The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-06
THE EVENING STORY
His Lace-Paper Lady.
(By Jeanne o. Loizeaux-)


the instant interest. eye flashing to
eye the feeling of having always
known each other. The mans head
went round a little and his heart beat
very fast as he asked her for the
dance he wanted.
She did not have it to give, so he
made the best of sitting against the
wall and watching her glide over the
floor with Lawton Meantime he
mentally thumped himself into sense.
He knew on the spot that she was not
the wife for him. Sam Morton, sem
Sible young business man. wanted a
helpmate.
He had come up in a big family
with a whining. weak mother and an
| overworked, harried father. He had
even in boyhood determined on health
and strength as the only working
basis to begin married life upon.
Then he called himself a fool for let
ting all this come to his mind at
| mere sight of a young girl.
For Lois was fragile and slender, a
sort of lace-paper lady, he said to
himself. That was just the word
she was appealing and delicate, and
she gave him a little smile that undid
all his renunciatory work with him
self in the past few moments.
He coul1 dance with her, anyway.
| And, fool that he was. nobody but
himself had suggested his marrying
her! Perhaps even if She were asked
she would not have him-he sudden
ly felt humble. Perhaps she was en-
gaged-that was a startling thought;
maybe she was engaged to Law
ton-that was a Jealous thought He
straightway despised his friend Law
ton in his heart and accused him of
inability to care for a frail child of a
girl like Lois. Then he wondered
how old she was-surely not twenty!
hurried to her to see if by chance she
had not made mistake about having
no dance for him. His insistence
made her blush and waver. Finally
she yielded him her program and he
his own where they had been. After
this he danced with the stupid girls
he had thought attractive an hour ago
and waited until his turn came with
her.
This was a beginning of bad times
for the young man He vowed
during the sleepless fag-end of the
night after the dance that he would
cut out merry making thence for
ward and forget the "girl business"
He charged his whole disturbed con-
dition to what he aptly enough called
the marriage microbe"-three of his
friends bad lately married. He had
helped at the functions. at the subse-
QuonI nome COl6DEdIlOuS, anu some
how the thing had got on his brain
he would shake off the idea. What
did he want of marriage for a good
five years, or three-or two, at least?
He had first class boarding place,
which was expense enough until he
was better settled with the store.
Not that he was not doing we'll. for
he was
And when he did marry-this was.
after all, the principal thing to re-
IaaT hn n NJ Tacoma ms
lady. He had once heard man he
knew call a fragile girl that. and it
struck his rather romantic fancy-a
lace-paper lady-very, very pretty, to
be looked at, but unfit for the stern
wear and tear of everyday life.
When the months had passed and
he had resolutely refused, and had
in the end gone to, everything social
where he knew or thought the girl
might be- he was more than ever sure
that he was right. But one thing a
fine instinct had kept him from do
ing-he had never asked any one
single question about her, and he was
so fearful of showing his interest that
he went away if by chance she was
mentioned by his friends. Thus all
he knew of her he gathered from her
own lips-and she was silent. 1t
seemed to him that she was more
silent with him than with others
Lawton, for instance.
At quite a large picnic, the last in
the beautiful fall weather, it had
seemed to him that she fairly chat
tered to Lawton, but when he after
awhile found himself beside her, she
was awkwardly shy.
They had sat a little apart from the
rest while Pickle Jones discoursed
some alleged music from a banjo and
a loud but rather battered set of vocal
cords. The wistful beauty of her face
struck him as poignantlv as pain; her
gfrlish slenderness called to his
| strength as for protection. Turning,
she answered the scrutiny she had
been sensitive to by a fleeing little
smile. His heart went fast and then
something like a veil foated a moment
before his eyes-he could not see.
When Pickle had finished his rag
time song, and the rest had applaud
ed. he leaned closer to the girl and
asked if she would not like to go
home early walking part of the way,
and whether he might no go with
her.
She hesitated I'm sorry-but I just
promised Harry" she said. simply.
But somehow, while his heart was hot
that it should be Lawton-again, he
had for the first time an idea that
perhaps she really was sorry.
He went home that night miserable
to the core of his being. Tired as he
was, there was no sleep. And finally
in the gray hours of the morning,
it was through the self-verdict that
ne was an unutIeraDle, sneaklng cau
of a coward! He rejoiced in calling
himself names
Now he knew that love it-love!
It takes you up and you belong to it
and cherish it your life longi You
love-because you love, and If the
lady of your heart be a tender plant,
a fragile flower, you love her and
guard her the more because she needs
you and your strength 1t was all
very clear and made him ineffably
happy for two days and a night. Then
| he awakened to new torture!
What use was anything If. while
| he had been hesitating, the other man
| had won her? This thought made him
1 sore and sick, and he finished his days
I work like an evil. feverish dream. He