The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-02
THE EVENING STORY
Her Revenge.
(By Nellie cravey Gillmore.)

with laughing surprise. There was
no responsive smile on the face of
eliminating long pink glove. The
ultimate had happened; it was another
girls property. Preston had dropped
1t from his top coat pocket the night
before in the Rhodes's front corridor,
and Betty's icy little note had reached
him the following morning in the dis
tinct guise of an unanswerable argu-
ment. But he loved her very dearly;
she was hot-headed and headstrong,
but Tom Preston had no notion of sit
proaches. He preferred to treat the
whole matter lightly without resent
ment, until he could win her over to
listen to reason.
81 haven't the slightest idea to
whom the glove belongs" he began,
''but you know very we'll"
Betty laughed scornfully.
you know perfectly" he persisted.
that nothing feminine under the
sun contains a particle of interest for
81 was once stupid enough to think
So" she cut in coldly, "but Providence
has been good enough to open my eyes
in time. There is no reasonable ex-
PLANTATION of-of what has happened.
But if you had only been candid 1
might have overlooked the offense.
The fact of your duplicity is what
hurts"
Preston thrust DOLn 1ldnOS lIilO his
pockets and stretched his feet toward
the fender. Things looked serious
He had never known Betty to be SO
uncompromising. The situation was
difficult And worse than all. his
hands were tied. He was helpless to
cone with a problem of whose very
prime elements he knew nothing. He
could not recall a single girl in pink
for months and months back Be
sides, Betty had been the only girl
| Ill -~s,-1e oil Inn 1f
a year!
''If you had ever really cared for
me and trusted me- he said gravely.
IAN accident of this sort could not
have influenced your feelings. ,.,-
Betty's lips crimped; her lids
dropped dangerously. 'I am sorry to
say that my love, unfortunately. is
not of such lofty order. I am just
| plain human being-and there is no
| evasion of a proven fact. Hereafter
we meet as strangers, If we meet at
all"
Preston paled slightly, though the
assumed brightness of his face scarce
| " varied. Suddenly he bethought
himself Of an heroic measure.
| my regiment has been ordered to
Manila; it is not likely I shall annoy
you by crossing your path in the flu
ture," he remarked.
Betty would have started had she
not refined in her impulses with an
| iron hand.
1--WE shall sail in fortnight from
| San Francisco" continued Preston,
watching the motionless line of her
| profile with furtive eyes. He pulled
out his watch and studied IT'S race m
tently for a second As the girl said
nothing he rose and began to draw
| on his gloves. Suddenly he forced
the appeal of his eyes upon her as she
glanced up vacantly.
Betty Surely you are not going to
let me go this way? You don't mean
that everything is at an end? That
| all the dear, past days count for MOTH
| ing in the face of this wretched acct
dent over which I have no control?
Believe me, dear; trust me-and come
| with me as my wife,
Betty got up pale and tremulous,
and held out her hand. In it was the
engagement ring she had slipped
from her finger. Preston accepted 1t
without a word and turned away.
When the door had closed upon
him she sank into a chair and buried
her face in her hands. The world
swan about her in great circles. This
was the very end. Now for the first
time the full significance of her act
came upon her with overwhelming
force. What if he were innocent!
She tried to tell herself that she had
been lucky to learn the truth before
herself believe that her love was
dead, killed by his ruthless betrayal
| of her most sacred trust. But the
deep rooted feelings of years could
not so easily be torn up and flung
aside.
In the midst of her despair there
came a peremptory ring at the front
door. Tom. Her pulses bounded.
He had come back to her to tell her
that he had found the owner of the
his pocket! The solution flashed
LUMINOSITY across her brain. She
rose, steadying herself by an effort
and hurried to the door. But The
man standing there was a stranger.
st beg your pardon" he commenced,
"but I was told 1 might find Mr.. Pres
ton here?"
"He left about a half hour ago.
said Betty jerkily. 'I think perhaps
you could reach him at his Office
afraid shan't have time to get by
there. I'm trying to catch that $50
train south. I very care1essly walked
! off with his top coat last night. We
were at the club together. and 1 left
first, taking his coat. which is the
counterpart of mine, with me. If you
would be good enough to let him
| know that 1 have left his at the club
and ask him to forward mine to At
| lanta 1 should be greatly obliged
| Betty kept down her exhilaratipn
long enough to assure him that she
''would be delighted" then turned and
re-entered the room in a tunult OF
emotions The first thing she did was
to ring up Preston's Office. He was
not there He was not at home, eth
er. and as time passed and there
came no answering call, she went
| YEARLY to bed and spent a dazed
night
the paper that the Third regiment
! would leave Immediately for the Phil
ippines instead of two weeks hence
as originally ordered. She quilted the
breakfast table, leaving the food un-
tasted. What if he had already gone
and she would never see him again
A little sob rose in her throat and
choked her. All at once the POSSIBLE
ity became a reality, and she begar
to wiring her hands. She had sent hin
to his death-broken her own hear