The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-04
EDening Story
House and Lot.

1 she nave 10 CONGE OAS O1
| the society weddings that usually fell
} to heriot- At such events she always
, felt like an outsider and intruder. In
| slant content came, however, when
she saw sprawled in the city editor s
hand. ''Homemakers' Exhibit-Patter-
son Hall. Apply for tickets at bust
ness office" And then beneath,
| Maize it snappy."
These three words of instruction
brought color to Helen's face. Just
as if my copy wasn't always snappy,"
said Helen TO herself. IT always bring
in snappy' copy and then Joe Brooks
| takes it all out" Z
she felt a tinge of rebellion. but it
was only a reflection. Helen was
! loyalty itself toward her superior. Joe
Brooks, the city editor, and had
caused more than one laugh among
her associates> by her rapid-fire de-
Tense of BOSS joe"
In the main, however, Helen
Thompson was filled with satisfac-
ton, and. having taken a ticket for
the Homemakers' Exhibit from the
business office, she set out on what
seemed to her an afternoon of real
pleasure. For Helen was essentially
domestic. She spent many leisure
moments drawing plans of houses,
perfectly possible little six-roop
houses that any young girl like Helen
might feasibly expect to live in But
size had no such expectation. Neces-
sity and circumstances had led her to
start to work at twenty, and she as
sured herself that nobody ever mar
ried a woman reporter. So she wore
her bobbed hair straight, donned
trimmed spectacles, and never ap-
peared in the office Of the Daily
News in any other costume than that
of a mannish tweed suit.
At least, she told herself no one
could accuse her Of being a vamp,
even if she did work in a newspaper
office.
Helen took her time at the exhibit.
She would not have to write her
copy until after o'clock dinner and
she could spend the-efternoon In alb
sorbing atmosphere. So she sampled
infinitesimal biscuits meagerly spread
with jam or jelly, drank coffee from
microscopic paper cups, watched for
five minutes beside the booth where a
large-voiced young man demonstrated
a patent potato peeleS bought a jar
of marRnalade, and collected a pound
or so of pamphlets, and several pounds
of Sample packages. Purposely she
put off till last visiting the section
of the hall devoted to portable cottages
and bungalows. Some half dozen of
these had been erected by as many
rival concerns selling portable struc-
lures. 1T was four when she at last
reached this section. She sped past an
eager-voiced young man who leaned
from the railing of his booth urging
her to buy a lot in Hawthorne Park,
a newly opened cottage settlement,
and passed several bungalow tents on
to the six-room, one-story cottage that
occupied the central position in the
exhibit. Artificial rosevines rambled
over the white lattice of the front
porch, white birdhouses were perched
on posts in-the tiny back yard, ruffled
white muslin curtains could be seen
thru the open windows. So eager was
Alice to begin her inspection of this
house that she pushed her way thru
- -.
tiny front porch.
She walked thru the entire six
rooms with a quick, appraising eye.
1t came up to her well-formulated
standard of convenience in arrange
ment. Then she took each room in
turn Apparently nothing was lack
ing There was the eating nook that
she had dreamed of, with built-in cup
boards above the benches at either
side of the table.
I'VE could eat breakfast here and
everyday dinners she reflected.
Then when there was company we
could eat in the living room. So much
more sensible than wasting space on a
regular dining room"
In the kitchen Helen fingered be-
side the sink and imagined herself
washing dishes in a pan of steaming
soapsuds. She looked at the window
and imagined she saw country roads
and blue sky and waving branches of |
trees, instead of the throngs of visitors |
of the homemakers' exhibit. She took
a deep breath and imagined that she |
breathed sweet county air instead of |
the Yitiated air of the hall mingled /
with the cooking doors of the food |
booths |
For a half hour Helen remained in |
this little ready-made bungalow, for |
getting in that time that any one
been noticing her enthu- |
siastic inspection or have heard the |
signs of mingled regret\ and pleasure. |
She gave a little start when a smooth |
voiced, frank-eyed woman approached |
her.
You seem Interested" she said. |
Perhaps you would like to buy one of
these little bungalows. It's Just the
thing for a young bride"
"Oh, but I'm not a BRIDE don't |
ever expect to be. I'm a working
Just the thing, :" smiled the woman.
You live at a boarding house. You
have no place to entertain your
friends, no place to enjoy your hol-
meals, wash out your own clothes,
raise flowers, or do any one of the
dozen and one things that a young
woman like you really enjoys doing.
In a boarding house you ruin your
health, in a little cottage like this you
conserve it. with a little cottage like
This you need spend no money for holt
days or excursions. no money enter
tanning your friends. no
How much is it ?" faltered Helen.
''Twenty-nine hundred dollars"
came back the answer glibly. and
that includes all the built-in furni-
ture, the stove in the kitchen and the
little bird-houses- 1t would cost only
4 trifle to have 1t erected
Twenty-Five hundred" Helen was
Then she did some figur-
ing and heard no more of the sales
talk for a minute or so. She
was refTecting that her meager patri-
mony, all she had in the world, con-
sisted OF $4,000. And this cost only
$4,000.
TT seems like a lot to spend" Helen
reflected aloud. still, il it would be
an economy in the long run, and If it