The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-23
THE EVENING ST0R T
The Way Of Escape.
(By Joanna Single.

,
not want to be Destered to play cards
or golf, or be pulled to the country
club dance. He wanted soiicitude and
his pipe and a chance to wonder why
on earth Elizabeth Treynor should
suddenly refuse to have anything TO do
with him after she had golfeds and
picnicked, and sang with him all sum-
mer, and after she had succeeded in
getting him thoroughly in love with
her.
He felt iiI-treated: he did not fall in
love easily, and in general he did not
care for western girls. being a Con-
necticut man, Yale trained and Europe
finished, before settling to practice
medicine in the midwest. Elizabeth
was different. and as he reflected on
the difference between her and all 9TH
er girls in the world. he heard Brad
ford whistling at the Treynor side gate
for Jack, and then asking if Kingdom
were there.
Kingdom slipped over the fence in
the twilight and clambered up the first
conveniently low branched tree. Pant
ing but triumphant he heard Brad
1ord,s account of how he had chased
Kingdom and lost him somewhere,
and that he wanted him to take Nell
Somers to the dance they had just got
ten uD on the spur of the moment
and where was Jacks sister, Brad
ford wanted to ask her to go with him.
Startled by a sound curiously like
suppressed smoker, Kingdom decided
/ to climb higher. He reached up for a
4 branch above him-and seized a small,
warm slipper that gave his hand a lit
tie kick.
Keep still, can't you? and let go my
/ loot. whisper adnonished him. He
1 looked up and saw Elizabeth sitting
/ nigh and dry on horizontal branch.
/ swinging her feet and peering toward
/ the house. SSH" she warned again.
! for her brother Jack and Bradford
came into the garden.
/ Eliza bethi" Jack called. Then, Con
found girls, anyhow She was here five
minutes ago, and her wraps are in the
nail She must be near" on the
| strength of Elizabe chuckle, DR..
John Kingdom climbed up and sat be-
side her. Her gray suit made her al
most invisible in the growing dark. but
! he knew by heart the blue of her eyes,
the rich provinces of her hair, and the
| GOODNESS of her manner to him of late.
What are you doing here2'' She tried
| 10 get hauteur into whisper, and
What you are-escaping Bradford,
evidently. L wouldn't go to the dance
! because you were to be there
Thanks, she replied, neither would
l, because you were to be there. That's
why I'm here One has to explain to
Richard Bradford-and he always wants
| to know why
I'd like to know why, myself
| on, be stilll Why doesn't he go?"
whispered the girl, for the eternal Brad
lord sauntered under their tree and
| lighted his pipe
Don't wait for me, Jack, old man.
Il wait around a bit. and if she doesn't
snow up III come out aloneF'
The confounded IDIOT" Kingdom
whispered, and put out a protecting
hand when she seemed to sway a bit
she troze instantly, and he dared not
venture excuse nor protest.
The darkness had increased. and when
tne moon came sailing up. Bradford
= ID T44faI
| ing the gate behind him.
/ make your escape
But I don't want to-now! May I
! not stay long enough to apologize for
lntrudlng on your tree-soIitude?' He
! spoke softly, with a delicate clipping of
! the + S. His fire, dark face bent toward
her. L have not meant to prosecute
you, but you did not answer my letter.
| l viii never trouble you again, but will
you not be fair enough to tell me Just
! what I have done? You could do an
| enemy that justicei' To his surprise
she grasped his arm.
Father and motherl'' she murnured.
You il have TO stay-I couldn't explain
to them-why I am heret" Kingdom
hardly breathed for she forgot to loosen
the blessed hold on his sleeve.
MI. Treynor walked in portly pomp-
BUSINESS beside his anxious little wife
Elizabeth worries me So" she COM
planned, and they seated themselves on
a rustic bench. She's so difficult! I
can't lay it to college. and her trip to
Europe. for she was lively till just of
late. Now she doesn't enjoy society,
and IS getting interested in the poor.
And what do you suppose is her reason
for refusing to have anything to do with
that nice DR.. Kingdom and"
Some fool notion. her father
grunted.
And taking up with that Bradford?
hope she won't marry him. I don t
care if we have always known him-he
doesn't seem quite nice Well, he told
Elizabeth that DIR. Kingdom said at the
club that western girls hadn't reserGe
enough-that he disapproved of co-edu-
cation because it made girls too free
and-easy with men, and a lot Of stuff
like that
She needn't be q fool if he did-he
never meant it for her"
No. I'm from New Hampshire. and
she has lived there half her time during
the last six years. I wonder where she
is now? Probably at Annes. She's safe
enough. 10 if you're going to sleep. we
nights we'll go in. I don't like talking
to the air and I don't like Dick Brad
ford, and 1 wish the children were home.
There's SO quch drunkenness after
Labor Day Listen to that, now" Two
men, laughing and yelling. drove past
in a cart at a furious pace.
It's Sam BroEn, continued Mrs.
Treynor. I wish they didn't live next
door. He's sure to kill someone sooner
or later. He'll come back about mid
night and chase the family outdoors.
think the public ougnt--'' Her voice
died away as she entered the house with
her husband.
Then Kingdom turned and faced the
still, proud girl beside hirp. She held
her head high. her beautiful face full
in the moonlight
Is that true-what your mother said.
Is that why you treat me so2 Won t
you be fair enough to tell me?"
We'll yes. she admitted, 'I don't
like being called underlined. It's not
true-and you wouldn't like it yourself. -
1t was a careless statement, exag-
gerated by Bradford, and made when
I had met only a few girls of the Molly
I Racer type. You know perfectly well
. that it never applied to you. in my mind