The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-02
THE EVENING STORY
An Engagement Kiss.

was IN frame OF mind to get all /
the fun that could be possibly extracted |
from two weeks vacation. extracted /
so much in the first twenty-four hours |
that-but / anticipate.
alighted at the hotel, gave my hand |
baggage to a porter and was climbing |
the piazza steps when saw girl
whom I was sure I had never met be- |
smile
Good gracious," she exclaimed. II
thought you were not coming till to-
morrow
But you see have come today" I
replied, humoring her mistake, for
knew she was in error as to my iden-
tity.
well. declare. You quite take my
breath away" she went on, looking
at me admirably from tip to toe. How
you have improved! I'd scarcely have
recognized you"
You are the same lovely girl; you
couldn't improve
1 was treading on dangerous ground,
but relied as soon as the error was
discovered on my ingenuity in making
up plausible story to let me out.
WELL I said, looking at her visit
fully, ARE you of the same mind z?
Those people over there are looking
at us. Leave me till after supper; then
Wen walk on the beach,
l was glad to comply, determining
that as soon as / reioined her L would
1Cl lllG ldCl COu1G Oub That as -AON
the lover she expected. When we met
again my resolution weakened. l could
not resist the temptation to enjoy brleI
period with so charming girl We Went
down on to the beach in the cleaning
and strolled on the line of foam. The
moon rising out of the ocean gllnted the
crests of intervening waves The stars
were coming out. There was no souno
but the plash of waves l knew that II
I talked of anything except love l would
expose my hand, and it seemed as nat
ural for me to talk love to her as II we
had long been lovers. / told her now
during the four years of absence my
heart had yearned for her and begged
her to tell me if l was to be MADE nap
Ply. Sailing on the broad sea of love l
struck never a rock, and when IL was
time for US to go in she had no sus-
picion that she had made an exchange
of lovers.
And now 1 said before parting,
give your reply in a kiss"
She kissed me, and that kiss was the
loveliest, longest, most rapturous ever
took from Woman's lips.
The next morning 1 rose late and was
the only person in the breakfast room.
Sitting by a window. heard voices On
the piazza.
who was the fellow" asked mans
voice land what did he look like?"
Like you, very much improved from
what you were when saw you last.
HIM. You don't seem to consider
me improved.
Not in disposition. You blame me
for very natural mistake.
"a very unnatural mistake. If you
make such mistakes after we are mar
ried there'll be the deuce to pay.
Were not married yet :,
peeped through a Stat IN the phiiQ
and saw a man sitting with the girl L
had made love to the night before. he
looked very like me, though dla no.
feel hattered by the likeness. Wnas
! eli ont T1TnhCRrVed
take the first train or brazen II OUT
| 1 marched boldly out and Joined them
certainly expected both to receive
me scornfully. Without waiting Tor
either to speak I begged thousand
pardons of the girl for not rectify1ng
her mistake at once, giving as my only
reason that she was so charming L
could not bring myself to do SO. WINE
l was speaking. which ana mummy;
the face of the girl slowly broadened
| into smile; that of the man grew mo
| mentarily surlier. Having done all l
could to atone for my sin, l turned ana
| left them.
7 resolved to leave the place that af-
ternoon. but, meeting the girl without
| her lover. she extended her hand to me
and asked me to take seat beside ner-
| did so and told her of my 1ntenuon
| to depart, which had been formed on
| the ground that my presence there
would not be agreeable to her and her
| lover. She declared that she would not
be the cause of my departure ana beg
| ped me to stay. l determined to remain
for awhile, but if my presence proved
objectionable I would go at once
That evening. observing the youne
lady sitting alone on the piazza, Joln-
! ed her. To my surprise. at my mentloI
of her lover she said that he had gone
| Then she gave me her confidence IN
matter of which I already knew the
principal part At IS she had admired
/ q man whom she had known but shor'
| time when he removed to another place
Thev had correspondent, and after foul
wears absence he had returned, hoplns
/ to get a favorable answer TO ms SUIT
| she had been disappointed in him enc
had rejected him. -
! I chatted with her till the moon rose
| then boldly asked her If she would Walh
on the beach. She accepted the INV
| tation. and, walking over the sans
! sands as the night before, L mace tne
same love She proposed that shouio
90 away and return for an answer II
| four years. but I told her l had peer
] in suspense for "a hours and that was
/ long enough. She considered that rldic-
nIoiIsly short. but yielded When latel
| 7 rallied my wife on accepting me Oh
such short acquaintance she said:
"H,ml Do you suppose 1 was gong &c
LET Won go after that engagement KISS
Aee - MARK ANDERSON.