The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-14
TIE EVENING STORY
At the Eleventh Hour.

confusion and busy preparation for
some event of considerable import
ance. A pile of notes just finished lay
on the desk, two trunks. one already
strapped and the other standing open,
indicated a journey; several frocks &C
cupied the bed, piles of lingerie nll9d
the chairs. various other feminine be-
long1ngs were scattered about ana
maid was hastily transferring them to
the open trunk and the new handba
which stood on a table. Now and again
she addressed some question to the girl
who still sat at the desk and who an
swered in monosyllables with preoc-
cuDied air.
"Oh, put in or leave out whatever
you Ike. Marie; it doesn't make a bit
Of difference!" she exclaimed at last,
impatiently.
Marie, wondering within. obeyed. but
presently she came forward with eoine-
thing which she begged mademoisclie
Truly, it must be seen if it is what
you call all right" she protested, and
the girl rose and walked to the mir
She was wearing a long. loose gown
of yellow silk and her nut-brown hair
was caught up loosely on her head.
Marie stepped In front Of her for nc
ment, did a little adjusting and pattlng
this way and that, and then stepped
back with voluble expressions Of ad-
miration.
The girl looked into the glass as if
in dream and then her heart throb-
bed painfully. She had put off the full
realization Of what she was about TO
do and had lived in a vague hope that
something would happen 10 stop It, but
now as she looked in the mirror and
saw herself at last enveloped in the
White mist of a wedding veil, the bitter
truth came home This briday symbol.
so sweet and lovely in itself, became
became suddenly hateful to her, for il
all ffc Fraiftu hrO11Chf her 7nH
stern realization that the next day at
noon. in St. Johns church, she, Lucy
Rutherford, was to be married to ran
she did not love.
How different, oh, how different it
might have been!
She tore off the vail and threw her
self on the bed in a passion of tears
She never would do it, she told her
self over and over, she never could do
it, What did she care if Marie did see2
The whole world might see! 1t could
see tomorrow, and they all could have
their presents back-she didn't care. 1t
didn't make any difference what her
stepmother said or did or threatened
she could marry him herself, but as for
Lucy she simply hated Hugh Goring all
at once and she never wanted to see him
again.
She sat up presently and bathed her
eyes in the water the discreet Marie
brought to her, and felt better. Then
DIS the Ind1Q turned again 10 n0I packing
Lucy thought miserably of a certain
night six months ago when she had
quarreled so bitterly with Ralph Ander-
son and he had left her presence with
out one backward look and a very
vicious slam of the door. Oh. how fool
ish and trivial a lovers quarrel seems
when six months have gone by. Lucy
knew that if she and Ralph once looked
into each others eyes again 1t must and
would be all right once more. But how
was this to happen? In the heat and
suddenness Of his wrath, Ralph had
rushed away to the vague and indefna-
BILE wilds of Texas, and Lucy never
knew whether he received that little
note she sent him the morning after
their quarrel. She had said only: Dear
Ralph-If you are sorry, am, too.
Lucy"
Anyhow, he never replied, and maybe
by this time he was already in love
with some horse-riding girl in Texas,
while she was supposed to be making
her last joyful preparations for marry
ing another man.
oh, WE'LL she had said to herself,
"a girl had to do something"
She rose and went over to her desk
again, where from a secret hiding place
she drew a Photographic snapshot of
an athletic young man in tennis fan
nels with racket in his hand and
bright smile On his face Her eyes filled
with tears as she kissed it, and muir
INJURED: MY sweetheart shall always
love you
While her lips still pressed the pic
ture. sharp ring startled her
You answer it, Marie; it's probably
the caterer or somebody asking about
tomorrow; tell them Mrs. Rutherford
is out and to call up in the morning"
The surprised maid, knowing well
that Mrs. Rutherford was in, stepped
out into the hall to answer the tele-
nhnna N n M emf she return ed.
1T was for you, mademoiselle;
gentleman who insisted; so have turn
re SWITCH
Lucy sat down again at the desk and
took up the receiver.
Yes this is Miss Rutherford
The voice at the other end of the
wire was strangely familiar. It made
her cheeks burn, her heart throb and
her eyes shine. She almost dropped
the receiver.
why, Ralphl'' sh e exclaimed.
Again the voice spoke rapidly.
yes" she replied, 'it Is little late
for CALL
What's that? Wanted to answer
my note. Well, you've had lots of time
to do it In
''oh. just received it today?
wrote 1t six months ago
Il don't think much Of the way they
take care of mail at your club, but"
well. hope it's all right now, but,
you see-well-it's kind of hard to ex-
plain things over a telehone."
Tomorrow? I'm afraid I'll be busy
tomorrow
What makes my voice sound so
queer? Oh, I don't know. I meant
that had an engagement for tomor-
row-untiI a little while ago. BY the
way you didn't say what your answer
to the note was?"
Really? And you did think Of me
while you were gone? And you still
care 20
that. OF course 1 do. never stop
ped
"Oh," family, you heard just now
about tomorrow Well. I'm not, I'm
not. I made up my mind ten minutes
before you called up, and when the
bell rang I was-I'n tell you when 1
see you
Right away? Why. it's after 10
o. clock