The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-10
THE EVENING STOR Y
Ideal and Real.
(By Martha McCulloch-W illiam.)

/ never get her. Grandmother Lewis said
| energetically she smoothed her silk
apron. Willard, who was thin and ev-
cry way of the correct form, groaned.
Run away What from? And why?"
he demanded. DO you, does anybody
object to me? I'm sure Major Lewis
does not-and for Jessy herself
Jessy is a dear, sweetly pretty, ador-
able young FOOL, grandmother inter-
rupted. She has her head stuffed full
or romance from the plays she saw and
the novels she read at that tony school
In the city. She was only a parlor
boarder, you know-and my son John
had no more sense than to go tell the
| head of 1t his girl must have whatever
she wanted She got it, too-such a bill
of extras as John had nobody ever saw,
or paid, before. I'm telling you so you
may be prepared. The Jessy you'll see
shortly is not a bit like the nice, rosy
girl sent away. She tells me fat to
my very face, that it's wicked to be
contented with the state of life wherein
you find yourself. She also signs, and
repeats poetry under her breath, and
has signed actor photographs all over
her dressing table. Says money is vul-
gar and respecta bility stupid-also that
she simply wouldn't love a man that
everybody belonging to her approved.
Pretty bad for you, boy. I've brought
you up. partly, myself on purpose for
my little girl. And even yet 1 don't
despair of getting you. You also have
been away. Can't you help us discover
something that will justify US in for
bidding you the house?'
Willard groaned again, shaking his
mead. He was a serious person, with
only here and there odd grains of hui
NOR. Possibly one Of the grains came
on top just then. He Sprang up as
though galvanized, caught grandmoth-
er's hands and said: 1.-The trouble with
rakfng up a past, even a manufactured
one, is that it sticks-you have to live
lev,
your good deeds as jokes all right
enough-evil ones are quite another
matter-also quite immortal. You see,
must consider mother and the pateri
1t would break their hearts to have
tales told about me. And even if you
and the major said nothing, folks would
be sure to imagine the worst. Indeed, 4
they'd have tO-Seeing 1 have been al !
most child Of the house. So. If you
please. We'll try another plan. Can you
pen to know several actor-persons who
are, just now, out of a job"
When he had looked over the pic
lures, he laughed again, and went
house for almost a week. Jessy was
first puzzled, then piQued. She had
been prepared to break the childish
engagement between them and it was
distinctly agravating to have the party
of the other part acting as though no
engagement existed. She had seen
Millard several times, but always at a
distance, and going quickly, as though
great things were in hand. He had |
even sent her messages, hypercritical |
yet rather cavalier she felt, saying that |
when he came calling he would make |
her ample amends for the delay.
When he did come Jessy forgot to |
pout-for he fetched along Percy De |
Bonnie, the youngest and rawest of her |
matinee idols.
''Yes@I went in a lot for bohemia" |
Willard explained to her aside: ITS |
the only thing worth living for. 1 do |
wish you could know something about |
it. Maybe I can show you little of |
it shortly. Keep it from our respected |
elders, but Miss Angel Rivera is COM
ing to the inn at the end of the week |
that will make us just a party of |
four. De Bonne actually remember |
ed your name. That's something won |
derfu1-he said he couldn't forget a |
girl who sent diamond studs, in asking |
for his photo"
1.-THE wretch! How dared he tell?" |
Jessy cried, flushing furiously. Willard |
smiled indulgently.
II see you have heap to learn" he |
said. Temperament, the artistic soul.
absolves its possessor from petty re- |
I shouldn't wonder If De |
Bonnie actually proposed to you. It
would be a sacrifice of his ideals, of
course-but you'd bring him money
to make him independent of
those beastly managers and critics
and that's something-even to a great
man"
"Oh, Mr.. De Bonnie, are you really
a great man?' Jessy asked saucily, as
the actor person just then lounged his
way into the chair beside her. He fix
ed her with a steady glare and said in
his deepest voice:
Had you any doubt of it when you
Hush" Jessy said, imperatively,
her whole face burning. De Bonnie
chuckled inaudibly, but leaned a little
toward her, saying in hushed voice: |
you need not blush pretty one.
have a real divorce-and my inten-
tons are strictly honorable"
"I think grandmother wants me-"
Jessy said. with what dignity she could
master, trying to rise, but De Bonnie
held her down. IT think you know what
came for,' he began. 'tOf course a
man OF my type can't vegetate long In
a dead-alive country town. 1 decided
to marry you as soon as Willard told me
how matter stood-that your money
was your own. It's we'll to have these
little things understood in the begin
ming. I am willing, quite willing, to
trust you in the matter of settlements
until after you are my wife. Being a
minor you could not make valid ones
as I take 1t. Your father, who is also
YOUR trustee, would not join in them |
Let's see. You be ready tomorrow ear
y-say IL o'clock-Millard, and I will
,alI Tor yOu-tnen away TO the parSOn- |
He has some absurd plan of waiting for
Miss Rivera. I tell you, as of course 1
can't tell hin1-when you are Mrs. Del
Bonne-"
but I shall never be Mrs. De Bonnie
hate you-lilxe poison. And 1 won't
run away-not with anybody-Ii
wouldn't even with Dick Willard If he
asked me-and I 1ove-the-ground he
walks on Jessy burst out twisting
herself from the actors hold, and dart {
1-1 he Z oh,
Willard just outside it, caught her to
his breast, and hid her face there while |
he soothed her tempestuous sobs. Pres
entity grandmother came to lay gentle {