The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-01
EVENING STORY
Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
BY IzOLA FORESTER.


sought the meeting ever since his re-
turn to Versailles. and now he should
have the full benefit of it
He had been gone four years, at his
college. and each summer when he
came home for vacation he had never
failed TO tell Desiree that she was
frivolous and light-minded. this when
he knew she worked from to in
the mill and gave all she earned to
her mother and all the little Sigour-
neys
was it any of his business if she
chose to go to the Saturday night
dances at the Central Hall, or better
] yet, the open-air ones at the beach
| pavilion? Where was the harm in
that? She was with her own people
and was happy. Was it wrong for
| her to be seen with some of the mill
boys at the little motion picture house
on Main street just because they were
having their prayer meeting across
/ the street? oh. but she hated him for
it all. and now at last here was her
! chance to tell him to his face she
would not have 1t.
| Who was he, after all, she Thought
stormily, as he came toward her, hat
| less as usual, his lean tanned face
| eager as a hunters, his eyes bright
at sight of her. He had worked in
| the mill too in his boyhood. and had
found there at their noon meetings his
| gift for preaching. Then he had been
| taken UP by the minister's family and
educated, while she still tended the
twirling spools down in the winding
| room.
Did you wait for me. Desiree ?" he
asked. 81 have wanted to speak to
you ever since L came back"
II know you have" she retorted
slowly, with the tinge of scorn he
could not mistake in her tone. II
have something to say to you, too.
eft ma a w
stand? 1t is nothing at all to me that
you have come back here to be a min
lister. That does not mean that you
can say whatever you please about me
because 1 am fond of dancing some
times and I like to be happy"
Il have never said a word to any
one about you"
But you have to me, myself, and
then Sou look at me so, as if you
would scold at me forever" The
tears filled her eyes, tears of anger
and rebellion. The girls told me you
said that Desiree Sigourney was an
example to any of them"
AN example of dutifulness, I
meant. Your love to your mother
and the children is beautiful, Desree.'
"Ah, but you can turn the words
around until they have two faces -
she said bitterly.
why do you ridicule me before
everybody" he demanded suddenly.
Did you want me to stay in the mill
all my life? 1t was your own father
who first encouraged me to study and
go ahead, and you have always
laughed at me-"
She lifted aggravating shoulders,
and smiled over one at him.
"Jack-in-the-pulpit! she said. "Is
it so wonderful then to come back
here to little Versailles and save US all
down in the mill? Keep to your pull
| nj ~ lef
is done" ,e --
+ She went down the path jauntily,
leaving him standing there. Surely it
had been sweet to make him under
stand how she scorned him.
The birch woods opened into a
view of the little clustering village, the
winding river and spreading white
lace flounce of its waterfall. the white
mill houses that dotted the hillsides,
and above all, the great low mill
buildings with their airshafts lifting
tall pipe openings like the upreared
heads of sea serpents.
There were four Sigourneys work
ing in there now, the two boys, Pierre
and Louis, and the girls younger than
Desiree. Melanie and Etoile.
She had been sent that morning on
an errand over to Nine. Ranier's, the
= wife of the superintendent. 1t had
: been profitable walk, thought De-
: stree, conscious of the figure that
walked behind her down the path.
And then suddenly on the still early
spring air came the shrek of the fac
: tory whistle, blowing its alarm at this
l untimely hour. She caught her
| breath. listening to 1t. It could mean
s but one thing, the great horror of the
mills, fireh
! And even while the thought burst on
her. there came the slow. expanding
mass of gray smoke from the west
inc he hra III ~ Of IL
wavering yellow tongues of flame from
the basement windows. Before she
. realized it, he was beside her, her
hand clutching his arm. as they both
= stared down at the smoke.
"Ah, the children she cried
brokenly. There are many in the
winding room. Melanie and Etoile-all
the children are there"
He was gone before she could speak
again. his hat and coat lay on the grass
beside her. where she had sunk to hel
knees. sobbing.
When she looked again each house
was giving forth its quota Of mothers
and wives. hurrying to the scene OF
the fire from the little white homes
She dried her tears and went forward
to join them, where there would be
I work waiting for the rescuers.
q After 1t was all over. the supreme
i gratitude of the little town was laid ii
8 heaping measure at the feet OF
stephen Sevrier. the young minister OF
| the steepled church that faced tht
| green.
He had led the work from the be
ginning. ssanizing the town brigade
and the fire drill in the mill He haC
seemed to be everywhere. like sor1,
fearless st. c. rye fighting the dragon
Of flame, holding it back while hun
dreds marched out to safety, bearing
the childr N in his arms up from tn,
furnace of { Z winding rooms in tn,
basement. And two of these wer,
Desiree's sisters.
She was one of the volunteer nurse
at the improyised hospital in the tow
hall, and weeks later when they liftet
the bandages from his eyes and h
stood erect for the first time, it wa
her hand that led him out into tn
sunlight. And in her way. she triet