The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-08
EVENING STORY
The Entertained Stranger.
BY S. B. HACKLEY-

five sons, tenants of Joseph DAWN,
were celebrating what old Homer call
ed "rushin" some thousands o. ter
baccer plants in ten acres 0, ground"
by a dance at the big old house that
was the old home of Joseph DAWN,
now given up to tenants
Zoerayda Starr, bashful, olive skin
ned, wistful-eyed, slipped out in the
yard where, by a bent old iron bench,
an immense clump of white June
lilies lowered.
"Oh, the pretty. pretty things" she
murmured happily as their fragrance
met her.
Most of the pretty things of life that
should have been Zoe's were appro-
priated by her sister, selfish Dolly.
Cady Starr was not more proud of his
office of constable than he was of
this snowy daughter, and Dolly man
aged to cajole him into giving her
all that he could spare.
To Zoerayda's surprise, Frank Rec
tor, newcomer. whom the Fergusons
had hired to help in the tobacco crop,
rose from the bench.
please sit down." he said, as she
been coming out every night to see
the lilies open.
my mother used to love them SO.
My mother" he answered the SYM
pathetic question in her brown eyes
Il left my mother buried there in
upper ONO, three months ago, anu
I've been wandering about since. When
get so 1 can hardly stand doing
without mother, get out somewhere,
where there are flowers-and-" he
broke off and sat down on the bench
beside her.
Zoe saised her timid eyes to- his.
Sometimes" she faltered. some
times, even when I'm working, 1 get
to thinking I can't stand things. and
just drop my work and run out where
we've got a little flower garden, and
then in a few minutes I'm all right!
At the end of an hour Rector rose.
81 am ashamed to have kept you," he
apologized, but IL forgot the dance.
It's not-not everybody I can talk to
about my mother"
He held out to her spray of the
lilies, and Zoe noticed tht across the
back of his hand there was long
white scar.
young Rector seems to like your
pa awful we'll" Mrs. Starr remarked
a few days afterward. Hes dropped
in to talk to him three nights this
week. But just wait, Zoe, when Dolly
comes home, he'll come ever evenin'!"
when Dolly comes home Saturday
he won't ask me to show him the
flowers any more!" thought Zoe, in a
sort of resigned despair. Dolly is SO
pretty-she takes everybody"
On Saturday evening, when young
Rector stepped upon the Starr porch,
ne met a vision with silky yellow hair
waving about its milk-white face, its
dancingly mischievous eyes blue as
harebells, its slim, 1.-THE figure envel-
oped in white organdy, with a blue
sash the color of it's eyes+Dolly her
self
Next morning there came letter
to Mrs: Starr. Tommy, her S-year-old
grandson, was sick of fever.
send me one of the girls for a
month, please, mother" Myrtella's let
ter pleaded.
81 don't see how 1 can do without
zoe!'
You can't-you WON'T" began her
mother, then stopped.
Embellishments she'd rather have
you than Zoe" she ended lamely. But
Zoe went.
Hell never think of me again"
Zoe told herself, with wet eyes on her
way to her sisters; Dolly won't let
him!"
Soon after exultant letters came TO
Zoe. 81 went buggy riding with Frank
Rector-fSe took me TO the Sunday
school picnic,' Dolly wrote. Frank
took me to the ice cream supper Fri
day night. and to the show at town
Saturday night"
for Zoe.
I've been countin' the davs untr
| could get you home" she told her.
Dolly's no help on account o. bein'
SO prosecuted with beaux Zoel After
the tobacco's housed in September"
sne smiled pridefully, "Dolly's goin'
to marry that fellow Rector. and all
the other girls have been tryin' so
hard to catch him." Zoe turned that
her mother might not see her whiten-
ing face. Hes goin' to take her out
to Ohio" Mrs. Starr went on. "a man
there where he used to lives give
kim a good job"
Two weeks before the day set for
the wedding Mrs. Letitia Prince, Mrs.
STAIRS sister. gave big dinner" to
the prospective bride and bridegroom
and twenty of their friends. Dolly,
respondent in a pale blue silk, bought,
heaven knows why, with the rest of
her wedding finery, sat beside her
betrothed at table.
Zoe. mutely pretty in a pink wolfe
of, her sisters, waited on the table
and once, seeing Rector's eyes on the
young waitress's wistful face, Dolly re-
GREETED the loan of the pink dress.
While they were seated at table the
mail carrier came in, bringing letter
to The Constable of DAWN
ARREST on sight" it read, Roscoe
Beal, escaped convict; gray eyes, curl
ing lashes; hair. blue-black and thick
scar across back of right hand ~
Signed, warden Michigan State Pris-
on
A blackness came before Zoe's eyes
as she looked over her fathers shout
der at the photograph that accom-
panied the letter.
Starr read the description again,
and turned to Rector.
Ever been in Michigan, Frank ?"
he asked.
mol" A hot flush enveloped Rec
tor.
sure your name amt Roscoe
Beal?"
Sure, si1-i''
well, this here's your picture"
| Starts voice rose in wrath. "and this
| description fits you like a glove. You
durn scoundrel. what do you mean.
convict as We are, courtin' my little
| Dolly? Come here a stranger and we
took We in and entertained We, In the
name of the law 1 arrest yei''