The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-29
TIE EVENING STORY
When Tlley NIet.

When They Met.
George" said Mrs. Merrill, its a
! year since Claire came to live with US.
When think that Eric Fenner is com
| ing here tonight. and that he will take
| her away from us forever, SO soon,
! feel positively Jealous of him.
Il do. myself was the sympathetic
answer.
/ do you know pursued Mrs. Mer-
rill. Tn quite curious to see their
meeting. Claire conhded to me TINS
morning that, much as she loves Eric,
| she almost breads his coming. A year
| is so long, you know, and 1t mas come
to seem the natural thing to nave
Erics letters instead of Eric himself.
I understand exactly how she feels
81 don't" said Merrill, bluntly. Il
/ thought she knew her own mind.
"Oh, it isn't that Men are so OBJ
baby. Bob Raymond has been IN the
Philippines year, and the baby has
/ been talking about her papa in Mania
the whole time, but now that Bob has
come back she doesn't quite know him.
They told me that when Bob came into
the room where she was playing with a
pencil and paper yesterday she looked
up and said. DO way, man! I'm
within letter tc my papa in Mia.
| "Hm!'' MerrilTs one was resenI1ui;
For Fenner's sake, hope Claire won
say anything like that to him. know
| how he's going to feel when ne gets
here. Remember how it was when
came back to our wedding after a ten
months separation"
do I?' she laughed gleefully:.
even shake hands with me at the train
and you kissed Cousin Bertha, though
you'd never seen her before. You were
what Ted would call fused to death!
@'NensenseI I did 100 per cent better
than young Fenner will when we meet
| him at the train tonight
Don't f1atter yourselfi You haven't
seen Eric Fenner yet. Hes perfect
prince of possession. never saw
| the situation he wasn't master of. You'n
see"
Eyes, I'll see," agreed Merrill. with a
sudden and special gleam in his eyes
The gleam was still there that even
| ing when he stepped forward to greet
an expectant-looking young man who
was Just descending from the overland
MIR. Fenner. isn't it?" Merrill began,
volubly. Glad to welcome you My
wife, Mrs. Merrill, Fenner; 1 fancy you
don't need an introduction to MISS
Claire Baggage all attended TO! Sooq
We've just time to make our car; IL
you'll look after my wife, Miss Claire
and 1 will lead the way"
The dazed young man, who had been
dreaming all across the continent o1
this meeting with his fancee, had just
1 time to give her hasty handshake be-
fore he saw her marched off on the arm
of his host. Meekly he turned to Mrs.
|
places in the car, when Merrill said:
wen put the ladies right in here to-
gether There's a couple OF seats furtner
back for US, Fenner-" So
: From the car to the house, Merrill
escorted Claire as a matter of course,
, and as soon as they were in the parlor
he unIoosed volley of questions in re-
gard to Fenner's law practice in San
Francisco. There was no end to those
, questions Merrill's wife stared and
f1deeted Claire's blue eyes were wide
and surprised. But on went the ques-
tions.
Then. abruptly. as Former was still
weariIy answering endless questions, his
host broke in with But what are we
i thinking Of? You're tired out, of course!
2 No. don't say a world I know what
: that hot, dusty overland trip is, ana
especially when the trains as late as
yours was Here''-puIling out his
: Watch-"it's IL o'clock. The thing for
: YOU to do is to get into the bath that's
waiting for you upstairs, and then turn
. | in straight! Plenty of time for visiting
tomorrow. Come along with me ard
I'll show you the ropes of the house.
: Wen say good night to the ladies, right
[ here and now They'll excuse us. Oh,
yes. they will. This way, Fenner;
Still joyfully prattling, he led his
spellbound victim up the stairs to the
guestroom, where. after few civilities,
he shut him safely in
( Down the hall he came then, grin
ming With SaJ1SIdCll9I. but Of Tic dOOl
of his wife's bedroom he met a re-
proachful face
: What do you mean?" she demand
ed. Haven't you any human feelings
at all? Weren't you ever young your
self? Claire's too proud to let me see
how she feels, but know! she
/ gone to her room.
, "Very good, So has the prince OF
; self-possession." Merrill spoke airily
"But I'll bet 10 cents he's wondering
now. why he wasn't master of the
situation enough to get few minutes
alone with his girl before 1 shooed him
: into that bathi''
George Merrill, you're wicked!
| Claire will cry all night
"a salutary result, if she does!' re-
turned the victor, grandly. 'She'l ap-
) preciate Fenner all the more, l don't
} believe she'll be half as likely to say
IsDo way, man. to Fenner tomorrow
morning. oh, 1 haven't been bit
selfish in this. I've been looking out
for Fenner's interests. - Chicago
News.
Il