The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-26
TIE EVENING STORY
Tho Gauntlet and the Mitten.
(By Martha Cobb Sanford.)

Il -
Muriei stood by the steamer rail,
rocked girls on the wharf. Suddenly
the wind whipped ono OF the long white
gloves out of her hand. as she was
waving q last farewell, and carried 1t
down to the deck below. There was
| little ripple of laughter from the
| watching girls. and Muriel, in order
to escape attention, hurried quickly in
to her etateroom..
1t was an unlucky omen, she argu-
ed to herself. but quite In accordance
with the losing game she had now
been playing for three long, desolate
montha She took on her hat. arrang-
ed her wind-blown hair. and studied
herself critically in the little stateroom
mirror.
Il ought to be pale and interesting
looking" she said to the reflection that
looked earnestly at her, "but I'm only
dasgustingly healthy"
She turned away with a sigh, and
then with quick determination opened
| the door Of her stateroom, placed a
chair where she could look out on the
restless water when she felt 50 inclin-
| ed. and began cutting the leaves OF a
new magazine.
But the story selected either did not
interest her. or else interested her so
personally that she soon forgot the
print before her eyes and was lost in
| introspection.
Up till now, the middle of August,
she was sure she had presented a
! very brave and cheerful front and that
none Of the girls she had been visiting
| suspected for a moment the real state
| OF her heart. Why had she broken
1t on? That was the question she had
to answer everywhere. Varied as were
the reasons she gave, they were also
all more or less fiippant.
| Why, you see." she explained to
one OF her most intimate friends,
Tom and had known each other
since we were children. It was al
most prearranged by our families that
men, as 1t were. in q minstrel show
! that every one was watching. At last
Tom popped the question. I answered
1t according to what was expected of
me. and everybody saw the joke ex-
cept Tom and myself. When it did
dawn on US. some time afterward. we
laughed and parted the best Of
| friends"
Now, as Muriel recalled with what
glibness she had ratified OF this bit Of
fiction. even laughing to herself over
the apparent humor Of 1t, she blushed
| at her duplicity.
! What had been the real reason, after
all, for her falling out with Tom? A
difference Of opinion, so far as she
| could remember over the relative adj
| vantages OF spending ones summer In
a house-boat. or camping out.
| She was rather unpleasantly con-
| scious that Tom had been willing to
split the difference, but that she had
argued that If they couldn't come to a
perfectly harmonious agreement about
spending their summer, they very
probably would be equally at swords
| points over the other seasons of the
year. And so, at her request, they had
broken the ENGAGEMENT
Muriel looked out at the billowy wa
ter and for few moments was con-
scious of the speed with which the big
steamer was plunging through it. By
morning it would bring her to the
Cliffside-where it all happened-the
counting and the quarrel Would she
be able to be brave and cheerful under
such conditions. when everything re-
minded her Of?
A peal of thunder startled her. They
were speeding into the midst of ter
rife storm. Tom had always been such
a dear in a thunder storm! Muriel
tossed her magazine into the berth.
and hurried down to the dining room.
where she would at least have the COM
fort Of other people about her.
mo, not a seat by the window" she
said to the head steward who ushered
her in. II prefer one in the CENTER"
He placed her at a little round table
with one other woman, and two men.
Muriel. absorbed in her own thoughts,
absently took the seat offered and be-
gan to read the menu. In the tedious
interval before her order was served
two of the guests left the table, and
she made a very startling and discom-
forting discovery.
Meanwhile, the thunder and lightning
increased in severity, and Muriel was
not only very embarrassed but very
nervous.
It was a relief when dinner was fin
ally served. Suddenly. glancing up.
Mauriel noticed the steward talking
evidently. by his gestures. talking
about the bread on the table. She
overheard him say: IT thought you
were together, SO brought the bread
on one plate" to which the man smil-
inglv replied: "It doesn't matter. It
will be all right"
For some time neither Muriel nor the
man opposite deigned to take any
bread. Then, suddenly, as by one i'm
pulse. each reached for the same roll.
and each as suddenly withdrew empty
Immediately with very fattering gal
lantry, the man passed the bread to
| Muriel, and she, not to be outdone in
courtesy, took the roll of combat"
broke it, and offered her table COM
panion half.
An hour or so later. in her stateroom.
Muriel lay crying her pretty eyes out
whether from an overflow of happiness
or because Of regret for her past silli-
ness she could not for the life of her
have told-when she heard knock at
the stateroom door.
|. who is 1t? she called cautiously.
Steward, miss. I have message
for you"
MurieI took the envelope and broke it
open with haste.
Dearest" she read, her heart
humping tumultuously. IT knew per-
fectly well why you wouldn't recognize
me at the table. You did not want to
excite public curiosity or criticism. and
I admired you for 1t. But how I want
ed to hold your hand tight whenever
I saw you tremble at the lightning!
But you were unspeakably sweet in the
way you let me know that We are