The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-03

ner lie. Just now long that was she
took i'll judged pains to conceal She
was just that type of woman who wishes
to deceive herself about anything she
does not like, and in that Laura could
succeed incredibly, but it is sitter bust
ness to deceive others. She had been
too much Of belle from the time of
her early teens for there to be much
mystery to her world as to the number
of her years, and it was folly for her to
try to make one. Waterman had said
the important thing when he declared
her charming.
The events of this story took place
some years ago. and if I told just when
I would give data by which, with mod
crate arithmetical equipment, the reader
could compute how old Laura really was,
but though. 1 depreeate- her concealment
like her too much to betray her. She
was brown eyed, auburn haired, gen
tie, glorious beauty and the most wom-
aniSh woman I ever knew She wanted
to be admired and loved by everything
that breathed, and she made herself al
ways loYable. People wondered, of
course, that she hadn t married, but one
of her friends, a. woman, said:
Laura never looked upon marriage
as an achievement, but as surrender.
She has found it more of career to be
a belle. than to marry. She ought to
change her views now, but she's gotten
in such fixed habit of being young and
beautiful and making conquests. don't
know how she is ever going to surrender
to any one unless she gets a real roman
tic hero, and how's any man going to be
hero these dayss''
Laura had not seen the Watermans
for years, and she set about making con-
quests anew of them with her usual as
siduity; and Enthusiastically she SEEM
ed to devote as much effort to the dry
dust colored Emma as to her brother.
She sat on her own piazza with Emma
one morning sewing, because Emma
never sat with her hands idle, and talk
ing kindergartens. She astOnished her
self with what she knew about kinder
gartens when she tried. James Waterman
strolled by, and Laura shifted her atti-
tude to prettier pose as he stopped to
speak, and then called upon him to come
and see how we'll she could hemstitch,
and she made nice showing Of pretty
hands as we'll as of the table center she
was working. Emma looked at her as if
she were committing a crime and snort
ed audibly as she got up, saying she
must go write some letters. Laura bore
her departure sweetly. She wished to
please always, but as between man and
a woman there was never any doubt
which she most cared about.
Waterman drew up a chair and sat
down by her, and she went on hemstitch-
ing and listening. She always listened
if the man would talk.
ST had a letter from Dawson this
morning-Jack Dawson, you know him,
don't you? He's coming down tomor-
row. Says he's got to get out of town
before the beastly Fourth. It certainly is
a necessity to escape all that row. sup
pose the children will have some fire.
crackers at the hotel, and if they get too
noisy I'll run over here. May I?''
ST always have a little Fourth of my
own. 1t might be worse than the chill
dren's, but 1 hope you'll try the ex-
change" Laura looked at him with her
usual soft smile, then dropped her Thin
bic, and Waterman had to pick it up for
! her, and the conversation took new
turn when he brought it back set on his
| little finger and expressing incredulity
woman to sew with.
When he next saw Emma she said,
'sIsn't Laura Marlowe the most smooth,
deceitful thing, talking to me about
kindergartens, and taking SO much care
of her complexion all the time, and
angling after you?''
''Well, Emma, don't see anything
very damaging in your specific charges,
and I'm sure there is not much ground
for saying she's angling after me. She'd
have no use for me when she got me.
She's sweet to everybody. You say that
yourself.
'fShe's got to the time now she's
thinking about settling herself seriously,
for all she gets herself up to look SO
young-young for her age that is-and
guess she thinks you are as we'll as she
can do.
''You are making fool of yourself,
Emma, about very pleasant, gentle,
pretty woman. She likes admiration !;
she's very amiable; she certainly never
gave any one any ground for saying she
was a husband hunter, whatever else
they had against her. We all know some
of the matches she has refused.
''Amiable-that's her card,'' said
Emma. mo one with any real feeling
about anything can be so smooth to ev-
ervbody. She's utterly artificial, and
she'll quit refusing fine matches soon, I
can tell you that, what with the money
they've lost and the years she has gain
ed
Waterman remarked, of course, that
women were wonderfully nasty to each
other, and added that he was going out
rowing with Laura in an hour, and that
he must go see about the boat.
ST don't trust her as far as can see
her, said Emma to herself when she
was alone with her thoughts. "Of course
she must be getting married soon She's
not going to settle down to being an old