The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-04
THE EVENING STORY
The Fateful Miss Douglas.
(By Providence Reyere.l

Mrs. Ransom surveyed her tall
brother meditatively, while he return
ed the scrutiny with smiling cheerful
ness. John Macpherson was enjoying
to the utmost his little visit to his sis
ter. whom he had not seen since her
marriage couple of years previous,
SO ne did not in the least understand
why she should sigh and remark, SER
iously, Its too bad; yes, it isl"
What? he asked lazily. 1t was an
extra fine cigar he was smoking and
1t did not seem possible just then for
ANYTHING to be of deadly Importance.
why, that you got here just the
day after Isabel Douglas left town."
responded pretty little Mrs. Ransom.
shes the dearest girl! She's
Lives in Kentucky, beautiful as
dream, glorious brown eyes. most
charming disposition on earth. is"
"Where'd you meet her?' broke in
Mrs. Ransom breathlessly.
II never had the pleasure" laughed
her brother. "Only l had to sit one
whole evening during my visit in To-
Iedo and hear my hostess recount the
charms of this most evasive Isabel.
She had left there just the week be-
fore my arrival. / seem to cast a
blighting shadow over her enjoyment:
Now. isn't that queer said his
sister. But, really. John, I'm in earn
est about wanting you to know her."
80 was my Toledo hostess" he an
swered amusedly. IF only the lady
and 1 were of a similar mind and as
much in earnest, nothing on earth
could save us from wedding cake and
rice. But we aren't, thank the fates,
he cried rather fervently.
| At the age of thirty-five John Mac
Pherson, comfortable in his bachelor
quarters in New York, wealthy enough
| to indulge any within, looked with
quiet and polite pity at the unfortun-
ates he knew tied down to domestic
| cares. He had fully decided he want
ed none of that for him-what hap
piness he might miss was more than
compensated for in peace and quiet
and freedom.
You're all wrong, Jack" said his
sister rather wistfully. Aren't you
| ever going to abandon your crazy mo-
| lions and marry some nice girl and
settle DOWN."
He threw out his hands in mock
dismay as he got to his feet. I'm the
most settled down person you ever
saw, Man." he protested. I'm as
| steady as a railway time table and
| perfectly contented just as I am. 1
could attend the wedding of some
other fellow to your amiable Isabel
without a 0ualm.'
| mo. you couldn't" said his sister,
| forcibly. you've never seen her"
/ But il he had not seen her the fame
| of Miss Isabel Douglas was destined
| to haunt his ears. During his visit at
his sisters he heard Miss Douglass
| name so frequently on the lips of Wis
i itors that he grew half irritated. 1t
was impossible that any girl could
be such a paragon-and If she was he
| had no desire to know her.
| Such perfection would be decidedly
tiresome, he concluded; and SO he dis
missed her from his mind.
When he reached Chicago on his
homeward way he stopped to transact
some business. Phillips, his lawyer,
was most cordial in pressing his New
| York client to come out to his house
and Macpherson was half inclined to
accept. His frame of mind experienced
an instantaneous change. however,
when Phillips added:
i We've a visitor coming tomorrow
/ you'd like to meet, I know-Miss Isa-
bel Douglas, of Kentucky. She"
SORRY" said Mr. Macpherson, de-
cidedly, but I can't wait over a day
on any account, my dear man." AT
hundred miles out of his way to es-
cape meeting this southern paragon.
| He did not stop to reflect she I'M
] doubtedly had not the slightest de-
sire of meeting him, either-the con-
slant sound of her name and the re-
hearsal of her attractions had nodded
itself into a haunting shadow. pursu-
ing him, and he actually disliked the
very thought of her. He wondered
Grossly why she never stayed home
WueI6 she D6lOQk6O. ne mated RdQd-
bouts. Then he went back to New
4 York.
4 Strangely enough. even there he
was not left in peace. One of the
newspapers printed a page Of pictures
and gossip about beautiful women and
idly glancing it over, the name of
4 Douglas caught his eye. He groaned
as he looked closer-yes, the first
name was Isabel. Then he searched
for the picture of her and stared at 1t
hal I'd H. H.
face, more than that. it was high-b bred
and thoughtful, as well as perfect in
| line and form.
But John Macpherson had seen too
many beautiful women to be especially
4 attracted by any one in particular. He
| wondered idly what there could be
about this particular girl which so
hypnotized all her friends and ac-
quaintances. In few weeks she had
passed out of his mind entirely.
But John Macpherson was not to
slip out of the clutches of determined
| fate in this easy fashion. With no
warning whatever, no premonition of
the trap before him, he climbed the
i. steps of Fifth avenue house one
night to fulfill a dinner engagement.
/ His hostess was a charming woman
and her dinners were famous. He was
in very pleasant frame of mind. AS
: he opened the little envelope contain
| ing the name of his dinner partner he
trained footman could not forbear a
, glance of establishment On the card
was the name of Isabel Douglas
Il Macpherson, instantly in revolt
, meditated flight for an instant, then
realized how impossible that was and
. that there was nothing to do but &c
/, downstairs and meet her. Never in
his life had he entertained such a vio-
lent prejudice for any woman's society
as he now felt for hers. He was en-
: tirely blind to her innocence of the
manner in which her name had beer
1 rung In his ears till he hated the sound
of it At any rate she should not add
him to the list of victims report said
e strewed. her path.
I IJa apfared the bfe drawing room,