The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-02
TIE EVENING STORY
IN the Last waltz.
IBy Beatrice Sturges.

I @AsIAA a CcA CACSS S4oDC6 rAAO1AA --A-
room showed that it was the last The
throng of dancers was thinning out,
flowers were dropping, scraps Of con-
fetti strewed the floor. frills and
hounces were looking a bit bedraggled
and subtle somnolence marked the
languid movements of the dancers,
who were now circling the floor to the
Ihrobbing strains OF the old but ever
loved Blue Danube =
In one corner of the room stood
girl with pink cheeks and hazel eyes
Around her were four young men all
claiming the same dance. Laughingiy
she held up her card, which showed a
blank line opposite that number
les, 1 know, said one in reply 10
this. you wouldn't let me write my
name, but you promised just the
same
Exactly" said another.
Same here" announced the third
Me, tool" calculated the fourth.
Wen, III tell you,' said the girl N
a confidential manner that made each
man think she meant him especially
Yes? p they asked in concert.
Let's all sit it out together"
No" argued the man who thought
he had the inside track; lets take
turns. III Begin And he started to
suit the action to his word.
No you don'ti" objected the others,
holding him forcibly. wed never
see her again.
MY private opinion is that she gave
it to somebody who hasn't shown up
and she's really waiting for him"
Some Of the color left the pink
cheeks Could they have guessed how
near the truth his 5esting remark
came? Why had she not slipped away
before this last waltz which she had
purposely withheld all the evening I?
As matter of fact. she had promised
II, two weeks ago, but much had hap
pened in those two weeks, and now
well, no one should laugh at her or
say she was breaking her heart for
man who didn't care for her. If she
only could get through this waltz safe
~ she thought she would have cour-
age enough for anything else.
The ideal" she exclaimed with a
little laugh, shifting her big bunch of
pink roses to her left arm; III dance
It with all of you. I love the Blue
Danube and / never miss it.
She stood ready and the first Of the
four was just about to swing her off
into the throng when a tall young
man with 4 clean-cut jaw and steady
blue eyes somehow stepped out of the
his is my dance" and swept the
girl away before any of the rest of
them could say a word
How could you?" she protested. 'I
didn't want to dance"
You looked ready to start" he re-
torted. Besides, didn't you promise
me two weeks. ago?"
Yes, but"
Then don't spoil it now. It's the
same old tune. Marian, that we've
danced to so often. The same old throb
and the same old thrill and suppose
it will always bring the same old ache.
It will always make me think of you"
He held her hand closer
She flushed painfully please don't"
she whispered. "It isn't fair Fred, and
you know you don't mean it,
Don't mean it? You ought to know
that I have meant every word I have
ever said to you"
She gave bitter little laugh and
looked over his shoulder with unseeing
eyes. Z Woncer then If you could ex-
plain to me just what you meant that
night, two weeks ago. when you too
made promise-a promise that seemed
to me little more important than a
waltz. Not only a promise but an
offer that seemed to me then very sin
cere and beautiful, and which I ac-
cepted, but I haven't seen you since
and I heard yesterday that you were
going away. Why did you come for
this dance in this way tonight? But
you want to make a spectacle of me
before them al2'
He locked at her in amazement and
almost ran into another couple. but
I went to see you the next day and
you were not at home, nor the next,
nor the next. and you did not answer
that it was a pleasant evenings f1irta-
ton for you. Then unexpectedly I
had this opportunity to go west to
work with my uncle. and it was tOS
good to refuse-especia when there
was nothing to keep me here. So \
have bought my ticket and am goinS.
tomorrow. I did not mean to come to
this affair tonight, but when I thought
of this waltz I was determined to have
it-so came to say goodbye
4- ro1 to fo11 Z }, 10.
she exclaimed. "'I saw you go driving
past our house with some girl I didn't
know, so naturally I went out myself
for the afternoon"
at was a friend of sister Carla's l
was taking to the station" he inter-
rupted.
''Then the next two days I had to GO
see Aunt Julia. who was i'll. Nobody
told me that you came| wasn't going
to ask, and I never got any note
'I put it in the box on the big elm
in your front yard myself
I'VE haven't used that box in years. -
she answered. You couldn't very well
expect me to write and ask you If you
had written to me could you?'
well, could you expect me to write
again to you and ask you if you were
going to write to me?' he retorted.
What was in the note p she asked,
by way of reply.
He looked down on the wavy brown.
hair, caught a glimpse of the pink
cheeks and the white neck rising from
a soft pink gown.
1.-The same thing I told you before,
Marian, the same thing this music tells
you. the same thing your own heart
tells you-I love you"
The whole room seemed to sway
with the rhythm of the music then. the
odor of her crushed roses filed the air,
the painful tension of the past two
weeks was gone. delicious sweetness
seemed to settle on her heart She
felt his eyes upon her though she had
not raised hers.
"Look up, dear he said; look up
II you love me-"
The hazel eyes were raised to his
Sweetheart" she whispered
through her ouivering lips.
And the waltz was over.
IT,. -.-n11-.a -. LII - Il :.