The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-24
DOLLY'S STORY.

q dark blue serge gown, with the bodice
covered with ecru embroidery and the
sleeves composed Of tiny Puffs- She were
a spray of goldenrod at her belt.
Dolly was quite delighted with herself
and the world: that was evident. Her eyes
were sparkling and the dimples about her
mouth were visible even through her
white lace veil.
IL determined not to tell you, = she be-
gan.
''That is why you got up SO early and
dropped in, I said
eff you are going to be horrid, won t;
but it is really amusing, said Dolly as
she raised her veil and the dimples stood
out in bas-relief. 'You remember I told
you about that youth who was so nice to
US last year in Florida when auntie broke
her ankleg''
"And you repay his devotion by MAX
ing him miserable for life, I suppose, " I
answered.
Dolly made a brave effort to be demure,
but the dimples threw down the barriers
and ran rampant over her small chin.
ssIet US not anticipate " she said. with a
wave Of her hand s'TO begin at the be-
ginning he was quite attentive to auntie
and me''-with heavy emphasis on the
auntie-fduring TINT awful time. could
not leave auntie to suffer alone IN a hotel
sitting room, so was as much confined
as she.
He suggested getting q hammock and
putting it in a sunny corner of the bal
cony, which was shut in by sf9ined glass
windows. He superintendent - hanging
of the hammock, and every morning he
would see auntie safely ensconced before
he went to breakfast
'sAfterwsrd he would come UP with the
papers, mail and fruit or flowers and stay
with US instead of hunting or playing
tennis or attending the morning german.
He knows a lot of nice people, particularly
in the literary set, and his mail was usual
ly very interesting gossip, which his clever
correspondents wrote him, and auntie
quite swore by him, you know
I could not fancy her J lightly aunt
swearing at anything-not even by her
most disting uished ancestOr-but did not
interrupt Dolly.
"Auntie called him quite pleasant
person, 90 continued Dolly, land that was
saying great deal for her When he found
we would have to return to New York
alone-sinoe Jack could not come for US
he left two weeks earlier than he intended
because he feared auntie might jar her
foot in changing cars. We lost sight Of
him when we returned. OF course auntie
made it a point to invite him to her first
dinner and sent him cards for her regular
at homes
Ike came to dinner, believe, and called
just before he sailed for Europe the next
week. / had forgotten his existence till I
went to stay at the BlRnk1ords' last week
He is a cousin of Mrs. Blankford, it seems
He was there, and was quite ill-so i'll, in
fact, that once the house party came near
breaking up. But he got better soon.
'Now, I thought here is the time to re-
turn the kindness he did US My dear I
exerted myself and I fancy can be quite
agreeable when try" said Dolly de-
murely.
Quite, - answered briefly, thinking
of the poor souls to whom Dolly had been
agreeable.
II wrote him a little note each day be-
fore going en- some expedition the hostess
had planned and I marked the new books
and sent them to him. One day when
heard he was worse L sentshim my photo
graph"
Gould mortal man ask mores'' said
''When he came down +" said Dolly, Il
tried to amuse him In fact. grew to
like him as ons vould d dog one feeds
But on my homer there was not the yaguest
shadow Of a Irritation between US, and
fancy I know what a filtration is with
pardonable pride). / suppose he based his
suspicion on conversation we had about
matrimony-"
''Ah," I murmured.
Dolly resented the infection.
i tell you there yFns no Irritation, A." with
an impatient tap of the high heel of the
little foot. We were just discussing in
purely analytic way the cause of so many
unhappy marriages and so drifted into our
own idea Of a happy marriage He said he
would prefer to marry a literary woman
He writes, you know, but is an artist.
I said I would like to marry man
was good ehuns with, thinking what
capital pals Jack and I are, as he says
Then I thought it would be nice to marry
q literary man who understood all about
publishers and such, and said so.
81 My dear, he acted very strangely all
that day, and when we came to breakfast
the next morning we found he had gone
The feather Drained Teddy came in like
whirlwind the other day and roared with
laughter 50 that I thought the long expect
ed had happened, and he had gone crazy al
last he said
Dolly buried her face in her handker-
chief and I lost the rest of the sentence.
Do not initiate him, said Impatient
~.
s'That I was nice girl, but growing too
enough to lead the little thing on. but not
he. He pulled out when be could do SO
with honor, gasped Dolly behind her
handkerchief.
Now I suppose the world is full Of
idiots just as Connected, who think women
who barely tolerate them are in love with
them If he met me now, he d think nc
consumed with grief, " as she dsbbed away
the tears with her excuse Of a handker-
chief. Exchange.
Du sEaurier's wit.