The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-08
CONCERNING SOME LOVE LET
TIERS.

He was head and shoulders above
the gay Bohemian throng through
which, step by step, he was patiently
making his way-and not physically
only, thought the woman who some
moments before had met his grave re-
gard and knew herself his goal.
She drew her skirts aside with a
welcoming smile, but there was no
responsive cheeriness in his greeting
rs it true" he began, abruptly, "as
these people are saying, that your
friend-and mine-is the author of
g furOre?"
She glanced at him quickly.
THE authors identity is a profound
secret" she said, with reserve.
Assure me that she is not RESPONSE
Bile for the book he urged Il care
for nothing else"
You disl-- You don't like it?"
Like it? Neurotic-reckIess
womanlyl It isn't possible-it cannot
bel-that she wrote it!'
She pondered, watching him.
why not ask her yoursef?'
Il am going on there from here
you can guess why-and, first, 1 must
find an answer to my question
Her pale face grew a shade whittier
"a sudden resolution hardened its pa
thetic outline
eXecutor-but I may not give you the
information. I will tell you, however,
the story of the publishing of the Let
ters,' if you can spare the time to
hear it p? In the picture gallery am
at home in this house-we shall be
undisturbed."
If he understood her meaning it was
that in some indirect, permissible man
ner. she would satisfy him, and he fol-
lowed her silently; but alone in the
quiet presence of their hostess ances-
tors she still did not speak.
"Yes?" he prompted, at last, gently
- tarar n
lips.
TT is caIled-the romance I am about
to relate to you is called Two Women
and Man, " and again she paused.
1T isn't easy for your" he asked.
Not isn't easy" she replied, and
his heart sank
1.-The Man and one of the Women in
my story became members of the same
tennis club on the same day. Those re-
sponsibIe for their introduction were
absorbed in the finals Of the great
match of the season, and the two out
siders drifted aimlessly together as
critical spectators of the animated
scene.
'That was the beginning of it all
and the drifting continued Presently,
by common consent, they stood inVar1a-
bly, on the same side of the net, ana IT
was his privilege to find her balls and
take the awkward serves. By COM
mon consent too, when the light failed, |
they were left unmolested to dawdle |
home through the long field paths Dy |
the winding river-and that it was but
a new edition of the oldest of old stories |
nobody doubted.
ssThat was the first phase of the lit
tie idyl 1t ended with a Long Vaca- |
ton and then letters bridged the dis !
tance-his, cautious and calculating, |
MS was his way; hers, innocent, pas |
unrestrained, unconsid-
cred outpourings of girl pure heart.
There was no need to publish the en-
ga cement he said, since he had yet to |
make a place in the world, and not
even with her bosom friends, so en-
viabIy near him at Newnham, was the
precious knowledge shared Oh the
secret understanding.
ssThus it fell out. when many terms
had come and gone, that following an
there came to the anxious watcher in
fhe wee white house by the river the
girl graduates periodical scrawl
q s---and-well, he has asked me
to marry him. had q din nosio1 Ia, a.
one time that you and he But
he saws you would laugh at the idea.
and. of course, you would have TOLD
me. It's an end to my INTENDED
career" but I am too happy to care!
saThe answer did not tarry--of con-
rratulations. of gentle ridicule OF the
tentative question-but as it sped on
It's reassuring way a woman looked
out. in the girls place, on Ia, a luture
stripped of its curves and colors-
"He had not even asked for her
,ilence-so sure ne had been of her
lonorl We'll, the tawdry rag he had
called his would never be assailed Dy
, sr-nor should the woman who had
20 1nwittingIy injured her be made
he scapegoat of another's sins And
because it was her invaria bic way to
play the game-as she knew lt--spar-
De herself nothing. she sat at their
BOARD. when the summons came, and
or a little space suffered torture.
later. the suffering was scarcely less,
a /
Illusions and for that lost career Of
which she had been even more proud
han the girl graduate herself
s'The years had dropped their cur-'