The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-19
THE EVENING STORY
At the Country Club.
(By Temple Bailey.l

AI the OOuntry OluD.
(By Temple Bailey)
The four women were drinking tea.
Somewhere out in the October after
noon were four men who made up the
friendly octette, but the women, on ac-
count of the GOODNESS of the day and the
charm of the big fireplace. had elected
to stay away from the links.
Three of the women were not young,
although the signs of age had been
modified by careful grooming and dill
looked young, with her slender figure,
her shining hair and her grace of geS-
ture and of carriage.
But Tressie Stuart was young, and
therein lay the difference that made
Mrs. Amesbury uneasy. One might give
the lie to age by attention to complex
ion and costume, but there was a quail
ity in Tressie's laugh, a light in her
eyes, buoyancy of spirit, that separat-
ed her from the other women, and cast
the blight of contrast upon her beauty.
'NTressie," Mrs. Amesbury said, stop
roaming around the room. You make
me nervous"
ooh, do I?'' Tressie's apology was
immediate. TITS something In the air,
think. These fall days make me feel
like young colt. 1 want to be out of
doors, and here we are drinking tea by
the fire like lot of old tabby cats"
a
Miss Angela Amesbury agreed, cheer
fully. Unlike her sister-in-law, she did
not aspire to youthfulness. Having
steered herself safely out of a some-
what emotional gir1hood into calm old
maidism she was perpared to claim all
middle-aged privileges, and tea drink
ing at the country club was an indul-
gence that appealed to her comfortable
soul.
you are the only kitten in the crowd,
1,.oc cio he on a n
meet the men. They must be coming
in by this time.'
Angela" Mrs. Amesbury reproved
her. "Tressie can't go without a chap
eron."
why not?" Angela asked. bluntly,
two of the men are her uncles, the
third is your husband and she has
known Junior Mason since she was
baby"
"Oh, WELL" Mrs. Amesbury shrugged
her shoulders. you know we don't
think alike on such matters"
mo, thank goodness" said Miss
Angela, and then the hitherto silent
Aunt Georgia Stuart, who was Off
'"Tessie always does as she pleases'
Mrs Amesbury," and Mrs. Amesbury,
with another shrug of her shoulders,
gave up the argument and poured
herself second cup of tea.
And SO it happened that as Junior
Mason came up the elm walk toward
the country club, with the dull orange
of the sunset behind him, he saw,
hurrying to meet him, Tressie Stuart
in scarlet coat and stiff brimmed hat.
SCI should have died If 1 had stayed
in there another minute" she told
him. cant we walk somewhere be-
fore dark comes? This air is like
wine"
"It's awfully muddy" he stated,
obviously, Gin this path under the
trees. The other men are coming
around by the road, but this was the
shorter way and I wanted to get a
whole crowd began to piffle-p aff1e."
Don't be slangy," Tressie admon-
ished.
well, you wouldn't call their small
talk conversation. would you? It's
piff1e-paffle, and Mrs Amesbury is the
worst Of the lott
81 am ashamed Of you" Tressie
scolded, ito criticise your elders"
MRS. Amesbury wouldn't thank
you for calling her anybody's elder. !
Juvenile of the country club. That's
why she's jealous of you
Tressie stared at him.
Junior" she said. severely, II
didn't know you could be so critical
He had the grace to look uncom-
Portable.
''she's made me so unhappy about
you, Tressie,'' he blurted out at length. !
about me?'
yes. When you were away all |
summer and didn't write to me once" |
Tressie's eyes were on the sunset. |
mo, 1 didn't write, - she said, after |
a pause.
why not?"
MRS. Amesbury said-that there
was another girl, Junior"
"What?"
yes She said you were paying |
devoted attention to little Kentucky |
singer
land she told me you were going to
marry old Gen. Barnes"
"who told you?'' Tressie demanded.
"Mrs. Amesbury.'
"well. of ali things" Tressie's
lieved her. Junior"
"well, you believed about the Ken
lucky girl"
For moment accusing brown eyes
met accusing blue ones. and then
Of youth that has come into its own
"she is good at-fction." Tressie
up, "she ought to be pun
shed. Junior"
ooh, let her CO." Junior asserted,
and I will tell you all the things
have wanted to write, and didn't
dare"
But she would not go.
SIT is getting too dark" she said,
and even If have known you all my
life, Junior. we must have some re-
gard for conventions"
saThen let US slip in through the
French windows, and sit in the cur
come in, and we can talk until dinner
.ime."
The alcove was opposite the fire.