The Topeka state journal., 1906-05-02
TIE EVENING STORY
Taken Id Her Word.
tBy Joanna single.1

paIluEe from the window. And he was
angrlly conscious that she knew he
would. as usual. return in a few days
although she had said she hoped she
would be rid of him for a while. She
was so young and 50 beautiful-and 50
provokingi
At the entrance to the little park, al
ready growing green IN the April sun,
he met her sister. He did not know
Anne very well-he had been too busy
with Rosalie. He wished now that he
had made friends with her; her blue
eyes were so like. and still so unlike,
Rosade's. Anne stepped IN front Of
ously.
Been trampled upon again 2'' she
observed. John Mason, for so clever
man generally, you're sometimes an
awful-fool!" She submitted this
thoughtfully, in a voice too gentle to
be insulting.
Then you and RosaIie are agreed,
and suppose you are expert testi-
mony May turn and walk with
you ~
She nodded and then asked a mat
ter-of-fact question: How many
times has she refused you?''
had not thought to keep count
Rosalie just now informed me that this
was the last time. didn't know I had
been the same sort of a=fooI so often.
But don't you think she ought to give
me credit for my persistence? Not
every man proposes SO many times
to the same girl"
Anne laughed dryIy as he continued.
would have given up long ago If
were not unexplainabIy sure that she
does-care for me. In fact. she never
mas said directly that she does not.
she simply says she won't marry me.
Wnat's the matter with me? Am I too
rich F? l can give the stuff away If she
likes Am I too successfuI2 I might
lose case to please her. Should I be
ugly as Satan? Perhaps she would
ike Beauty-and-the-B Beast effecti
What does she want2 I've said and
done everything under heaven, and
she walks on Ine-she trails mel"
Precisely! That's why I called you
what 1 did. A girl likes to trail a
man. but hates the man that viii be
falled- Not logical, is if2 To use h er
own words, you are always around un-
DER loot. You give her no time to want
you or miss you or think about YOU
She's too sure of you. She knows lust
where you'll be- You never 1et her
want anything badly enough to appre-
cIate 1t when il comes. She has always
mad her own way. She needs to be a
bit afraid of you. She needs to- be
bullied!''
He frowned. II am not brute. That
is not my way"
No? Weil, what has your way ac-
complished %
He tried to laugh "Oh, III take
your advice. I'll do anything you say.
It cant be worse than It is nowi"
well, l hate the responsibility; If
you get her, you'll fight; if you don't
you'll both be mfserabl anyhow. You
must get her-and then work out your
own salvation. In the first place, you
7cf civ ell,
note and accept your dismissal Tell
her you begin to see that she Is right
and that you wish to be friendly with
her and the family. Then call some
times=On father or on me. Don't stay
away. Absences Of that sort are fat
tering; you must be quite unaffected
by her presence
''You know that is impossible. You
know how the sight of her
you've got to do it, And you must
take another girl out occasionally. Be
ing naturally modest, I dislike to sug-
gest that you send me flowers some
times and come for a walk with me.
That viii bring things home to her. A
girl hates to have an admirer transfer
himself bodily to any one, but especial
" to her sister"
When they had planned their cam
paign and he left Anne at the gate she
had him laughing. Rosalie saw them
and shrugged her shoulders. While
marked to her sister:
.'Well. dear, John tells me that
you've dismissed him for good. You
know / never would have interfered If
you had wanted him, but I am glad
you do not. Now you may find time
for your music-your talent is too
marked to be neglected 1t will be
relief for you to have him out of the
way awhile. You're too young to
leave father and me, and. after all,
think you're right about his not being
the right man for you"
Rosalie shrugged her shoulders.
The next day Rosalie, without COM
ment handed Anne this note:
Dear Miss Carleton want to
thank you for your frankness of yes
terday, and I assure you that / shall
not annoy you again as I have in the
past. Can you forgive me for having
troubled you 50 much and SO long ?
You are probably right in deciding
that I could not make you happy, as
hoped to be able to do. May hope
to continue my present friendly rela-
tions with you and the rest of the fam
fly? If I may, I will not again tres
pass on your kindness. It viii be- as
you said, the last time you shall have
the pain of refusing. Yours sincerely.
JOHN MASON"
well, I like man to know when
he's had enough, remarked Anne.
Again Rosalie shrugged her shoulders
and made wry little face
For a week Rcsalie was blithe and
busy with her music The second week
Anne observed that the gayety was a
bit forced, and that during the third
she moped a little. John had some
how kept the other men OF her set away
from her and flowers and drives and
theaters were less frequent She had
no time to miss him.
In the fourth week he called-while
she was out. OF course she could not
know that Anne had 'ohoned him to
come He was leaving just as Rosalie
entered. and shook hands with her cor
daily. He did not look broken hearted,
and he seemed to be on very good terms
with Anne, to whom next morning he
sent some violets. Rosalie saw him
out walking with Mary Dye; then he
took Anne driving. She began to real
ize that Anne was very pretty. il she
was q year or two older than John.
RosaIie's irritation reached its climax
one morning at the breakfast table.
when her younger brother Ted remark