The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-20
Erening Story
Lilac Time.

BY LAURA REID MONTGOMERY.
When May got off the night train
at the quiet little town of Ellington.
she went directly to her home. Had
her neighbors known that she planned
to return, there would have been many
invitations extended to the lonely girl
who was coming back alone after her
| trip abroad with her invalid mother.
F, The search for health had been I'M
| successful and Mary had spent the re-
mainder of her cherished hoard of
money in buying her return trip ticket.
She had told no one of her coming
| for she had been too heart-sick to
write after her mother had taken the
stinct of a wounded animal to return
to the places she knew; and as she
dreY in long breaths of the sweet
country air. she knew that she had
done the right thing. She had her
flashlight in her travelling bag and she
snapped this on after she had unlocked
the old-fashioned door that led into
the back parior. The aspect of the
Iwell-remembered room with the dear,
shabby furniture, brought the quick
tears to her eyes. 1t would be very
hard to move about these empty
rooms and to know that she could do
no more for the parent who had suf-
4
felt nearer her dead here than she had
done in the sunny French pension with
its bleak, whitewashed walls and the
strange foreign faces.
The Meddlicott home was at the
very outskirts of the village and only
near one house, this was the Smiths
house, which was next door with large
grounds and many trees about it.
Therefore, when Mary set all her doors
and windows wide open the next morn
/ ing there was no one near enough to
observe. IT suppose someone will see
my smoke" thought the girl as she
lighted the ktndlfngs under the log in
the CRATE. land I shall enjoy the chats
with my old friends. There is no place
| like home. discovered while away"
She hustled about hoping to set the
place in its usual spotless order before
the advent of the neighbors she longed
to see and it was nearly 10 o'clock be-
fore she stopped to listen as the morn
! ing train tore thru the town. A ten
der smile touched her lips as she stood
leaning on her broom and thinking of
the hundreds of times she had listened
spirals of smoke float lazily along the
length of the train and then drift up
wards.
why, Mary Meddlicott. why didn't
you let US know you were coming
homer" O pair of arms thrown warm
ly about the slim, blue-ginghamed
waist aroused her.
IT just came last night" she said:
81 knew how good you would be but I
just thought I'd creep IN and get 1t
over with alone"
| Amanda patted her arm gently.
well, you shan't sleep another night
here, alone. I'll be over again to get
you for dinner"
1--WE been planning all morning and
can't bear to think of going away
to teach; want to be at home and
I'm going to open a boarding house.
/ What do you think of the plan?"
There are several people I know
winter and the teacher from the vii
1age school is looking about now for a
place to board next fall-and-" Mary
| wondered why her old friend sudden
ly halted with twinkling eyes and stood
as tho thinking. And what?" asked
the girl.
| Nothing" was the evasive reply
| Didn't you feel afraid so far away
from the other houses last night?"
| Mary shook her head.
you know the Smith house has
| the name of being haunted. Did you
hear anything?"
mo. I wonder why they don't rent
| 1t. Seems a shame for such a fine
estate to fall into decay" returned
Mary. a delicate pink staining her
smooth cheeks as she recalled the
quarrel between the two families.
The feud had grown out of a mere
trif1e. a ball thrown by Mary's little
brother had broken a pane of glass in
the greenhouse and touchy old Mrs.
Smith had fused and nagged until
the families were on terms OF bitter
silence.
| Amanda. watching the telItaIe ex-
pressions fit over the young face,
knew that Mary was thinking of the