The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-28
EOening Story
In Self Defense.
BY MARTHA Nice. WILLIAMS.


lessly: II know you can't believe it
but it's gospel true"
"Calm yourself, Elizabeth-that is.
if what you are about to say needs TO
interrupted with frosty dignity, yet a
glimmer OF keen interest in her small,
sharp eyes. AS principal of art and
literature in the community high
school at the county seat, she felt her
self authority made manifest in the
flesh over all the younger generation.
Indeed. to say that she regarded her
self as the first word of culture exc
likewise the last, would be hardly an
overstatement of her spiritual case.
Miss Jerusha Kay is going to Eu-
rope-for a six months tour-battle-
fields and everythingl" Bess exploded.
and take Allie Locke with her, paying
for both out of her own pocket"
Impossible! Why she has never
even limited such a thing to me-" Mrs
Jenifer said acridly. ION the con-
trary, she has been positively rude
when once or twice I offered her ex-
ceptional opportunity-"
81 know it's impossible-stAI it's
So" Bess interrupted. Before she
could say more Mrs. Jenifer had risen
and was powdering her nose, the sure
preliminary to putting on her hat
You seem so positive. I feel must
look into the matter at once. OF course
she will expect to Join my party-we
sail the first of the month. 1t will be
very troublesome to make room for
two extras at this late hour-but per-
haps the agency-you know it will do
for me what it will for nobody else"
Don't bother. Miss Jerusha her
self told me she had all arrange
ments made-steamer tickets, berths
everything" Bess countered, with
thinly-veiled satisfaction. "She wrote
to another agency, way back in the
~ II
Allie-you know she had to teach
until just a week back"
Mrs. Jenifer sank down, actually
weak in the knees. For the first time
since she had assumed headship of
! things in Hampton town, she felt her
supremacy challenged in a vital point.
ThTuout fifteen seasons she had reg
ularly conducted parties abroad-even
| in the heat of wartime there had been
places and things to see. London, for
| instance, Marlborough, Spain and
Rome. Also there had been patriotic
opportunities which the astute lady
| had by no means neglected. There
were folk mean enough to suggest that
| it was the handsome rakeoff from the
agency more than the desire to spread
] sweetness and light that had prompted
her activities. As consequence of
those activities there was hardly any
thing in skirts betwixt eighteen and
eighty that could not boast souvenir
postcards and jumbled Impressions
mainly inaccurate, of things overseas
| Turnout Miss Jerusha. spinster
well-to-do, something cranky but of a
| golden heart, had scoffed stoutly at
such outgoings and mornings. 1t was
bad enough to have her quit the error
| of her ways Independently of Mrs
Jenffer. But to go making her own
arrangement, and taking along a
protegee, was adding insult dire to an
I oil ll47f o1
shook her head muttering thru set
teeth; When Jerusha Kay finds
| herself stranded and in trouble. she
need not hope for help from me-"
| Apparently that day did not dawn.
Miss Jerusha's pilgrimage went thru
with bells on-if one may speak thus
of thing so solemn as adventuring
abroad. She stayed the full six
months, came back something thinner
| but with a healthy color and a new
twinkle in eyes that had never been
solemn. Came alone Allie had
stayed behind in New York. A marvel
all but equal to the going away of the
pair-Allie was of the soft type,
adorably cuddly and clinging, not in
the least likely to yearn for a career.
But beyond saying that the child was
'All right, mighty busy and mighty
happy" Miss Jerusha would not ex-
plain. Neither would she give any
| bill of particulars as to the wonders
she had seen or missed, the hardships
she had encountered or the adventures
that had sprung up in her path.
Thus thruout q month she stimu-
lated Hampton's curiosity until it was
| at fever heat. Meantime she cleaned
house, after the real gaudy fashion of
the elder time. Walls. rugs, floors,
windows, curtains, all movables, the
| most part of immovables, got a puri-
fication to remember In addition
In coll net
brought things curiously varied in
shape, size and weight judging by the
outer looks of them. Heaped I'M
opened in the big dining room, the
first place to undergo cleaning, they
made a curious show. But nobody
another word as to when those things
would become visible.
Then like an avalanche. or earth
quake came invitations-MissJ erusha
Ray, at home upon Thursday after
noon The cards fell like rain upon
the just and the unjust-result het-
erogenous crowd that jammeI The
wide hall, the big parlors and library
and overlooked the wide stone steps
beside putting a remnant fringe into
the frost-bitten garden.
A stunned crowd that could hardly
move for seeing, hardly speak for
amazement. Not a postcard! Instead
such array of pictures, books, drap-
cries, articles of bigotry and virtue
as quite put out of court all previous
collections from foreign tours. Bes
of all. everything plainly labelled with
day, date and place of purchase, alsS
price-which was in many cases as
Il tonishingly small. Miss Jerusha stoot
smiling affably, waving greeting Il
rich ard poor, answering easily an.
: specially importunats inquirer.
? She had able assistance from a tall
smiling young fellow, who seemed K
have more than tho usual complement
Of hands, feet and eyes. Apparent,
he knew all about everything-ant
told what he knew more than well
Skillful shepherding landed the hu
man stream in the back yard, where
under a huge markee were heaps ans
mounds and rivers Of SURPRISING
things to eat and drink
When they had been duly disposet
of, Miss Jerusha stood upon has
sock, the tall fellow steadying her, AM
said clearly: Listen, folks. I'm go
ing to tell everybody why L wen