The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-25
EUening Story
PLAY the Game.
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.

dered how long the train would wait
May I help you? Going to St
/ LOUISE"
Sarah Lee knew better than to an
swer any man who spoke to her. but
something about the broad shoulders
the bronzed face, the resonant voice
of this stranger was different. She
could trust him.
Yes. am going to st. Louis. 1t is
She had to take very big steps to
keep up with him, and when he had
swung first her and then her suitcase
up the steps of her compartment she
| said >shyly, "Oh, thank you'll"
She peered into the narrow strip of
glass between the two seats, straight
| ened her very new hat, saw that her
blue eyes were bright as flowers and
sat very demurely looking out into a
black world of which she could see
nothing. She was really early. She
! would have time to wait and-think.
It was kind of brother Ted to offer
her home now that she was all alone.
But she wished with all her heart that
he had married some other kind OF
wife, or at least that Jennie liked her
better. st. Louis was just a big,
strange city. She crowded back tear
by shutting. her eyelids very tight and
saw when she opened them that some
thing had happened.
The man with the bronze face and
the gray eyes and the unforgettable
voice was in the compartment ahead!
Her heart began to hammer very hard.
She wondered
She was~still wondering when some
one came rustling down the aisle; a
girl with her arms full of roses and
cheeks with that same rose flush. She
stumbled before the man in the COM
partment ahead and gave a stifled
exclamation and dropped her armful
of roses. 1t was very prettily done.
Sarah Lee saw him stoop and gather
them up, saw the interchange of
in the Rose Girls cheek and felt a
fierce little demon of jealousy smite
her.
From under her trim little sailor
she watched them go up the aisle to-
gether-the Rose Girl and the man
with the armful of roses.
Sarah Lee slipped into her berth as
soon as it was made up, while she ad-
that did not seem to take away the
little ache about her heart.
But next morning she could laugh
at the whole thing. Just because a
man had a nice mouth and the kind of
eyes that seemed to understand and
crisp dark hair was no reason why
she should be a little idiot.
Sarah Lee was really surprised
when he stopped beside her compart-
Iege she permitted since he had car
ried her bag. He told her his name
was Jasper Waite. Sarah Lee did not
tell him hers; she knew at the other
end of the car girl with rose cheeks
was waiting for him.
She was right.
She turned just once to see them
laughing together, Jasper Waite and
the Rose Girl and then she put them
out of her mind.
There are so many things to do on
a train just as there are IN life. The
old lady opposite had lost her glasses
and they must be found. And the lit
tie mother who had Compartments No.
6 was SO tired after being awake with
baby all night.
Sarah Lee may not have under
stood how to talk to young men, but
died the little downy thing in her
arms while the young mother nodded
off into a nap.
BY mid-afternoon she had a whole
nor even young man. the kind whose
laugh drifted down to her from the
end of the car; but circle of little
girl admirers who demanded atten-
ton.
Sarah Lee had found a new, an en-
trancing game. All they needed were
scissors and an old magazine.
Now you see this will be the
charming, the old lady across the aisle
decided, and we'n need a refrigera-
tor and a kitchen stove"
I've found a parlor!'
And a dining roomI"
The tow-headed little girl was cut
ting tables out of the advertisements.
while the chubby little girl was cut
ting Tiffany lamps.
And we must have a living room!"
Sarah Lee cried.
May I play?"
YES" Sarah Lee said without look
ing up, you can take these scissors
and sit down here beside me-
Then she turned the color of a
scarlet poppy when she saw that she
was looking into the eyes of the man
with bronze skin and the unforget-
table voice.
Its just a chiId's game" she ex-
it would bore your
She did not offer him half of her
seat.
But queerly enough the man with
the gray eyes had caught the spirit of
the game.
For the living room. Wen want a |
big chair, a grandfather's ehair-how |
will this do?-and an open fireplace
We must have an open fire in the |
housed"
The tow-headed child had found the
very fireplace.
"And down here beside the fire
place we'll want a little low chair
this one will do-and a sewing table"
He flicked open another page of ad-
vertisements and came on the very
thing he wanted
And books, a few books in one of 1
these bookcases and some flowers in
the window, don't you think sou
He addressed Sarah Lee but he
could only see the fingers that were /
cutting out a. table. none too steadily. I
"Yesi" the -littlest girl piped up /
since no one answered.
And We ought to have a davenport 1
for winter nights where we can sit /
and watch the fire?" he went on ru-
"Oh, iyeth," the chubby little girl /
lisped.
"And a footstool here where you
can sit"
Some one was standing in the aisle /