The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-24
TIE EVENING STORY
Miss GiIbert,s NsIstaIze.

Miss GiIbert's Mistake.
I was awaiting an answer to a card
which [ had sent up to my friends. the
Gilberts. when the waiter who had ta-
ken It returned and invited me to fol-
low him. On reaching the suite of
apartments to which - - me there
stood young girl with 3 card in her
hand, whom I had never seen. My first
impulse was to withdraw, but when she
advanced TO greet me there was that in
her presence, especially in the smile
/ with which she welcomed me, that
| Dade me pause for developments
expected you,' she said. Uncle
wrote me that you would be here to-
/ aav though I hardly thought you would
come so early. Yes, I know what you're
/ going to say-couldn't wait and all that.
/ Such nice things don't count between
US, since We're never seen each other
/ Keep them till our acquaintance is at
| least a few minutes old"
1t was thus that she stopped the only
/ mistake she was making. She led me
/ to tete-a-tete, where we took seats
/ facing each other; then she said:
We'll, are you disappointed2''
Disappointed? On the contrary, I'm
/ delighted"
She lowered her eyes. she could not
conceal the pleasure my appreciation
called Forth.
"And you?'' I asked Are you disap-
| pointed in me?'
Her only answer was a smile, but it
spoke far palmer than words that she
was much pleased with me.
/ 7 have told uncle all along" she
said, t'that the mere union of two mis-
cradle pieces of property would be no
indueement to me. There must be
something far beyond convenience.
| certainly" I replied.
At confess it has bothered me to know
that your land is worth more than
| TT,l7ers 1z-as s1-idanflv n match in urog-
fress in which two estates were to be
I Joined. I was rich. but the lady might
be richer. I was curious to know how
rich she was.
II have no idea what yours IS worth"
I remarked carelessly, nor do I care.
s.Unele says it's eworth $4,000, while
yours is worth 100000
/ breathed sigh Of relief If it came
to a tussle with the other fellow ] could
ioutbfd hin-I was heir to $500 600.
"Don't let us talk of such sordid mat
tiers. Let US rather speak of that union
of hearts which is most important III
marriage Tel me n since seeing me
you think you can love me-.
Il don't know she said, looking up at
me archly ITS too soon to tell
voluntary confession does not IN
voIve necessarily all the mean things
a man has been guilty or. especlaliy
in an affair of love, so / VIII Oniy say
that 1 had q delightful visit, but the
like a cur. The thought of her discoV-
cry of my villainy Mortified me This
came. I confess. not from tender
conscience, but because had talieT
in love with the girl I had deceived
There WaS no great mystery about
the matter. simply a coincidence. Oh
rather a double coincidence. There
was probably more than one Gilberi
family in the hotel, and the man who
was expected must have been of the
AT~@fTa IN q IN al
for me but to leave my rival to call il
his own good time and uncover my
vilIainy.
A year passed I neither saw MOI
heard anything of her who must bt
Miss Gilbert. though I both wanted
and dreaded to see her. A meeting
2 came at last. and when it came it was
so sudden that it quite took nay breath
away. At a ball one evening ] was
dancing a figure in which partners are
changed, and suddenly found mysel1
vfs-a-vis with the lady whom had sc
grossly deceived. stood as if turned
to stone. There was a momentary look
on her face as if she might have seer
a partner as she would any other mar
who had not been introduced. VIZ
: finished the figure without a word
and. inclining her head slightly, she
left me.
I took steps at once to discover whs
that she was Miss Gilbert.
Apparently she had not recognized
me as the man she had received by
mistake. At any rate I proposed tC
| brazen it out that [ was not. 1 Sc
cured an introduction and asked hel
| to dance What troubled me was thai
/ there was none of that delightful inter
change of sympathy we had expert
enced. One thing she said pierced me
| to the heart. s'You have the same
name and greatly resemble a man who
| once treated me very dishOnorably.'
I thanked heaven that she did not
know 1 was the same person and set
| out to win her as an entirely new
| identity. L found it uphill work How
ever, by exercising patience finals
had had to overcome her prejudice
against me in my resem bIance to the
man who had acted so cOntemptibly
I shuddered at the narrow escape
had had in not being recognized and
declared that the fellow deserved g
coat of tar and feathers.
i One day after we had been married
some time I concluded to confess that
I was the man who had acted as she
always contended. very dishonorably-
I did so fearfuly and watched her ex-
preston as she received the confession.
She was not in the least surprised On
the contrary, she told me that she
knew me the moment she met me tho
second time. Moreover. she had re-
fused the other fellow. hoping that I
O. NORMAN EDDY.
Live Without Drinking.