The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-03
EVENING STORY
When Lands Do Not Matter.
BY S. B. HACKLEY.


He had been on the road with the
six fine saddlers he would not trust
to anybody else's care, several hot.
YEARLY into the restaurant chair.
"A bite and a cup for you. Gilbert
Shore, then bed-the glories of Frisco
can wait" he thought
Just across from him dined a man
of fifty with neck and a girth the
like of which young Shore never re-
membered seeing outside the stock
yards. The slim young waitress who
served him brought iced water and
hot soup, cold milk and hot coffee,
and it seemed to the Kentuckian every
known meat, salad. vegetable. but
censure only rewarded her efforts.
What have you for dessert?" the
eater finally demanded.
Lemon pie, snow pudding, rasp-
berries and Strawberry ice cream"
'I'll take emf he growled; 'and
bring 'em quick!"
Watching this interesting specimen
devour, the young man did not notice
that the girl was standing at his own
elbow.
your order, please" she was say
ing.
Her cheeks were flushed with her
encounter with the fat brute, her soft
voice was not quite steady and there
dark blue like the ocean when the
summer sun is over it.
A wave of protecting tenderness
swept over Shore; he had much ado
to keep from pushing away his simple
order and feasting his eyes on her win
some face. but he was a diffident
young man, and a gentleman. so he
pretended to. eat, and used his eyes
only by stealth.
And the girl? Long ago Ailsie Ran
dolph had learned that silent unrespon-
siveness to all social advances of the
young masculine customer was a girls
safeguard from insult. but she looked
at the young man with his fine eyes,
his clear, healthy skin and his charm
ing manner and almost wished that
he would ask her to go out with him.
But he did not.
However, on his third day in San
Francisco, the aristocratic old lady
with whom he lived on the great Blue
Grass stock farm received a telegram:
will be detained longer than 1 eX-
pected. Start back Tuesday"
"Oh. Grandmother Girl if you knew
why 1 am staying" he thought whim-
sically, you'd say I'd been sleeping in
the moonlight and lost my senses!"
On the evening he ate his twentieth
meal at the Bay View Restaurant, the
man of the thick neck was leaving
just as he took his seat at the next
table.
That man needs a man to punch
his head for bullying a little thing like
YOU" he remarked. I'D just like"
"Oh, sir, please" she interrupted
him, half frightened, hes a regular
customer here! II don't really
pleasantness herei'
Shores heart prompted him to say,
Little one. let me take you away
from all this unpleasantness forever!"
But he only said somewhat diffidently
that if she would let him, he would
take her to see a good play some
where that evening.
Ailsie's heart leaped, but she fall
tered. Il do not go out with custom
ers!' Then she fled to the kitchen.
and a twisted bit of paper and a sin
gle Marechal Neil rose lay beside his
plate.
"Oh, Little White Apron" the note
said, Il wish I could feel that you
trust me, stranger as 1 ami 1 like to
think there is nothing in my face to
brighten a girl. I'm leaving in the
morning. but shall see you again,
for I'm coming back to see if you be-
lieve the message of the rose!"
1t was signed Gilbert Shore, Bon
Aqua Farms, Treadwell, Kentucky"
What is the sentiment of the Mare
chal Neil rose. Sissy?' the girl asked
her widowed sister that, evening
Corona reached for the dictionary.
" Alteration or yours. heart and
SOUL" she quoted.
Ailsie slipped back to her room and
held the delicate rose for a long trem-
ulous moment to her lips. IF only 1
knew he meant it," she whispered. He
was so lovable and so good-Iooking,
but there were so many with good
looks and bad intentions! And" she
thought bitterly, he is rich and 1 am
beggar!"
One evening in February she saw
him enter the restaurant again. He
came straight to her table, his brown
eyes, eager, glad.
"Oh, little White Apron" he said
softly, Il couldn't stay away any long
er! Do you. believe what the rose