The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-01
MEETS HIS FATE.

he started out just before dusk.
The Hadley house is back from the
street. with a sweet smelling grass plot
and clump of shrubbery in front of it.
Swinger dinly saw several figures on the
open veranda and he heard the murmur
of voices Would it be advisable for him
to stop at such a time? He was in extreme
doubt, and while hesitating he walked
past the gate. Then it was too late for
him to turn back, so he kept on walking.
At the next corner south he stopped and
debated whether or not he should return.
He resolved to go to the house merely to
vindicate his courage. He slammed the
gate behind him and advanced boldly to-
ward the veranda. Some one who had
been sitting on the steps arose and waited.
1t was she, but she did not recognize him.
GOOD evening"" he said, with great
diplomacy.
''Why, it's Mr.. SwingerI'' she said, and
Swinger knew that she was really sur
prised, but there was nothing in her tone
to give him discouragement.
The other persons on the veranda were
Mr.. and Mrs. Hadley. This was Swinger's
first meeting with Mr.. Hadley, whom he
could see but indistinctIy, but whom he
regarded with favor, because he was the
father of Hiss Eta Hadley. Mr.. Hadley
welcomed him rather heartily, and Mrs.
Hadley, whom SWinger had already learn
ed to admire as a remarkably clever and
a
place on the rug.
ST just happened to be in this part of
town, and thought would drop in and
see If Jim was here, he said.
OF course Jim was not there, and they
told him to remain anyway, SO he sat on
the top step and she sat two steps below
him, and Swinger talked with Mr. and
Mrs. Hadley about the weather and the
war with Spain and the reopening of the
bicycle season, while she hummed little
tunes and occasionally looked up at him,
at which times he felt his pulses bound
Swinger, like many another dif1dent
man, could talk freely and at his ease with
those who were decidedly his elders OF who
followed the lines of everyday business
talk, and so he managed famously with
Mr. and Mrs. Hadley. He did not know
that 10 O'Clock had passed. Mr.. Hadley
announced that he would go in and read
for awhile. Mrs. Hadley followed him.
Swinger arose to depart.
ooh, no. not yet, u" she said, and Swing
er, shifting his hat from one hand to the
other, said nothing, but remained.
Its such a lovely night" she con-
tinued. 'I'd like to go out walking
We've might" said Swinger.
REALLY want to go. I've been in the
house all day. Come in until get my
hat.''
"Thank you, PIP
''No; I have a particular reason for
wanting you to come i'm
Swinger followed her into the house,
and then she turned on him and said mis-
chievously: 81 wanted to see your spring
suit. It's awfully swell. Oh, the flowers
Who gave them to you?''
cit was the dorist-really, - with a boy
tsh simplicity.
81 have some flowers, too she said,
and she pointed at the roses in the vase.
Then she came up close to him to chirk up
the flowers in his buttonhole, and she said
to him as she looked straight in his eye,
''It was simply lovely of you to send
them
Swinger blushed and failed of speech,
as he had at their first meeting. She was
so near him that he caught some subtle
fragrance from her hair and tingled with
a sudden and an overwhelming surprise
that he should have been selected from
among mortals for such marvellous ex-
perience as this.
He had confused impressions of seeing
her put on her hat and Of the departure
from the house, with her hand on his arm.
He shook himself and grasped his walk
ing stick, determined to think of some
thing, but in all the range of speech there
was nothing to fit the moment. They
walked silently under the trees, and he be-
came frightened at his inability to talk.
But she had something to say to him.
81 was a little provoked at you this
evening"" she began.
'Why-what did do2" he asked, with
actual alarm.
''Why, you said you came to see Jim.
thought at first you had come to see me.
Do you know, Mr.. Swinger, this is the
first time you've been out here when we
didn't have to send for you? And to think
that you came to see Jim!"
Swinger did not detect the coquetry of
her speech. He thought only of his bad
the unfortunate thing on every occasion.
"Well, I'd rather-see you than Jim
he said, and then he realized that this was
an impertinent declaration instead of a
graceful excuse. Fortunately she was not
offended.
''Well, that's nice of you to say that.
You ought to like me better than you do
Jim, for he used to say the most dreadful
things about you. He said you hated girls
and never went out anywhere and would
not dance, and all that. knew it wasn't
so, or at least it isn't SO now, is itP'
''Well, the fact is that I haven't-you
know, there was a long time there I did
not go around at all until I met you-or
anybody, until you invited me out here
that time"
"Oh, don't believe it. I just wondered
when I received those flowers this morn
ing if the others were as beautiful as
mine"
"What othersP''
'fOh, innocentl''
ooh, Miss Had1ey, for a fact, haven't
sent flowers to any other girl in years,
and that was He stopped suddenly,
for his earnestness had carried him beyond
bounds again. But the adorable creature
was as forbearing as she was innocent. 1t
seemed to him that she put an added
pressure on his arm as she said:
f'Well, whether that's true or not the
ones you sent me were the most beautiful
things ever saw in my life, and can't
tell you how much prize them. And if
I were sure that you had never sent such