The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-29
THE EVENING STORY
Blind Mans Buff.
(By Harriet Lummis smith,

TO the point OF frenzy the man who
wishes to get the line on order to tell
his wife that he is to take the 8
O'Clock train for Chicago.
1t was Hildegarde who broke in on
her friends account of Tuesdays ger
man with a little dismayed shrek
Goodness! I didn't dream it was
SO late have an engagement in five
minutes, and I'm not half dressed"
who is it? DarreIl?" 1t was not a
| Question for the telephone. but Irene
never allowed her discretion to stand
in the way of her curiosity.
"Ye-es." The hesftating answer gave
Irene the impression that her friend
was blushing. DarrelPs alteration of
Hildegarde was the seasons joke. 1t
was, however, very suitable match.
Darrell was preposterously rich and
not bad looking.
''Too bad about Jack Carr, isn't it?"
II don't know what you mean" Hill
degarde's tone was suddenly icy.
Why. You don't mean that you
haven't heard of his accident
| Accident! What accident?''
Bentley Boynton told me all about
| it last evening. I supposed, of course,
you knew; you and Jack used to be
such friends. Some workmen dropped
a bag OF lime beside him and 1T burst,
and puffed up into his eyes, and blind
ed him. Poor, dear fellow! But he's
| SO plucky dare say he'll make joke
out of it,
Hildegarde rang off abruptly. Her
head went down on her arms. Trem-
ors shook her bowed figure. Hot tears
| rained from her hidden eyes.
Jack and Hildegarde had been good
| friends. The worldly wisdom which
| belonged to their station of life, the
| tacit acceptance of the theory that
| every girl owes it to herself to marry
money If she can, alone had kept them
from being more. There had been
times when the glowing eyes of the
young man suggested an almost ire
sistib1e temptation to set at defiance
| the traditions Of his class, and the
| flutter of the girls heart had ac-
knowledged some uncertainty as to
| her own course under such circum-
| stances.
But Jack had kept his tongue in
| LEASH even if his eyes had been less
| tractable, and had gone his way, and
| left the field to Darrell with his mill
lions.
dear eyes WOO her. Never again would
she watch from her window that 1.-THE
| figure swinging down the street as If
| it walked on air. She saw him CROP
| ing his way through unending dark
| ness, with only sad memories to keep
him company. And then on the desk
| beside her she saw DarrelPs card,
which the maid had just laid there.
No one has ever given an explana-
! ton of the fact that a woman's ten
|
suit in cruelty to another. But owing
| to this popularity of feminine psychol-
| ogy, DarrelIs sole reward for a years
devotion was the hasty note the maid
| brought down five minutes later:
st cannot see you this afternoon.
| And please do not come again till you
are willing that I should be nothing
| more than Your friend,
''HILDEGRADE DEVRIES.'
| "A lady to see me?" Jack Carr, sit
in hi
shade over his eyes, betrayed no sat
| isfaction at the prospect of compan-
| ionship. Whats her name?"
"She didn't say, sir. She said to tell
you that a friend would like to see
| you for a few moments
| "Oh, show her up. I'm not much
| to look at just at present, but anyway
| the rooms too dark for her to see."
His philosophy stood by him till
swish Of skirts on the stairs suggest
ed an idea so preposterous that his
| heart 1eaped. He put up his hand
as if to ward off blow. Then
voice said, "Jack!"
| "Hildegarde!' He sprang forward,
| stumbled over footstool, and regain
ed his balance and his self-control at
the same moment I'm not quite used
to this blind mans buff" he said in
| a rather breathless voice. Awfully
good of you to look me up, I'm sure"
att wasn't good at ALL" she quaver-
ed. in an uncertain voice. II just had
| to see you, jack Her voice died
away, and she regained it only by an
effort. Jack" tell me-was I mis-
taken in thinking that you used to
| care for me -
The pause that followed seemed I'M
| endurably long. NO" Jack said at
| last in a voice unlike his own. mo,
| that was no mistake God knows"
| She breathed more freely now that
| the plunge was taken. Except for the
| dryness of her throat and her burning
cheeks. she felt almost at her ease.
"But I was mistaken about myself,
Jack. I thought I could be satisfied
with great deal of money, and a
good social position, and all that, and
| what wanted all the time was you
have 3oneys enough for both of US.
Der your blindness" She hesitated at
the word, but took it gallantly, like a
thoroughbred. "I'll be eyes to you,
and. sunlight-Oh. Jack I'll make you
happy in spite of everything"
He crossed the room and stood be-
side her. "Hildegarde." he cried
hoarsely "You mean that you are
ready to refuse Darrell. and marry
me?''
garde acknowledged with an air of
wishing to give everyone his due. But
"You-you said something about
my eyesight." stammered Jack. did
you mean
Hildegarde caught his hand. ooh,
dearest that was what opened my
eyesi When I heard that you were
blind, 1 couldn't bear 1t and then I
| knew perfectly well that 1 couldn't
| live without you
He swept her to him and a blissful
moment followed. But the myster-
| ious sixth sense which belongs to love,
| led Hildegarde to divine disquiet in
her lover. She drew away palpitating.
Jack are you sure you haven't got
over caring for me?"
He was so reassuring on this point
| that the scared color came back to her
cheeks You're not worrying be-
cause you're not rich? she rebuked