The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-05
THE EVENING STORY

(By Clarissa Mackie.)


tient fingers,
IF you would listen to reason" be-
gan Pauline, argumentatively, but her /
lance interrupted her.
Reason!" he snorted contempt
uousiy; there Is no such word as
reason in a wOman's vocabulary
Miss Lamson arose from her seat |
and surveyed him with cool haureur.
You forget yourself. Mr.. Seymour! |
Remember. please. that you have not |
address me in that manner! I beg you
Will excuse me, sir. Good night" She |
swept from the room while Seymour |
stared miserably after her.
Pauline 'e did not 'return. Rhen sey-
mour got upon his feet, and taking his
hat and stick, left the house with a
sense Of deep injury, somewhat tenn
tirely in the wrong. If Polly wanted
the dining room on the south side OF
the new house they were building,
what matter?
shady dining room on the north side
of the house, while the library occu-
pied the sunny southern exposure.
where Pauline could have blooming
plants in the windows and where he
could see her bright head bendinp over
her sewing when he loked up from his
| work.
What evil spirit had tempted him to
argue the question with her and to
act like an unmannerly brute? Now
there would be no home at all. He
turned in at the club and spent the
evening in solitary wretchedness.
Miss Lamson made dignified haste to
/ her own room, where she locked the
door and confidee to her pillow that
Bob Seymour was sour, cross. crab
bed old thing, and that she was glad
| they would never be married. Upon
| this reflection she sobbed more Bit
| terly.
Finally, when the fury Of her brief
| mental storm had subsidized, she heard
the CLOSING Of the front door and the
echo of familiar footsteps on the pave
| ment dying into silence.
| She sat up theoretically.
| Pauilne Lams on, you are little
fool!'' she soliloquized. IF Bob wants
the library on the south side of the
house what difference does it make to
you? He has to work in there most
of the day, while the dining room is
only used at meal times and it doesn't
matter where it is. Now there won't
dining room, nor anything, for 1 can
not go back on my word; Lamson
| never does that!''
| She sobbed herself into most un-
pleasant slumber, which was broken
| by frequent lapses into wakefulness,
and at last a gray morning dawned.
| And all the mornings and afternoons
| were gray after that, for Boy Seymour
|
neither did Pauline send the little note
which would have brought him re-
pentant to her feet.
| It was a Seymour pride against
Lamson pride, and SO Love drew his
rosy mantle about him and spread his
| wings to be about other and more
profitable business.
| ct came by the new house today.
Pauline and it is a dear!" Emile Ray
1 he 70
| bon from the dish on Pauline's tea
| table and nibbled it appreciatively.
"Yes?" Pauline's voice was faint and
there was pink flush in either cheek.
"Yes!" mimicked Miss Raymond
petulantly. your indifference is well
assumed, Polly, dear; but
Emile" said Pauline with sudden
decision, ct must tell you-I haven't
told another soul-that Bob Seymour
and are not going to be married!'
Miss Raymond uttered surprised
shrek.
Polly Lamson, what do you mean?
Why, I was talking with Bob not five
minutes ago-he was standing on the
steps of the new house-and from what
he said" She paused with embar-
rassment and busted herself with the
bonbon dish.
What did he say?" Pauline's tone
was icily cold.
"Why-now, dear, of course don't
understand anything about the matter
but he said, when I limited that
1 would like to go over the house, Mrs
Seymour will have that pleasure in the
spring. and he smiled so naturally that
supposed" She looked expressive
ly at her friend.
1T is probably some one else-some
other girl smiled Pauline stiffly.
1T might be-" was the disconcerting
reply; Il did see him talking to Linda
Burton the other day. and Just as 1
passed them Linda was saying: I
much prefer the library in green. too
didn't think anything about it at the
time but-Linda is certainly attrac-
tiver
Linda is a dear" gushed Pauline
pouring herself another cup of tea.
| WELL, remarked Emile practically:
''of course I'm surprised to hear that
your engagement is broken but must
say that Linda Burton can certainly
make that house look like a dream! She
| is an artistr'
That is So" said Pauline. soberly.
"Linda's gowns are lovely"
After Emile Raymond had f1uttered
away to another tea table and probably
to other condolences, Pauline fled to
her own room where she spent a very
quiet hour; then, just as the dusk was
falling, she donned her wraps and crept
out OF the house and along the avenue
to that pleasant cross street wherein
stood the house of dissension; the house
that had been builded with love as ad-
wiser and architect.
Pauline approached 1t timidly from
the opposite side Of the street: she
would rather die than meet Bob Sey-
mour in that vicinity. She could dim
ly see that the house was quite COM
pleted; a lawn graded and turfed with
green, and-strange to relate-it was
illuminated from top to bottom and
there were people moving about inside.
She slipped across the street and en-
tered the yard. Along the north wall
of the house ran tagged path to the
rear, and when she had walked along
this path she found herself directly be-