The Topeka state journal., 1906-01-18
TIE EVENING STORY
Purely Personal.
CBy Ethel Fray.)


Stetson read the advertisement for
a second time. 1t was seldom that ne
read the personal column, usually
plunging straight into the financial
news but this morning Dodds nad
chatted with him until he was az
most at his destination and his eye 1sli
idly upon the column.
viii the gentleman who saved me
life of a young woman al CeIltIal
Square Yesterday afternoon please
send his address to Grateful. Box r.
He closed his eyes and with mental
vision he could Sc it all again, she au
tomobile, the trolley car Wnlch pre-
vented escape and above all the pl-
quaint little face lying limp against ms
shoulder. For moment he was tempt
ed to answer the advertisement.
Twice during the day he penned
note to Grateful" but each time ne
tore it up in disgust. 1t seemed. a pref
ty poor trick to be sending his address
that he might be thanked He would
like to look into those blue eyes again
when they were not dilated with terror
but he must wait for some other op-
portunity.
The next morning the advertisement
was repeated. He knew because ne
turned to the column the first thing.
He smiled grimly as he thought OF the
temptation of the day before. Ihey
could advertise until doomsday, but
they would get no answer from him.
It was almost with apprehension
that he looked the third day, but ms
mild curiosity was changed to indigna-
ton. This time the personal read;
''Win the gentleman who saved the
life of the young woman at Central
Square Monday afternoon kindly re-
turn her watch ard no questions wAil
be asked. Grateful box 81
This, then. was why she had adNer-
tised for his add"Vss. She believed thes
during the excitement he had robbed
her of her watch. And all the dreams
he had dreamed in the past two Gays
of those blue eyes brimmfng with graf
itude looking into his were but idle Wis
ionsi He was sorry h6EE3d seen the ao-
vertisement. He probably never would
see the girl, but it hal been pleasant TO
believe that he had saved lier.
He hoped, now. that he would never
see her again. Several times in the
course Of the past year he had encoun-
tered her upon the street. and from the
very first he had been interested. he
was not exactly in love. he told him
self but very near it. Now he would
have to dodge if he saw her; he would
have to slip into some store or across
the street. It would be intoierable. He
cut out the advertisement and placed 1t
in his pocket book.
As soon as the morning mail was
disposed of he drew toward him a let
ter head and wrote, rapidly Several
sheets were destroyed before he finally
decided that the letter would do ana
before he slipped it into the evenvelope
he regarded it for a third time.
Mr.. Robert Hardy Stetson,f 1t ran,
"'begs to assure Grateful that she is in
error concerning the disappearance OF
her watch Mr. Stetson would suggest
that Graf make application to the
police. He is ready to give them am
pie proof as to his honesty and stand
ing
The tiny business card in the corner
would give the address, and he 7attered
himself that the note would serve its
purpose. It was given a boy to take
to the newspaper Office and the rest OF
the day Stetson divided his time mourn
ing his dead romance and wondering
what the girl would say when she read
the letter He hattered himself that It
was dignified and eminently calculated
to remind her of her transgression-
Possibly. could he have seen the recip-
lent when she glanced over the formal
lines he would have been surprised for
with her face wreathed in smiles she
nodded at the clerk.
''You needn't put it in again" she
said. Thank you, very much.
Stetson scOwled at the pale tinted
note on his desk the following morn
ing. The girl could have no 5ustifica-
ton for her suspicious, certainly none
that he would accept 1t was imperH-
nent of her to make answer to him
For ten minutes he turned 1t over and
over before he slit the cover and drew
forth the enclosure. He stared for Il
moment dumfounded at the opening
lines, which ran:
Miss Alice Everton Woodrow begs
to thank Mr.. Robert Hardy StetsOn for
his somewhat tardy answer to her ad-
vertisement. She begs to assure Mr.
StetSOn that she does not believe him to
be the thief. His unwfllingness to ans
wer the earlier advertisement led to
the suggestion on the part of the clerk
in the advertisement Office that the
amended form of personal would be
fi1z civ n hiring forth q
If Mr.. StetSOn will be good enough to
call at 635 Auburn avenue he will not
only receive the grateful thanks of Miss
Woodrow, but of her father, who
would be glad to meet the son of his
old schoolmate."
Stetson looked at his watch. He
could not in decency call much before
four. 1t was only ten now. There
would be no use in trying to work
when every letter was but picture of
a pair of blue eyes set in a piquant face
and framed in golden hair.
He was trapped, but he was glad of
it. He was especially glad to know
that she was willing to take such pains
to find him. It showed that she really
did care and justified his earlier Opin-
ion of her.
He wished that he could announce a
general half holiday in the Office, but
since this was not possible without ex-
planation he could at least take one
himself.
He was uptown at eleven and spent
the rest of the time in pacing his room
and deciding upon the importInt item
Of 4 necktie. He could scarcely wait
uatil 1t was time TO start and set out
afoor that he might at least kill time
that way.
The servant showed him into the il
brary instead of the drawing room.
Miss Woodrow sprang from her easy
chair by the open fire as he was an
nounced and came toward him.
Il though you might call this after
noon" she said as he took her hand.
so L told James 20 bring you in here.
l am so glad you have come"
so am l., said Stetson promptly,
though I did not come to be
thanked.
ITO meet father" she suggested de-
murely. Il am afraid he Will not be in
until six"
Il don't mind waiting" said Stetson.
oIalie-inarI1- ..that Is llrIass I lr,cor..-a-.-