The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-29
THE EVENING STORY
The Red Heart.
(By Temple Bailey.)


| ing class song with crash of chords,
whirled around on the piano stool
and faced the group of girls who were
presiding over the mysteries of fudge
making in chafing dish.
Its a tragedy she said. that's
| what it isl
''What?" came the interested
chorus.
THE case of Caroline Krebs-"
at sounds like the headlines in an
evening paper" murmured Eloise
Hillman, shifting the chocolate
scented air ecstatically.
Fay. ignoring the interruption, went
on: "She's a nice little thing. and
I hate to see her unhappy"
Maybe she is just silly and senti-
was stirring the bubbIing mixture:
she seemed awfully young to have
real affair."
"She is twenty" Fay informed
her that baby look. And she has
known him since she was five. He
proposed to her when she was fifteen,
and they became engaged this fall just
before she came here to school"
"Who is hep" asked Eloise. with
| interest.
1.-THE young man Caroline Krebs is
| engaged to. and I am worrying about
them"
''Why worry?" asked fourth girl
VIM, pufIeo III the cushions OIL the
couch, had hitherto said nothing.
Because 1 am not like you, Kitty.
1 can't curl up like cat and let life
| roll past me. Carolina Krebs is my
| roommate, and she is handling her
love affair badly, and her friend
want to set her straight
Kit sat up. She was fair and fat,
with dimples that were out now in
full force.
Whats she doing that's wrong?"
| she demanded.
Fay leaned forward and spoke i'm
pressively.
! Girls. she said, "she is making
him red satin heart, for birthday
present.
Eyes. A pincushion. And she is
stuff1ng it with saWdust, and it is as
fat as-as-Kitty!'
"Oh-oh!" came from the couch,
| but Fay proceeded.
"She Is going to send 1t to him,
an ounce of artistic blood in him
would be repealed by fat red
thing with pins in it," And Fay's
graceful hands swept out in a ges-
| ture of despair.
Perhaps they are two OF a kind
mo. And that is where the
| tragedy comes in. He sends her bits
of poetry that he writes-exquisite
bits. He knows the real thing. But
she doesn't. She just goes on stuff1ng
that heart and planning to write a
verse on it
Roses red and violets blue,
My heart to you is ever true"
Kitty, On the couch, shrieked: Fay,
you are stretching it,
mo, 1 am not Fay said. ST tried
to make her buy one of those old
ivory medallions that we saw in the
shops, but she looked at me so SER
iously. and whispered, He likes to
have me make something's
lovely" calculated Kitty. eff
man loved me that way
"The fudge is ready" cut in Beat
rice, and for the next few minutes
they gave their attention to the
luscious squares.
I am going to take plate of it
to Caroline" said Fay. as she left
In, she was too busy sticking white
pins into the red heart
Cheer up!'' Kitty called after her,
you may reform Caroline YETI
But Caroline, bright eyed over her
gift, did not look as if she needed re-
form.
isn't it pretty" she asked, hold,
ing up the heart as Fay came in with
| the plate of fudge.
Fay eyed 1t obviously.
it ?" she asked.
oh, Arthur would" said Caroline,
"he has such good taste.
Il sent man present once"
said Fay crafuly. 81 bought bunch
of violets; the florist packed them SO
that they would keep fresh. 1t was
very simple gift, but he liked it
awfully''
YES" said Caroline, sticking the
last pin firmly into the heart, at am
sure ,s he must have liked it. But
things for him.
So Fay gave 1t up.
He'll be disillusioned, and she will
be unhappy" was her decision. "but
I can't help It,"
birthday that Caroline came to her
roommate with a note.
"I can't understand Arthur she
said, and her lips were quivering.
He seems to think my present was
"Oh." gasped Fay UNDERSTANDINGS.
"He says that he showed it to the
boys, and they laughed over it, and
that he was glad I had such a sense
of humor. and that it was such a
dear little, fat heart. And I thought
it was beautiful; oh, dear" and
Caroline's head was pillowed on Foy's
sympathetic shoulder. ST worked so
nara. and 1t was SO pretty she
sobbed, land they just laughed"
Send him something else and tell
him this was just a funny forerun-
ner," Fay suggested
But Caroline was obstinate.
Il won't" she said; "he ought to
like the red heart, and If he doesn't.
I can't help it,
And If something isn't done at
once" Fay told her four chums as
they sat that night, kimono-clad in
Beatrice's room, those two hearts
won't beat as one
Kitty, plump and pretty, in pink,
murmured from the pillows; Lets
send him something, and make him
think it is from her Then tell hen,