The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-04
THE EVENING STORY
Man Who Thought He Was in Love.

MAI WHO InOuSnL ne was IN Love.
(By Lulu Johnson.)
The worst of it all was that Alice
was happy. THAT Buick told him.
self. "was the cap to the climax
Had she been decently miserable. as
he had been ever since they had had
company would have drawn them to-
gether, and once more the superb
solitaire which Teddy Buick, had
bought with glad heart and a half of
his savings would have cleaned on
Alice sRyder's finger.
BY ali precedent that very thing
should have happened, instead of
which Alice presently became engaged
to Harvey Post and the expression of
gloom which had become habtual to
Ted's face deepened to scowl. He
took to reading poetry In the long
hours of the night, and even in his
dreams he lamented his lost love.
Reproachfully he gazed upon Alice's
meeting her in Harvey's society. At
such times the sky seemed overcast,
no matter how brightly the sun shone,
and Teddy hurried home to brood over
his great grief, made the sharper by
the very apparent happiness that had
The day that the wedding invitations
were issued was Teddy's. field day, and
the sun was stealing through the half
closed curtains when at last he threw
his bed to gain a brief transition from
wakeful to dreamy grief.
He did not go near. his office, but
late in the afternoon his mother per-
suaded him to take a. walk, and he
made for the fields, where he was least
likely to be observed.
He plunged into the woods, which
in that happy summer had been the
favorite objective point of their walks
together.
Now the foliage was .sere and with
cred, flung to the ground as his own
heart had been, and the giant trees
lifted thier naked arms to the au-
tumnal winds in dumb duplication.
The place was thoroughly in har-
mony with his mood, and Ted hung
himself upon a bank of moss to COM
mune with his unhappy thoughts.
The woods represented his own life
Springtime with its bursting buds and
tender foliage had marked the birth
of love, then had come the summer of
courtship; the rich fruition of promise
under the ardent glow of the sun OF
love.
Ted skipped the harvest time, but
now the woods were. like love, dead.
The chill of winter was in the air and
in the dull November clouds.
The fancy pleased him, and so oc-
cupied was he with his thoughts that
he failed to hear the footballs on the
rustling leaves until the newcomer
hailed him with CHEEKY cry.
incoming again, Ted?' cried Alice
brightly. "Forget your troubles for
awhile and help me gather some hick-
DRY nuts
Ted rose slowly to his feet, and as
he did so he glanced about and made
certain that Harvey was not to make
a third. He felt that he could not
stand by and see the loving glances
which the two would exchange.
Slowly he followed Alice along the
path Most of the nuts had been
gathered, but some few remained,
and presently Ted forgot his great
grief in Alice's merry chat.
It was not until the nuts had been
gathered and they sat down to rest
on a fallen trunk that remembrance
came again.
Alice saw the cloud that settled
down upon his face and she turned
abruptly.
"Ted," she asked, "do you want to
make me very happy?''
you're about as happy now as one
girl deserves to be- was the un-
gracious response. What do you
want?"
"I want you to get married." was
the surprising reply.
That's what I wanted to do" re-
minded Ted. but you wouldn't have
it. Has Harvey Tilted you?''
mercy! 1 don't want you to marry
me- was the hurried reply 1T want
you to marry some other girl"
Rather hard on the other girl"
commented Ted. considering that I
And an empty head" was the
caustic interruption. That's just the
trouble, Ted. You are having a lovely
time with your heartache and you
don't want to give it up yet, but I
with the thought of your accusing
eyes following me-
"Then forget it, advised Ted inele-
gantly.
That's what 1 want you to do"
really in love with me. 1 know it,
and you know it. That is why we
were always quarreling. We used to
get along beautifully before we be-
came engaged. Then when you real
lied the mistake you had made. you
became ill-natured.'
''Al1 on my side?" asked Ted.
II suppose that I was just as
mean" admitted Alice, but it was be-
cause we both realized that we had
get all about it, Marry Beth Agnus
or Lefty Fredericks or Nancy Bell
man."
Whats the matter with Audrey
Dunbar?" demanded Ted. "She is the
only eligible you left out"
You wouldn't like her." protested
Alice hastily. ST should hate to see
you married to her. You would never
get along with her.
'She's a nice girl" growled Ted,
"but I'm not going to marry any one"
He rose to his feet again and
shouldered the bag as an intimation
that he was ready to depart, and Alice
meekly followed.
Ted carried the bag to A1ice's
home. and 1t was fate that on the way
they should pass the disputed Miss
Dunbar and that Ted should be I'M
usually ELUSIVE. while Alice was bare |
ly civil.
He did not know that Alice could be !
so pretty, and he was glad when he |
could leave the burden on her porch |
and hurry away before her little |
speech of thanks was half completed. |
She came flying after him and |
reached him before he had opened the |
gate.