The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-04
E0ening Story

BY LILLTACE NJ. MITCHELL


change department, looked up wear
lily from his desk. 1t had been a day
OF odd jobs-defunds. complaints. eX-
changes. Everything had been rela-
lively unimportant and Yet everything
demanded instant attention. Had Bill
Kemp been ten years older than he
was he would not have taken it all so
seriously, and consequently would
have been as fresh at the end of the
day as he was early in the morning
Il wanted" said a pair of violet
eyes, at least Bill Kemp would nave
sworn that it was the eyes that spoke,
SO timidly and questioningly did they
regard him. Il want TO know If
could do something about my flower
hat"
Bill Kemp sighed. They were such
marvellous eyes. And then to be mum
danely interested in hat-a silly
well" he said, gruffly. what did
you contemplate doing about this
flower hat? If it's been worn it can
not possibly be accepted for exchange
or refund"
The latter words issued mechanical
" from his mouth, and he wondered
subconsciously how many hundreds OF
times he had uttered that same sem
tence-sometime about gloves, some
times about hair goods, sometimes
about shoes
"Oh, it hasn't been worm came
the soft voice again. The voice sound
ed as tho it We're full of tears and
he looked at the violet eyes again.
Sure enough there were large tears
there.
Bill Kemp steeIed himself. All wo-
men used tears as a means to an end
and he determined that he would not
be taken in. "WeI, go on, go on" he
said as testify as he could.
You see I decided last Saturday
f.l- II
hat-au violets and orchid tulle. on.
it was really the most beautiful hat in
the whole world. l think she said
wistfully. Il looked and looked at 1t
before, you know-and on Saturday
I paid deposit on it, a deposit of a
dollar. L was to take it this Saturday,
but" the lips that We're soft AMI
pink closed firmly. II believe that
shan't need it, after ALL
And so you want the dollar back
again, I take it ?'' he said, tapping his
pencil against the desk and regarding
it coolly.
"oh. my. no." she said softly. "Of
course they wouldn't give back the
partment and the clerk said that I
had agreed to take it and I would
have TO finish paying for it. II have
the money but"
VIII you sit downs" said BIZ
Kemp. rising suddenly, wondering |
why it was that he had not thought !
of it before. Il haven't been head of !
the department long and 1 am at a |
loss TO understand one thing. Why do |
women buy thing, take it home and |
then run right back here to return |
it?'
The violet eyes crinkIed at the cor |
ners and the soft pink lips twtiched. |
I don't know she confessed. Il !
never do myself It's not that !
probably wouldn't if had the chance, |
but work and so scarcely have time /
things for the fun of thinking I really |
owned them for a while before L re- |
turned them. 1t must be lots of fun, |
mustn't it,"
But you want to leave this pansy !
hat on our hands" he eXpostulated. !
"Oh. oh, not pansy,'' she exclaimed |
in Mortified tones 1T is violets-
Violets and orchid tuIle. And besides /
I don't want to leave it on your hands /
I'd love it myself only I heard about /
this Mrs. Benzingen whose husband /
is in the hospital and whose children /
are all so small that she can't work. /
It wouldn't be right to wear a lovely |
hat of violets and orchid tulle when /
they might be-hungry. If you say 1 /
don't need 10 take the hat I'm going /
to take a basket out there tonight"
She looked at her watch. ITS way,
way out in
You run along and get the basket
and I'll see about the dollar refund. |
Then when you get the basket filled |
come back here and get the dollar
and I'll take the basket out for you
wherever it is. You can't be running /
all over tOwn-a girl like you"
He listened to her words of thanks
with an air of abstraction. We ought
to get a bite of supper at a restaurant
first, maybe" he said nonchalantly. /
quite as tho he were in the habit of |
asking strange girls to cat with him. /
He sent the call boy for the dollar and
pulling a card from his pocket, wrote
down.
shed like a --violets-later.'
And the viONa+-eyed Mrs. Bill Kemp
with her still-shiny wedding ring was
happily surprised on her birthday a /
few months later with a large round
hatbox tied with a huge violet bow.
The hatbox held a hat of violets and
tulle.
Copyright. 1922. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)