The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-21
THE EVENING STORY
The Result of a Ruse.
(By NJ. c. England.)

ner mechanically as she sank INTO
chair after their dance. It had been
the fifth waltz, and, SO far. Paul Orm-
stead had not been near her. Hereto
fore he had always come to her hrst
and claimed as many dances as she
would give him, but tonlght, Io5
her presence. She leaned back and
her gaze wandered across the room
to where he stood with Lean Ellcolt,
his fair head bent above her, Lean
face, with its dark, vivld coiorlne am
deep, glowing eyes, raised to his. Her
heart contracted painfully was ne
angry with her? She had done MOTH
ing. True, she had refused to go 10
the play with him the following FIJI
day, but only because Tom saunders,
her partner in the last dance, was
coming that night for dinner. rom
was an old friend, a very old 1rleno'
and often came to dine and spend the
evening with her; yet for some reason
Paul had seemed hotly to resent her
refusal of his invitation when she told
him the cause. How could ne pc SO
unkind-so stupid? She stirred rest
lessly.
Tom Saunders closed the ian ne hao
been welding and rose.
az lillian" he said, won't you come
outside for a few minutes? You are
pale and the air will do you GOOD.
she assented listlessly and they
passed out into the warm spring night
and wandered slowly down the gar
den path. $780,,
he said. 1.-THE night air is warm, out II
Won't do to risk anything" Taking
it from her, he dropped it gently over
her head and shoulders, then win
sudden movement took potn Ne
hands and crushed them between MS
own. ,;+t,
a break in his voice.
Her ewes grew startled. She drew
back. ~, what do
you" s,ee+beartq
sureIy Won know-that I love you
have always loved you? Lillian ,,a
..Ton, stop! You mustn't qua
not know-how could L! never
oi His face grew white wait, Lii
liam" he pleaded, IT don't want you
tc answer me now. 1 have taken YOU
by surp,ise-I know only too wen Mna VIC.
you would say. But please Wa1tL ~,
perhaps it is no use, but do Just tn s,I
ere little thing for me. Wait, ana Ten
me then. Will you pronise?'
st will promise, but- + Come
''Then, that is all l want. CoiAe
now: we will go in. 49,
As thew walked back along the
nath. PAUL Olmstead strolled TOWARD
them. cigar held casually petwee1 a
his fingers. Lillian thougnt ne i9o 81
Of her strangely as they passed, al
noost she thought, with a flash OF re-
sentiment, suspiciously.
nm tired. Tom," she said. II be-
lieve I'll go home. Will you flnd my
brother for me 2"
feverishly for Lillian, who dreaded
the coming of Friday when she must
hurt Tom so dreadfully. she had
never dreamed of such a thing, never
HI h ONx-
She when her heart was filled with an
other? But Tom was SO good, SO
thoughtful Would it make a dlfIer-
ence? Would he cease TO pc her
friend? Somehow she coulont pear
the thought of that.
FRIDAY afternoon, as she sat upstairs
in her room, looking out over the
warm spring landscape, the maid
brought her a card.
"Mr. Paul Ormstead."
Her heart beat unanimously. what
could he have come for, now? She
had not seen him since the night OF
the dance, and she was very angry
with him. She hesitated
'Verv well, Annette, she sa1d'
finally. 'I'll be down..
when she came into the room Paul
Ormstead met her with an assured
smile. 81 just ran in" he told her,
''to see If you had changed your nlno
about tonight"
"Changed my mind?" she repeated
coldly: "Certainly not! Why should
I do that?"
He seemed nonplussed.
Now don't be angry, Lillian" he
protested. ct thought maybe you
would decide to let Saunders come
some other night and go with me-"
"Do you suppose" she asked, with
increasing hauteur. that even if Tom
had disappointed me 1 would consent
to go with you after-the other
night? %
"Oh, thaty' he laughed COM
place9tly a knew But yHu g eoudnt yoa
see, dear, that L only did it to make
you jealous ?"
Jealous ?" An angry light stole in
" VWylhsr he stumbled. less
assuredly now. You know girls
never do know their own minds till
something like that opens their eyes.
If they think they're losing a chap,
"And so you believed that when 1
thought 1 was losing you I would dis
appoint Mr.. Saunders at any cost and
ACCEPT your invitation? ' Lillian's
voice was dangerously soft.
paul Ormstead fidgeted uncomfort-
ably. "Oh, come now. Lillian, don't
be hard on a chap. There's no harm
in a little ruse like that. Lots of fell
idea how hard it was to keep away
from you. Why. when I saw you go
out in the garden with that Saunders
chap 1 just couldn't stand it. 1 fol-
lowed along to make sure he wasn't
trying to flirt with you. You saw me
do that, so you know I was thinking
of you, even if didn't appear to be-.
Lillian rose and there was no eff
fort now to conceal the scorn and
anger in her voice.
sMr. Ormstead," she said. ST have
never really known you until today,
and I must confess that the acquaint-
anceship is one which I have no de-
sire to prolong." And she turned and
| left him.
From the window, she watched him
stride angrily down the path and out
! of sight. Some minutes later another