistle extended by the
city, was Sergt. Charles Brenden, typi-
cal of all; for tho slight of build and
of medium height, he was well set up
with clear blue eyes and possessed of
that confident air which belongs to
man who has proved himself equal to
! any emergency.
1t might be hours before they
, ed by tiny, putting tugs, pulling, push
| ing and coaxing, like ants as they
force an object far larger than them
| selves to do their will. But they were
home-home! And the welcome was
| all they had dreamed. Eagerly their
eyes searched the shores for we'll
remembered landmarks; gayly they
scrambled for the papers, cigarettes
| and candy thrown on board from the
| small craft bearing the mayors COM
mittee of welcome.
Charles's thought ran on ahead. OF
course, after today, things would quiet
down. They would entrain for camp
for rehabilitation. Then to the city
that wonderful city whose jagged sky
| line he recognized in almost every de-
| tail. And right away after that his
| job in the city office of an out-of-town
silk mandatory.
| On Saturday morning Brenden was
| mustered out, and that afternoon he
| his comrades. The hurry and hustle,
| jangle and clatter of the traffic was
| music to his ears.
The avenue was decorated in his
their-honor. The scene thrilled al
most as much<as on the day when
4 crossed to Sixth avenue and took the
| L-no underground route for him to-
DAY. To. feast his eyes on the life and
movement of his native city appealed
4
Alighting at Sixty-sixth street,
| Charles proceeded straight to his old
| boarding place. And then the well
, come began all over again, for Miss
Johnson answered the belL and she
was one of that rare species, a kind
hearted lady. For an elderly spinster
her kiss was not a bad imitation of
| what a mothers might be. Anyway,
| it seemed like that to Charles, who
had no recollections of the genuine
! thing.
His room was awaiting him. its last
| occupant having been unceremoniouS-
| ly ousted in his behoof. Everybody
rejoiced at his return. Elderly Mr..
Beckwith blew him TO dinner and a
show that night Sunday was spent in
| looking up some friends.
So altogether this war veteran of
20 was in a happy mood Monday
| morning when he started downtown to
see the boss about getting back on
the job pretty soon and to say hello"
to the office force.
1t was so early that only old Gruber,
| the janitor, was on hand: but he start
ed the welcome and it grew as the
force gathered for the daily grind.
| Only two others besides himself had
left the office for the service and he
was the first one back. So Charles
| knew most of the staff and soon met
the others. They bombarded him with
questions and, of course, were thanked
| again for his Christmas box
But who sent that dandy warm
sweater" Brenden asked. 1.-The card
read. From a girl with brown eyes, "
His eyes followed those of two chaps
who stood nearby to the edge of the
little group and straight into those of
a girl. She was good to look upon
and Charles looked for long seconds
before he fell to the fact that the eyes
into which he was so rudely staring
were brown and beautiful. Just then
the door opened and the group pre-
cipitately broke up. The girl was
gone, with the rest, and Charles was
left standing alone, as the manager
entered the room.
Mr.. Huber greeted the returned SOL