The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-28

long before the blue house doomed
into view.
Will did not give it up, althe he
decided Jeff Franklin must be his
evil genius. The latter, however,
had only done his duty in stopping
| the train on account of the hotbox,
and it could not reasonably be Judged
a neek-wringing offense.
Next Will tried to divide the train
so part of it would be stalled near the
blue house, but in this he was foiled
by the untimely appearance of the
| conductor.
These We're desperate plots, but
Will was desperately in love. He was
not tickle; he had never cared for
any girl except the one in the blue
house, and he knew. he never ouId
care for another. VIII was sincere
| in everything he Undertook, and
especially was he sincere in this I'M
] dertaking.
| Shortly after the failure of his last
| scheme Will sat down in his rooming
| house and wrote a letter to the girl,
explaining how he felt. He addressed
the envelopes:
1.-The Young Lady in the Blue House
at the North End of Lawton.''
For the next two weeks every time
he passed the blue house and waved
at the girl he looked for evidence that
she had received the letter. In case
she had she was throw a stone against
i the garden wall as the train passed.
Will looked in vain, for no stone did
| she throw. And fifteen days after the
| letter was written, it came back with
this explanation scrawled on the en-
velope:
| There are thirteen blue houses in
| the north end of Lawton. and a. young
! lady lives in every one of them"
| By this time six months had passed
and Will had given up finding a way.
I IL 60 - H.. l.
meet the girl, he decided, and it was
best that he abide by their decision.
He would love her and worship her
from the top of his box car. and he
never would marry.
= The day on which this story opened
was Monday, and two days later Will
knew the girl would be spading the
garden
| In this he was not disappointed for
on Wednesday, as the blue house and
garden doomed into view, he saw her
bending over the flower beds. AS was
her custom she looked up and waved
her hand in response to Wills saluta-
ton.
mo. USE" Will Inoaned as he re-
placed his hat on his head. This is
as far as it will ever get. I might
He was interrupted by a grinding,
then terrific jolting, and he expert
enced a flying sensation. His head
/ SlIuCh SOI1elIiil5 WIN tSGI1Dle lOICe,
and things became black.
When Will opened his eyes he found
himself in a clean. white bed in a
large room, into which sunlight was
streaming-and over him stood the
girl.
Feel better?" she inquired, and her
voice was so soothing that on the in
slant the throbbing pain left his head.
yes, much better. What hap
pened?"
Your train smashed into another -
she explained, land the, shock threw
! you over the garden wall. and your
head struck the maple tree"
| Will felt his head with his hands.
It was throbbing again-for she had
ceased speaking. His suffering evil
IDENTIFY showed on his face.
Don't worry" she admonished, lay
persing the throb once more. You'll
be all right in a couple of days. You
won't have to stay here long"
This was not so reassuring as it
might have been under different cir
cumstances.
s'I'n be out of here in a couple of
days. you think ?" he said. 81 sure
hope So" and under his breath he
added the word mot"
She was leaving the room.
| '1'I get you some food" she said.
and vanished thru the doorway, but
thrust her head back to observe:
Yes. I think you'll be able to leave
/ in a couple of days. 1 certainly hope
So" And under her breath she added
the word mot"
| Copyright 1920. by the Mcclure News
paper syndicate)
I