The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-16
THE EVENING STORY
Miss I.avinia's Lover.
BY vir :la,a. Blair.


fided, II am glad to have it. but it's
unsettling.''
Mrs. Briggs shifted. cit wouldn't
unsettle me if any one left me ten
thousand dollars. I would know what
to do with it,
Miss Lavinia leaned forward eager
ly What would you do. Jane ?" she
demanded.
"Oh. WELL" Mrs. Briggs hesitated.
I'D get some new clothes right away
and fix up the house, and entertain
my friends. and take a trip and have
an automobile
81 have thought of those things, but
they don't seem to be just what
want, after all. Maybe I'll just put
1t out at interest,"
Now, look here, Lavinia Latimer,"
Mrs. Briggs said, solemnly, don't you
do any such thing. You've got enough
to live on. such as it is. and my adj
vice is to take some of the money
and have a good time. Goodness only
knows you haven't had many good
times"
mo. 1 haven't" Miss Lavinia ad-
mitted, somewhat Wistful1y; wen, I'll
think it over. Jane
And after Mrs. Briggs had gone,
Miss Lavinia picked up her yellow cat
and told him her innermost wish.
I'm going to use some of that money
to find out where John Forbes is"
she whispered, "but I wouldn't tell
Jane"
But to look for the man who had
left town ten years ago was not an
easy matter. And Lavinia Latimer
was not wise in methods. But she
wanted to know the fate of her old
lover, and so it happened that ten
days after her talk with Jane Briggs,
Miss Layinia went to town.
I'm going to buy Clothes was the
reason she gave, but when she came
to the big town it was not to the
stores that she made her way but to a
dusty, musty little office in a squalid
street.
"McDermott. Private Detective"
said the sign.
Miss Lavinia was all pink and white
and pretty, as she stated her case.
But Mr. McDermott set her at once
at her ease. He was a brisk little man
with curly white hair and red cheeks.
$50 you want to find John Forbes"
he said. 'is he a relative %
blushed
lowe you any money!" McDermott
demanded.
"oh, no, no." Miss Latimer cried.
distressfully. I'VE were engaged fif-
teen years ago. and I couldn't marry
him because I had to stay with my
old father and mother-and he-he
went away-and I promised that
when I was free I would let him
know"
oh McDermott calculated. and
after pause, ''were you expect
ing to find him still single %
Tin not sure"
McDermott tugged at his mustache.
''The chances are that he'll be mar
ried.'
"Of course" Miss Lavinia agreed.
'but I should like to be sure"
Surely" said McDermott, you just
you news of John Forbes before you
know it,
McDermott reported regularly once
week by letter to Miss Lavinia and
as regularly received her answers.
Miss LaVinia wrote on pale violet
paper that gave forth a perfume of
fresh flowers in the stuffy little office.
McDermott found himself laying those
letters in a little drawer by them
selves. and one day in early spring
country on case, he sDied some vio-
lets by the wayside. He picked them
and brought them home and laid
them with the letters in the drawer.
so that Miss Lavinia's littls fortune
had no charms for him but the
thought of her delicate presence in
his home often came to him with
sense of irresistible attraction.
"But If she finds John Forbes sin
gle she will marry him" he would
say with a sigh. and the temptation
to overlook clews was great
In June he called on her and found |
her in her garden with a little low
table in front of her on which was set
forth a lemonade service. Miss La
vinia was in pale mauve with hat
wreathed with violets. when you |
wrote Won were coming she said to |
McDermott II thour hit ycr would en-
Joy it better here in the garden--its
cooler"
'we1. if You knew what a nice
change IT was from hat office III
town" sighed the little man.
After that he came often, and grad
ually it began to be rumored in the
town that Miss Lavinia was keeping
with a man from the city.
Iooks,' Mrs. Briggs told Miss Lavinia
when she came over one morning
after McDermott had called.
HE is Just business acquaint-
ance," Miss Lavinia protested.
Mrs. Briggs shifted. 81 guess you
wouldn't be dressin' up in those pretty
clothes and waving your hair just for
l business NAH
Miss Lavinia blushed and sighed.
You don't know how many things I
nave to look after since l have my
To tell the truth. the search for
John Forbes began to weigh on her.
She realized that with the coming of
John Forbes would end the visits of
John McDermott.
McDermott continued doggedly with
lis search. He didn't want to find
John Forbes, or If he did find him.
lie hoped that he would be married.
But if Lavinia Latimer wanted any
hing she should have it.
And as all things must have an {
End. the time came when John
Forbes was located in a small western
own.
Its your John Forbes. all right"
AcDermott wrote to Miss Lavinia. He
vas born in your town and every {
hing tallies. But I don't know
whether he is married. I'll find out. t
leave on Monday for the West"
please Miss Lavinis wrote back, :