The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-12
The EVENING STORY
A Matter of Business.
by Joanna Single.1

ITOWuGU
up from the code at his partner, Will
lam Butler, who. with his straw hat
pushed back on his rumpled fair hair,
was still insisting that he leave the Of
flee for the rest of the day.
'Confound you, Billy, heat or no heat,
August or December. a fellow that's
going to get on in the law simply must
do some studying. Can't you get 1t
through your thick head when I say
I am not going that I mean it? Take
the girls by yourself If they are silly
enough to like your company. Can't
see what anything bigger than child
sees IN vaudeville park anyhow:
Now, Billy, get out of here, do! Your
everlasting grin gives me a temperature
and the heat is bad enough this after
room as 1t is"
Butler. surveyed his friend with elab-,
crate pity. Poor boy!' he commented
ruminatingly, "he hasn't been himself
since he won the big case last month.
Turns down his friends focks by him
he's in love! Must be love. Perhaps
the fair Alice will capitulate, after all.
She ought to after you saved her for
tune from a greedy stepmother. Go
after it. son. Well. by-by. Me to Grace
and Marietta and the despised park"
Alice Lawton indeed! thought Worth
ing. Well, that idea was better in
Buffers shallow pate than the real
truth, namely, that Marietta's sudden
fondness for his partner was eating his
heart out. 1t was always Marietta and
Bill Butler everywhere, and he used
to think it was Grace for whom Billy
longed. Worthing had known no inner
peace since Marietta had come last Win
ter to live with her cousin, Grace Hunt
er. From the first meeting the girls
dark, little. serious face, sweet eyes,
gay laughter had not left his conscious
ness. And she had certainly seemed
to like him, even to prefer him, to let
him monopolize her somewhat, and even
to be demurely glad when they were
left alone together.
Gloomingly rejecting, ne began to
wonder what had changed her. June
bad been a joytime. If he had spoken
then all might have been we'll, but that
Lawton inheritance case came to him.
He recognized the professional oppor-
tunity, worked on it like a slave, day
and night, all through July, and won,
feeling that he had now little better
basis for offering his heart to the girl
he loved. He was also delighted be-
cause he had done service to Alice,
his lifelong friend. But what had
Marietta?
Finding himself unable to study,
Worthing 'phoned for his car and
closed the Office. He would go for
Alice and take her for a spin and have
dinner at the golf club and then ride
again till the moon came up. Perhaps
they might go through the park them
selves and-no, he would let Marietta
alone! He recognized that he longed
to see her.
But Alice was not at home, and Bit
terly lonely he motored out into the
AS the sun set, and the cool |
of evening came on, his troubled heart |
grew more calm. He would reason !
with himself, try to see what he had !
done or left undone, why Marietta, !
when he went back to her, flushed and |
joyous with his victory. had received |
him with the frozen sweetness of a |
dish of ice cream, and thereafter man
aged never to be with him alone for
noticed it, was once when, with Alice,
whom he was taking to his Office, he 4
met her on the street just in front of u
The building. Her greeting had been i
very cool.
Worthing drew up beneath great
rec and taking a little photo of .
he girl from his pocket, looked at it
With loving inquiry. He recalled that
another time that she had been cool
20 him was when he was telling her
1ow much it meant to Alice to get her
egal rights, and how glad he was to
nave been able to help her. That was
1T the golf club dance, and after that
she had been unable to find a dance .
or him. He sat thinking.
Suddenly it came to him-the
ridiculous little key to the solution. :
He started the machine, headed again
or the city, driving like one in a sort
# happy insanity. He would. go
straight to the park, find her, and see
Ter long enough to ask her if he was
light, if he had to toss Billy into the
AXE to be rid of him. OF course
elbow couldn't ask a girl directly what
lie intended to know. but he was law
-er enough to extract from her in g
lirectly all he desired. He could not
Wait to see her-it was all so foolishIy
nipple. /
1t was nearly dusk when, with r
lope and fear mngling in his heart
lie reached the park, and impatiently S
'bedient to the rules, and the G
VafchfllI notice cd eli
he drives looking for a group in a
which he might distinguish Marietta's /
linn little figure and crown of dark
lair. Where in the world could they I
everal times, and at last went slowly Il
o remote corner where there was a
reat Old-fashfoned swing. 1t would i
e like that idiot Butler to take her y
If to chatter to her unhindered, and =
erhapS to swing her, for she loved .
o risk her little life, and Worthingl
lad always had a deadly fear that the s
hains or something might break. q
lie had seen one such accident. Now n
e began to be sure Butler was not
t to look after her. p
His surmise had been right He r.
aw Grace, tall and big and blonde, d
liot Billy, as he pushed Marietta II
is Marietta-high and yet higher W
ito the air. He jumped from his t.
ar, motioning Butler. who did not tc
&c MIN, TO stop, not daring to call
,st he frighten her He was sure W
ne swing was not safei He came lis
INNING up facing the girl who, as II
ne receded to be pushed forward on
gain by Butler, saw him and gave m
little cry. Out she came toward
i'm. far out. His heart stopped as a .,
1dden warning creak from the 81
mains made him look up. The chain nj
ad broken. 80
without an instants hesitation he Is
cid up his arms for her and -
louted, Jump, Marietta. jump"
lch command, such conviction. rung a,