The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-18
EVENING STORY
Sentimental Values.


tonight and pay the balance" She
nodded to the man and left the little
store. That was about ten minutes
before Joe Annerling happened along.
Joe was hurry home from work and
as he passed the little old antique
shop he hesitated. 1t was raining and
Joe hurried on that account, not be-
cause he was particularly anxious to
arrive at his solitary bachelor apart
ment-nothing much to hurry home
for when there is no one when you
get there!
among the antiques, or pieces of sec
ond-hand furniture, as they really
were, and inquired the price of the
elegant brass clock he had seen in the
window.
Fifty dollars. No, fifty dollars was
too much. He didn't really want it,
and -.
He was just turning to go when a
picture hanging on the wall at the
back of the store caught his glance
1t was just one of those colored litho-
graphs which, in a gold frame, look SO
well ranging on parlor wall, ana II
was enough to give throb of home
sickness to Joe, for that very picture,
or an exact replica of it. had hang on
the wall of his mothers parlor back in
the old home town. There is nothing
so reminiscent as the sight of pic
ture which has been familiar op-
iect in the years of long ago.
He turned to the proprietor or the
store and asked the price,
Sorry, mister" the man said, but
that picture is sold.
sold ?" questioned Joe. THAT sells
me, too. But why is it hanging there
if it's sold?"
well" said the man, 81 guess
sh'd have taken it down. A young
lady came in here not ten minutes ago
and paid a deposit on it. She's fetch
ing it this evening" And suiting the
action to the word, he lifted down the
picture and laid it to one side.
Joe turned away disappointed. He
wanted that picture-it was-just like
breath from the old home days. And
some girl had beaten him to lust
his luck. He went into quick iunch
and ate some supper-say, put a zone
" man does have to- eat anything
that's handed to him!-and went
home to his apartment-bedroom and
bath.
How should he spend the evening!
movie show? Shuckst What's the
idea of watching a lot of ginks MAX
ing love all over the screen. Nix on
that He was in no mood of lovemak-
ing. The loss of that picture was still
affecting him!
While Joe was in this frame of mind
a certain young lady, of whose exist
w
ing quite elated. She had got back
home from the office, and after eating
her supper she was going to extract
certain number of dollars from a GER
tain private cache and was going after
that picture she had paid the deposit
on Funny how the same thing can
have such opposite effects on dlffer-
ent people. But then, of course, the
girl had not lost the picture!
When Joe put on his hat that eve
1T, I'D cnfa fn frN n
old home days, his steps seemed nat
urally to bend themselves in the di-
rection of the antique shop The rain
had stopped and a fresh WIND was
blowing. He was still feeling nome,
sick on account of that picture, and
was just wondering what had become
of those friends of his boyhood, Bill
Smith and Larry Jones and that
freckle-faced Red, when, on turning
a corner, he was violently hunted in
the middle by some one carrying
bulky and remarkably hard parcel.
Joe staggered from the sudden impact
He stopped to pick up his hat, and
then looked to see what had caused
it. Instantly he realized what had nap
pened. He had met the girl with the
pictured AS tho to confirm his suspi-
| cions, the wind playfully whipped up
corner of the loose wrapping paper,
and the glimpse he got proved him 10
be correct. Without taking his eyes or
the coveted picture, he addressed the
girl.
would you mind if I took a peep,
| a last peep at it ?" he asked pleading
| ly.
The girl nodded. Evidently this man
must be- the one-time owner. she
| thrust the picture toward MIN, ana Joe
| gazed at it long and earnestly.
: Guess you've seen it before some
| where ?'' she asked presently.
Il should say 1 have! Gee, he mutt
! tered drinking in the familiar scene
u wonder what has become OF Blli
| Smith and Larry Jones and that
! freckled--faced red kid?"
| A smile unseen by Joe lighted the
I girls face.
And -Efffe Farmer" she suggested
For a moment Joe wondered II mis-
| ears had deceived him. Then, wheel
! ing round on her, he asked amazed:
Say. were you ever in my home
| town.
! Il kind of think I must have been,
| one time the girl answered reflective
L. Il kind of think there was boy
| called Joe Arnerley lived there But
can't be just sure"
/ She turned her head away-this
man was staring at her so rudely. He
seemed to have been stricken dumb,
! too. He just stared. He stared so long
| that she simply had to break the
! silence. But it was the man who spoke
| fiI>t after all. He had often wonder
| ed about the little girl who used to
come to his mothers house, the two
| blond pigtails hanging down her back.
! But that was years ago She must be
quite grown up by this time.
Did you know Effie?" he asked
| tensely.
| The girl nodded. She still held her
head averted, and Joe wished she
would turn it into the zone of light
made by the street lamp. But she did
! not seem interested. She had tucked
the picture under her arm again and
moved as if 70 pass on. Joe was
desperate. In all the long years he
had spent in the giant city he had
| never felt quite the loneliness that OPP
pressed him tonight
say" he asked wistfully. do you
ever hear from Effie these days." II
only he could get THIS girl-to talk
little while it would help some. But
he got no answer. Evidently she re