The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-07
EDening Story
Summers and Winters.
BIZ ZANE OSBORN

BX JANE OSBORN
Marvin Dawes arrived In Oak
Lawns on the O'Clock train from the
city opJNovember /. AS usual he was
not 3 day late. He hailed a waiting
station taxi to convey him and an
assortment of bags and boxes that
had arrived by an earlier train out the
old Cedar swamp road. He stopped at
the postoffice on the way for the. keys
that were always left with the post
master on October 81 and as often
called for by Marvin Dawes on the
following day.
you don't happen to know
woman that wants to work as cook or
postmaster 1.-The Jap I had SO many
years has gone to San Francisco and
left me I'M the lurch."
why don't you get another Jap?"
was the postnaster's not too civil an
swer. They always said you were SO
partial to EN-"
Marvin Dawes laughed. well, I
was" he admitted. But the fact is,
had a feeling that the old place would
be a little more cheerful il there was
a woman in the Kitchen. / thought
perhaps you might hear of some one
who'd like the place. If you do let me
know" And so Mavrin was off to
the old homestead on Cedar swamp
| road.
One of the boxes he had brought UP
from the station contained the essen
tails for a quickly made supper. which
Marvin prepared for himself with no
very great skill or enjoyment. The
next day arrived the faithful Pat with
| Marvin's two saddle horses It was
standing agreement between Marvin
Dawes and Patrick Shean that on OF
closely following every NovembeEafirst
| he, Pat, should report for duty until
the following May first. During the
six warmer months Pat always found
work elsewhere, but he would never
consent to a permanent position that
would make it impossible for him to
return to Marvin with the coming of
November.
Pats work consisted in taking care
of the two horses, one of whom Mar
| vim kept for himself and another for
| occasional guests. This and work
about the old place kept him only
sessed neither variety nor skill, but he
good naturally consented to fill in the
Ebreech left by the departure of the
| Jap. The postmaster either could or
would not secure a successor.
"As usual" Marvin told Pat the
| day of>the latter's arrival, 1.-THE place
has been set in fr;ghtrul confusion.
They do 1t out of spite, I suppose.
They set to work to turn the house
into a summer cottage. The screens
are still in. Those filnnsy white cur
tafns have been left in place of the
heavy winter drapery. The porch is
cluttered with a lot of new wicker
chairs and things. There's a new
refrigerator in the kitchen, and you've
seen. I suppose, that they've added a
sleeping porch to one of the bedroom
upstairs. You'll have TO help me put
the place back in condition for winter
It's absurd to think of the place as a
summer house. Because of course ii
isn't. 1t wasn't built for that sort OF
thing
And Pat with chuckle agreed.
Pat knew as well as did Marvin
Dawes the conditions on which Mar
vim held the right to occupy the old
house in winter.
Marvin's grandfather before his
death had been reluctant to leave the
old homestead, an exceptionally wei
built house of twenty rooms and more
with several acres of well planted
lawns and groves, to either of his
! daughters. These daughters had be-
come estranged through the business
quarrels of their husbands and GER
tainiy would not wish to share the old
place. So he had stipulated in his viii
that his daughter Lucy should have
} the entire use of the place from May
) to the last of October. while
, Clarice should hate it from November
first to the last day of April. A fund
was left adequate to pay all taxes and
, upkeep expenses of the house, so thai
there might never need to be any dis
pute between the two sisters about thu
!, old house.
CIarice had died, leaving the righ
? to the house to her son, Marvin
Dawes, who had become SO attached
to the house in his boyhood that HI
never failed to arrange his affairs ST
| that he could occupy it during th'
months of autumn and winter. Lucy
too, had died only a year before, ant
the right to occupy the house from
:. May first to the last OF October hat
Il handed IN nd n n
her husband also named Lucy.
Marvin Dawes had no luck in find
ing a housekeeper or cook and h
stuck the winter out none too com
kitchen. On the last day of Apri
they departed, leaving the keys a
usual with the postmaster.
On May Il Lucy arrived. will
| Irish Hannah in the gu1se of chap
e erone and general household assistant
' Wits a perfect shame" Lucy toll
1 Hannah on the second of May, "th'
( way that Marvin Dawes person upset
this place-takes down all the screens
stoves away my white curtains anC
/ puts up those dreadful velour things
0 puts the wicker furniture in the atti
and boards up the sleeping porch. IT
: aburd to think of the place as win
{ ter home-it wasn't built for that scr
of thing"
:. Lucy delivered her remarks from
= the vantage place of the ladder wher'
, she had been standing taking dow
Marvin Dawes's winter draperies. 81
takes two weeks to get the place int
decent shape for summer reall
think that something could be dom
about it. There was a will or some
: thing that made it perfectly clear tina
Aunt Lucy was to have her interest
protected-and I am sure T ought t
be, too
you might be calling at the law
yers to find out" suggested Hannal