The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-29
TIE EVENING STOR r
Canlpden's shnve.

grow one again lew eGAc. A@OA@
spoil a lifetime
Its not so much the loss the mus
tache.' said Mabel Devant. on
should know what I mean, though q
course you will pretend to be ignorant.
hate duplicity."
"sOh. what a tangled web we
weave. " he quoted You don't mind
telling me what particular sin you
have found out in me. do youl al
NIT that did buy some candy for MISS
Travers. if that's what you are making
all this talk about. I might add IN
self defense that it's the httlest Miss
Travers; she's five, believe"
If you are going to indulge in such
brutal Joking I shall say nothing fur-
Their" said Miss Deyant. haughtily. 1
have been singularly patient. II you
only had confessed I should have had
no more to say. AS 1t is. can see
nothing in your conduct for which 1
can find the slightest excuse"
But see here Nab he persisted
Il haven't been doing anything
haven't murdered man for at least
week. and my last bank robbery Is Two
months back I feel that 1 have
clean slate so far as this last unhappy
week is concerned, and yet you come
back from town and want me to con-
fess to a calendar of crimes on the
argument that a good husband should
tell his wife everything I don't adj
nit that argument, but all the same Il
you'll give me a clew to the sort Of
crime you want me to confess to III
try to think up something"
Mabel turned on her heel and walk
ed off. 1t was not a very straight nor
steady tread, but she held her head
high and tried to keep back the tears
until she reached her room. She sue
ceeded until the elevator left her at
her floor, then she ran down the cor
ridor, the picture Of woe.
When she finally recovered her COM
posture and went down to dinner there
was 70 Harry Campden waiting Tor her
in the hall Instead she ran into Nettle
Braden. who appeared to have been
waiting for her, and who led her out on
the almost deserted piazza.
I think it's a shame?" began Miss
Braden. THAT awful man packed up
/ his things and went to town on the ar
Harry asked Miss Devant, COM
prehendingly.
Miss Braden nodded
without even a goodby," she ad-
mitted Il think it's just too terrible.
Come in and have dinner, and forget
that such a horrid man ever lived
II don't feel hungry declared Mabel.
| blinking back the tears and seeking her
room for the second time.
The next few days were as miserable
| for her as they were for Campden W
in town. He and Mabel were to have
been married in October, and while he
puzzled his brain for some explanation
of the mystery she took refuge in a
| Woman's comfort and went about the
beach with an eyer-ready handker-
CHIEF.
The Harrises were giving a house
party through September, and Mabe
accepted their invitation because she
knew that they We're not acquainted
with Harry, and that there she would
| be safe For the first time since the
break she felt happy as she came oowr
the stairs the morning after her arrival
The boat had been becalmed and she
{ - 4 lot bit he
| air was a temptation. and she ran down
the stairs just as the servants were
| opening the house.
Out on the piazza she paused a mo-
ment to observe a bule-coated back
| then she advanced with an air Of care
Iessness and made for the opposite end
of the porch.
sprang UP and she gave scream as she
recognized Campden.
81 did not know that you We're to
come" he began, as he approached
her. Il just met the HAIRLESS, and
was not aware that they knew you"
"They are very old friends, she
said, coIdly st used to go to college
That's nice" he observed. conven-
/ tionally. But see here, Nab, If we are
going to be fellow guests for a few
days, won't you please. tell me what all
the row was about?"
you should know she said, Sc
verely.
II should" he confessed. but Idon't-
All know is that you ran up to town
for week When you came back to
| the beach you asked me to confess my
sins and when [ said I had nothing to
confess except the self-evident fact
that had shaved off my moustache
you made that the excuse for breaking
the enga cement"
For a moment Mabel paused, then
1 Fov- f7.1Ifh her re-
serve. Il wanted to see Il you would
tell me the truth" she explained
when 1 went away you promised to
tell me if you had misbehaved- You
got into some love-making scrape and
never told me a word about it.
so that's it, is it2" he asked You
want to know why I kissed Beth Con-
nora on the piazza.
Il see you realize at last what the
offense was
II did not know until just this mo-
ment that you knew Nettie Braden-
She and Mrs. Harris were school
mates; so were you. You must all
have known each other. Miss Braden
was a western girl and never sup
posed you had met her"
II don't see where Miss Braden fg-
ures in this story" she said severely
"I believe it concerns Miss Connors-
'.Nettie Braden ia the heroine" he
explained. THE Connors person Is
lust the villianess. Promise never tc
ten?"
mo. I shall make no promise
Every WELL he said. IF you don'i
care, that puts things in a different
light" He had half turned away wher
a hand was lightly laid upon his arm
please go on said Mabel penitent-
". you know care. I shall not tell.
you know Miss Braden came the
day after you came up to town." he
began. leaning comfortably against the
railing "She was awfully in love with
Dick Harrington. I used to chum with
Dick a little when was out west, and
I sort of pitied him. Miss Braden was
awfully jealous and 50 1ovey-dovey
that the whole piazza was laughing.
you know what a little nischiei
that Connors girl is? Well, the nigh
| of the hop she ran into Dick on ths
- i...t In t.eirae the men win.