The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-28
TIE EVENING STORY


4
to contemplate her provokingIy calm
and cool husband who sat reading his
paper before going of to bed. As he
still feigned a lack of interest in the
words Of his pretty wife, she contin-
ued 70 scold softly in voice so sweet
as to rob the words of any sting.
You know, Billy must not go away
Just now that I have got him and my
COUSIN Nell on the point Of an en-
gagementi They're desperately in love
with each other and may discover it
any moment You should be thankful
Tor my interest in your family-you
know got Kate and Minnie and Jer-
~ settled faultlessiy-and the brother
silly is the last-and the worst He is
| even more helpless than you about wo-
men. Why anything pretty in petit
coats that set her mind to it could
get Billy, and he'd never know what
alled him. He'll do something outrage
Gus # he isn't looked after, and the
Lord made him and Nell for each other!
and here that John Burton is hot on her
trail-oh, Dick, let Billy stay another
week at leastl"
Billy has to start tomorrow-the
frIn needs him in Denver
But, Dick
My dear, I am sorry to interfere
with your matchmaking, but business
You horrid thing. You know that
II tnere's anything on earth I despise
it's matchmaker I'm not a match
maker, but I hope / know when to
help a little"
Richard Ainley put his paper down
and laughed delightedly.
We'll, whatever it is about Nell
ana Billy. I am sorry to interfere but
Billy has to go-the firm needs him in
Denver If, as you say, the Lord in
ee1oed them Tor each other, he'll pro-
DabIy see to the matter himself Any
now, absence makes the heart"
It does not! Only men are stupid
enough TO think so. Johnny -on-the-
spot IS the fellow that wins oI1s
hate John Burton for having all that
/ money, an undisputed position and
good looks besides, though I don't ad-
Inlre his style Billy is such an ugly
Dig dear o ia thing but he has his
points-one doesn't look for beauty in
a Boston terrier! And Nell has enough
money and family for any two people!
Billy has brains and push and he'll
1 have money by the time Nell has
learned sense enough to be trusted
with anything but her allowance"
Richard came over and kissed his wife.
Good night. dear. I don't doubt
you'll somehow contrive to have your
aWy about the two"
Dick, I guess III run up to moth
er's tomorrow night and stay a week
All right-I1l come after you if it's
longer than that. Run along to bed
now
NO, I must write few notes
then I will. Good night"
After her husbands departure she
sat down to her little desk and wrote
a note to Milly Tresham at Denver
Dear Milly, I am returning evil for
good mean this sting ynote for your
long letter, which III answer later.
This is to commend briefly to your
mercy the soul and body Of Billy Ain
ley, whom Richard is sending there on
business for a few weeks. VIII you
| see that he is fed and housed and that
nothing too outrageous in the girl line
marries him He is so rash, but he's
a dear if he isn't beautiful I got
Dick to send him out of the way bit,
for he's epris with my cousin Nell
Needham. Her mother and all of us
want her to marry John Burton, who
is after her fast and furious. Billy is
in the way. OF course, 1 am fond of
Billy, but he is not the man for Nell.
'sGoodby, dear. Always yours,
BETH AINLEY.
"P. s.-Of course Billy mustn't
know why he is sent away-it woud
spoil everythingiv She addressed and
stamped the envelope and went peace
fully to be.
The next forenoon Mrs. Ainley cas-
ually went to her cousin Eliza abeth's
and found Nell waiting in her auto
duds for a spin in Burton's machine.
She mentally decided that Nell was
the only girl she had ever seen who
could contrive to look like a heavenly
angel in a leather coat and cap and
ed at the girls mother in disguised sur
prise-had Cousin Elizabeth no sense2
Was she so ignorant Of human nature?
For she was fretting at Nell for f1irt~
plaintively that Billy Ainley was the
right man for her even If he wasn't
rich. Elizabeth Needham had no tact
Nell laughed and tossed her head. Mrs.
Ainley gave the girl a keen glance.
Billy started to Denver this morn
ing. He's to stay with Milly Treshan,
whose sister May he was so taken with
last summer. She's impossibly western,
was queer. Really, Cousin Elizabeth,
my sympathy is with Nell and Burton.
Burton is really very handsome and
can give Nell everything on earth with
out her having to wait world without
end for him to make it. I am glad
Billy chose to fly off like that-he is
so Tnasterful and persistent that I can
quite imagine his sweeping q girl of
her feet for a moment Nell knows
better than to take him too seriously,
however. Goodby, dear-hope you'll en-
JOY your spin. I'm going up to moth
er's for the weekend, and will not see
you till I am back. Be sure to tell me,
when there is anything definite to tell!
You know how interested I'll be in
your c1othesl" The girl flung out to
the auto IN indignant surprise. Her
head whirled. Her Cousin Beth had
seemingly been in sympathy with Billy.
The girls heart contracted with sud-
den pain and jealousy. So he had gone
to Denver without a word to her-and
there was May Tresham. She hated
May though she never had seen her.
Then. with the sweet logic Of her
kind, she eased her hurt by tearing the
heart-strings Of John Burton. Never
had she been so fendfshly lovely. so gay
and so grave, so utterly captivating in
her caprices, so entirely womanIy and
SO hoydenish, first one and then the
other. Her eyes and her lips challenged
L. 1..a-- de- -1--~1
him When he stopped at her door
again his head and his heart were
awhirl and he triumphantly carried
with him her promise to let him take
her to any number Of places the next
week or two He did not yet know that
Billy Ainley was IN Denver. Nor did
he have any means Of knowing that,
thought she bade him goodby with