The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-25
TIE EVENING STORY


much better by merely maintaining i
friendly interest in her. Besides, al
ways knew that If ever I did fan in
love it would be with quite another
sort of a girl-some one who would be
much more prepared to render me hon-
age than to expect it as her own due,
which was Miss Courtenay's way OF go
ing through life. Still, IN spite OF her
many airs and graces, which rather
amused me than otherwise, we remain
ed good friends on the whole and L
am sure I gave her no possible excuse
Tor thinking that I was one of her lat
est Victims for the simple reason that
had not in any sense succumbed to
her destinations, and never pretended to
disguise the fact
had known her now for quite a long
time. should say it was about six
months from our first meeting. At our
last meeting, which had been the day
before yesterday I had introduced
great friend of mine to her-Bertie
BeaucIere. He was a tall, handsome
IelIoW-nO brains, certainly, but stlii |
the sort of type that felt pretty sure
would appeal to her, She really did /
seem to take an ardent fancy to him,
which was another proof that my es-
timation Of her character was a fairly
correct one. I judged her to be frivol-
Gus and shallow girl to be taken with
superficial show rather than woman
TO love a man for his sterling worth, /
which is really the only kind Of woman
should ever feel inclined to love my
eyes and pink and white skin. It is
| the beauty of the heart and mind that
appeal to me far more.
think, as a matter of fact that
tnere are good many men like myself, !
SO mat, when she used to enlarge to
me sometimes upon her conQuests, I
invariably discounted half she said. I
didn't believe she had a title of the sue
cess she made out. Here was I, for one,
quite unscathed. It was really astonish-
ing to me to see the way Beauclere
mace up to her, and I began to think
Lnefe might be something in her charm
after all. But then, ssif She be not fair
TO me. what care I how fair she be?''
All the same, I felt vexed I had intro
duced BERTHE to her. didn't want to
see her make a fool of my best friend.
l didn't want to see her make a fool of
herself either, and the way she encour-
aged his idiOtic compliments was a rev.
citation TO me. had taken it for grant
ed that she was coquette, but I had
never actually seen how these things
were done until then, and learnt a good
lesson that afternoon. BERTHE fetched
and carried for her like a dog. and the
other men seemed to go down like nine
pins, too. I had really meant to look
AFTER her a little myself but I realized
my forethought was quite superhuous.
The next day I thought I would call
/ on her and have quiet chat. I found
/ her in what she was pleased to term her
study" Not having left school long
she kept up an amiable fiction for the
/ benefit of a fond mother and a doting
rather. suppose that she did a few
hours daily practising and reading
within its sacred four walls.
always liked to find her in the study
For one thing, it showed, if not a ser
ious bent of mind, at least an effort in
the right direction; and, for another, her
family never ventured to disturb her
there She said it interrupted her train
of thought.
sat down and. after having helped
her with a difficult problenl-the same
problem. was fam to observe, which
had tackled for her last time-I began
to talk.
You and Beauelere seemed to hit it
off pretty well. I always thought he
liked a bit of bluestocking-in fact, pre-
ferred brains to beauty"
you don't think me clever, then?"
she asked.
'tI didn't say that exactly. I think you
are clever in your own way
But you think my beauty is in ex-
cess of my brains2"
1--WE won't say beauty deprecated.
THAT is a word only applicable to
Greek goddesses. But you're certainly
sweetly pretty"
oh she said, with her eyes down,
you think me pretty, then?'
4 wasn't giving you my personal
opinion" replied, guardedly, "but what
seems to be the generally accepted one
81 don't know so much about that
she said, with a toss of her head. Mr.
Beauclere thinks me quite beautiful and
clever
"Beauclere's an asst" I said hastily |
And then. feeling frightened at the omi- !
nous silence which ensued, enlarged |
my sentence by aGGing, Why he went |
down without a degree!"
perhaps he didn't want one. I'd |
sooner have a straight nose than q de- |
gree any day." she retorted scornfully. !
And scarcely any one here knows you |
are a valedictorian, though I'm sure |
I've told scores of people"
I rubbed my nose ruefully. I am /
forced to admit it is distinctly of the /
Wellingtonian order.
''It was nice of you to trouble to tell |
people," I said obviously. I'm sure
you meant it kindly. But whatever made
you do that?~
20, I felt bound to say something in
your defense. At that garden party yes
terday, as you were walking past. girl
I know said: Who is that awk--
Perhaps I'd better not tell you what
she thought of you" she added, inter-
rupting herself cit might hurt your
feelings"
I laughed.
NO tell me-
That awkward. plain looking man,
who is going ahort as if he thought all
the women were in love with him?"
Did she think that out loud?'' I ask
ed. q belieFe can guess who the girl
was
mo, you can't guess she said cross
". because I shan't tell you. Natural
". when I saw the impression you were
creating I lad to say out loud you were
a va1edictorian, as much for my own
benefit as hers. It was sort Of excuse
for you"
And did it satisfy herY' I asked, adj
miring the way she spoke Of herself in
the third person.
ut was a consolation she admitted.
ST shouldn't have thought Venus
stood in need OF consolation with Adonis
at her feet, not to speak of other adj
you seem to think" she said. pout-
ing. that couldn't win love if I tried
or even if I didn't try