The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-10
THE EVENING STORY
That Speech of Barney's.
BY Ina Wright Hanson.)


would have happened.
Irinda'B worst fault was morbidness
when she remembered that she was
sallow and p~ale-eyed and had sandy
hair; she would have preferred pink
and white complexion, dark eyes n
golden hair. She would ave added
dimples and beautifully arched eye
brows, too, If she could have had her
way about it. As a matter of fact, 1t
was only when she was remembering
her ugHnes that h really was ugly
her face. in her times OF forgetting,
pictured quite pleasantly her pure
spirit and loving heart.
Irinda. and a Jolly lot of other music
lovers were on a train bound for san
Francisco and a week of grand opera.
Jim, her satellite. was along, not be-
cause he appreciated grand opera, but
because he appreciated Irinda
So much for the hero and heroine.
Next h villain, to whom MS Celtlc
mother had given a ravishing pair OF
blue eyes and a tongue tuned 10 soft
words. Barney was not a villainous
villain at all, just a warm-hearted BOY
who loved everybody n wanted to be
loved by everybody in turn. He must
have the villains part there
cannot be a second hero, and because
but you hau see.
AS the train sped along, Jim went to
the smoker=not to smoke, for he had
never learned how-but because he
feared Irinda might be firing Of him
Barney Immediately took his place.
Soon after. a lady and gentleman
boarded the train. As Irinda's seat
had been turned, so that her back was
toward the engine, the newcomers
were in full view of her. h LADY
bent her head, and some rice fell from
her smart brown turban. The gentle
man smiled, and the lady's cheeks went
red as roses. Then she opened her
magazine and tried to look neon
scious.
"Oh, breathed Irinda, "is
not the bridge lovely. Do look at that
butterfly in her veil, just at the cor
ner of her sweet, red mouth See that
perfect curve from her forehead to
her hin; as she looks out the window,
Now, quick, Barney, she is turning to
her husband. See her beautiful eyes.
They're as brown as her dainty hat
Barney's ravishing eyes glanced at
the beautiful lady; Barney's quick
mind took in the situation, and Bar
ney's warm heart rose to the occasion
Smilingly he turned to Irinda-
why, I never think of a woman's
looks-whether she has a pretty face
or not-that doesn't appeal to me.
When I know a roman she attacts me
OF not according to whether she has
magnetism. Magnetism is as good a
name as any other for no one IN
derstands. But believe me, Irinda,
magnetism is the charm of a woman,
not a pretty face"
Barney's blue eyes said so much
more than his tongue, rolling ever SO
slightly his RS, that Irinda's colofless
face flushed becomingly- The eyes
said that she, Irinda Bowen, had the
magnetism or whatever it was, and
that it had never occurred to Barney
whether or not she was pretty.
Happy thoughts huttered around
, Irinda for the rest of the journey. Bar
ney left her, and Jim came back. She
smiled at him-he didn't know it was
/ an impersonal smile. born of Barney
words. She the day when
she had cried out herceiy at her lack
l of beauty. and Jim had answered:
What difference does it make what
| you look like? You are always beauti-
full to me, Irinda."
He never knew why she had pushed
him away when he would have put his
arms around her. Stupid old Jim
couldn't know that he had made a
tacit acknowledgment of her u~gliness.
While Barney=why Barney had never
! thought anything about 1t.
Grand opera week went by in a dia-
pasOn of glOry.4 Irinda was wonderful
ly happy, n every day she told her
self shyly; and with many bushes,
= how much she was caring for Barney.
: II was not till they were homeward
9 bound that the tragedy happened.
The tragedy? No, it was not the
train leaving the rails and plunglng
e down an embankment. It was only
= Barney's pleasant voice, rolling ever
s so slightly his r's-it was only Bar
s ney making his remark to Alderly, the
e chaperon's husband
. Il have been noticing the ladies' in
q this car. and I don't believe I ever saw
so many beautiful ones together. Doni
j YOU know it is rare to find a really
beautiful woman If her eyes are fine
L something is wrong with her chin; II
$ Irinda felt sick. and voluntarily
: closed her ears, while her sun seemed
to leave its horizon. Barney, who
never thought of a woman's looks
Z was discussing woman's beauty Their
he a not mean what he had said t
her at all.
Irinda felt very much as she had
when some one told her that Georgt
Washington and his little Ratchet, anc
r William Tell and the apple We're prob.
h ably only pleasant stories. But a
same time, she was suddenly con
e scious that she did not love, and never
Y had loved Barney. Her eyes wandered
to the opposite side of the car, wheri
Jim sat alone. A little lick Of sun
hin was touching his brown hal
with gold. Irinda, with a quick in
h rawin Of her breath. remembered
Il that it had looked just so the morning
. her mother died.
n The doctor had told them=he
z father and herself-that the sick on
could not live through the day. ant
he had gone away and left them t
their sorrow. MiserabIy father ant
daughter had communed together
n She must be told, but each shranl
q from the telling. Just then Jim hal
! come. He had been like a son t
Irinda's mother. and they relegated tn
q task to him, knowing that Jim neve
It had shirked a duty in his life.
d She remembered how he had gon
about it.: not smoothing over the sa.
, facts at all, but with eyes n name
and words so full of sympathy ar
y tenderness and staunch hope OF the IN
d known future, tnat oeath seemed [
.e lose something Of its dread. And a
she, at the foot of the bed, had life
d up her tea~r-stained face, h saw a ra
Of Of sunlight touch J1m's hair as 1t wa
doing down.