The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-14
The EVENING STORY
A Hero of Romance.


head of a thriving business. Naturally
the fair visitors felt 1attered, even hon.
ored, by his attentions, though warned
in the outset that no serious intentions
lay behind them.
Frank Enders is a goose-the most
delightful goose in the world-but none
the less a goose" said Mrs. Lawton,
lady paramount of Hightown society.
Saying it was her privilege. She had
stood godmother to him, and in a way
mothered him, after his own mother
died.
i've no patience at all with Frank
the lady would run on. HIS is quick to
see the charms, the virtues, of all the
nice girls trot out before him-yet ag-
gravatingly expects to find every one of
those charms and virtues combined in
some impossible she.
When she said as much to Enders
himself it made him laugh heartily. He
knew the root of Aunt IsabeFs bitter
ness. She had been making matches for
him since he left off roundabouts. II he
knew his own mind, he was, abstractly,
rather anxious to be married, but so far
had never seen exactly the woman he
would choose as his mate.
He had a definite mental image OF
her She must be slim and young, with
ewes innocent yet sparkling, and with
rosebud mouth; bright but not bookish;
well bred of course; gracious, yet with
dashes of temper; reverent, gay, even
almost frivolous, she would one day
dance into his heart, and stay there al
ways.
He believed it firmly-hence there was
no thought of danger, of anything in
deed but new experience, When ne
found himself upon Hightowns main
street very early in the morning. con-
fronted with a tall woman. slight, and
tired-looking, who held up her hand IN
arrest, asking imperatively: will you
take a lone woman. stranded, ana
strange OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES she
afb n
Certainly" he said, with reassur-
ing smile. "How lucky that l came out
thus before breakfast If you DON
mind, I'll take you home with me-my
INIT will make you very welcome-and
somehow 1 rather hate to think or you
at our hotel. It's a disgrace to Hlgh-
town-but we dare not have 1t peter
if it were better. the summer poaroer
40! Is it possible any place has es-
caned PSI the stranger interrupted.
Enders smiled again. She had de-
Iicious voice-soft, clear, vibrant, Win
the least possible drawl. She was
dressed very quietly, but very we'll
even his masculine ignorance was
aware of the fact.
s'You are doing a dangerous thing.
she ran on, eff you speak true, High
town may never get rid of me- m
co sick and tired of boarders and all
their works"
They were approaching his own
door. The stranger somehow senseu
the fact. She shut the laugh from
her eyes, the merry curves from her
lips. stood very straight and held out
a card to him, saying primly: Il
hope that vouches for me sufficiently
Miss Maxwell is a respectable enough
person. Your name IS
"Enders-Frank Enders. at your
service Enders said quickly. She
gave him a quick look. After a sec
ond or two she said softly, the
whimsical smile again wreathlng her
lips: ST know a lot about you-Mr
Frank Enders. My name-child, Doris
Glare. makes you out a sort of cross
| betwixt a fairy prince and paladin.
For her sake and because you ask
no questions, I'm going to explain.
I was on the express-which does not
stop here-bound for Ballantrae-a
place 1 take it about twenty miles be-
yond. AS I could not sleep, 1 got up
very, very early-to find the train
standing still, painting and snorting
like mad, mile or so from your sta
ton. perfidious person in uniform
assured me it would not start for ever
so long. Wanting air, got off, and
surveyed the landscape in the dawnlng
Just as I had strolled a little too
far-whisk went my train. Not only
my train but my worldly possessions-
1 had left even my handbag in the
berth So you see me abjectly a
pauper, until I can overtake my
possessions
'"They shall be overtaken. Don't
worry about that. But tell me, what
did you think, feel, do, when you
found yourself left?'' Enders said,
looking straight at her.
"Oh, 1 promptly forgot the land
scape, and looked for a mile post. The
first one found read: 'Hightown -
miles Some malefactor had smudged
the figureS-but at least there was
promise of finding something. 1t was
not false promise, you see. l
tramped on and found-you.
| IT wonder will you think you found
anything worth while?" Enders
murmured ref1ectively, as though to
| himself. Miss Maxwell laughed.
| "You don't know what case you are
| in, that is very evident" She said. 81
hate to proclaim the fact badly. but 1
| make living, by writing love stories,
| and ever since Doris came home, I've
been wondering if you were fit for the
place you are to occupy in the tale I
am weaving about her.
ct defy you, defy. anybody, to make
me a hero of romance" Enders said,
head. saying: You truly won't do for
| the hero of my romance-except your
own
THAT was the beginning of it, The
end came six months later. Doris
| Maxwell settled down easily upon a
place she bought just outside Ballan-
trae, then brought in her name-child
| to keep her company while she ex-
| perimented at homemaking.
| So it had been the most natural
! thing in the world for Enders to fall
| in the way of haunting the Maxwell
| house-his new motor made nothing
of the thirty mile journey. He found
| the two Dorises doubly delightful, and
| for three months at least Tapped his
conscience into believing that Doris,
| the girl, was the magnet.
Then came illumination-sudde
/ and fierce. 1t took shape of a man,
| much older. much richer than him
self, a power in the publishing world,