The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-28
THE EVENING STORY
Asking Mary.
(By Joanna Single.)

He had always known Mary. Never |
theless, love came not as a growth,
but as shock, like a sudden blare |
of trumpets. They had played |
together IN kindergarten, had attended |
the public school. lived as neighbors
from childhood, and belonged to the |
chums. When they went to different |
colleges they correspondent, and saw
much of each other in vacations. Will
lis Freeman never knew Just when
love began its work on him. But he
knew, through another man. it's pain
stabbed at his heart.
Ben Allen, his room mate at law
school, came back with him as his
ant addition to Willis set. Another
stranger was a friend of Mary's- an
other Mary too, whose father, John
Newton, came to the thriving little
city for a few months business.
The outdoor merry making began
almost as soon as everybody was
home from school and college. The
crowd kept well together and the
pairing off was for convenience and
mostly casual. Everybody was hav
ing a beautiful summer.
Willis Freeman was not an excep-
ton. His people were off for the
summer and he and his partner had
the big cool suburban house to them
housemaid made them most comfort
able. Several good cases had come
to the young firm. Things were look
ing up.
and finally the friendly little set found
itself in September, and again in the
midst of preparations for college.
Mary, like Willis, had been graduated
in June, and the two were IN front
of seeing others off. A final and fare
well picnic was given with cooking
and songs around a great campfire,
with a great complacent moon, much
banjo picking-and some sentiment
1t was full midnight and on his way
home from escort duty that Willis got
the shock that showed him his heart.
Young Parsons was with him and re-
marked with a laugh:
well, this is the beginning of the
end! Specialization has crept into
our hitherto safe and sane midst! The
fall crop of engagements is due"
What do you mean ?" asked Willis
bit lazily, his mind vaguely full of
how sweet Mary had been that even
ing. He had not seen who saw her
hone-he had a visiting girl with a
giggle-he was glad Mary never gig
gled.
Mean? 1 mean they ought to be
careful when they want to be fools;
and partner, one Ben Allen, kissing
Mary-she seemed to enjoy it. They
thought they were out OF sight, and
I did get blind as soon as I could.
glad she won't marry out of the crowd
and the town. Here's my corner, SO
| long!"
Willis Freeman stopped in the
tinued to stare after the articulate
and departing Parsons. Then the
numbness passed and the quick pain
came He loved Mary. He had
dained from eternity that he could
and should love her, and her only.
Life seemed to be snatched from him
! in a second.
He entered the house. got to his
! room and locked the door. He un-
dressed mechanically, wondering Just
why he was the kind of fool that
| brings a stranger to his home to win
the love he himself had not known
he wanted! He could not blame his
friend, but he hated him with a
| mighty. cordially. How could he
meet him at breakfast? How could
he meet anything, when Mary was all
| that he could ever desire. and that
! made anything worth working for
and having7 Why, confound it, every
thought and ambition he had were
hersl He lay down, and went over
and over his misery.
In the gray Of the morning. he fell
! into a doze and awoke from 1t with
J sudden start. He sat straight up with
| the impulse of a thought that had
reached him out of the nowhere. In
OF the telephone. Parsons would be
curious, but what of it? What did he
care if-he got the number in the dim
dawn, got the Parsons residence,
reused from his soundest sleep. And
presently he got also the somnolent
| Parsons, Jr.
'say, Parsons-about what you said
last night-about Allen, you know.
Which Mary was it % His heart hung
on the answer. Aliens Mary might
be the other Mary. Mary Newton. But
Parsons was irate.
you precious Idiot! Did you wake
the house to ask me that? What is
it to you? What you want to know
for? Has the bug got you, too :?
Huh %
If you knew my reason"
ooh. well. confound you-it's Mary
Newton. I'm going back to bed" He
slammed UP the receiver.
Willis sank down on the steps with
his face in his hands. He had a chance
yet-a chance to make good with
Mary A great love for his partner
swept over him-good old Ben. He
could have Mary Newton all he wanted
to. He went back to bed.
He closed his eyes and tried to
think that Mary loved him as he did
her. He tried to recall signs, some
proof that she did. Nothing came
Boiled down, and viewed with legal
impartiality, facts showed that she
had been a fine friend-and nothing
more. He realized that he knew
nothing whatever about her heart.
She was sweet-but as impartia1ly as
a rose, and to all the world. He now
| lived only to find out.
Then he slept, and woke shamefully
late and hungry, and found Ben wait
ing in the dining room, also hungry
and unashamed. They avoided men
ton of the evening before. Both were
self-conscious. They spoke loftily of
law, and each wondered how he
would be rid of the other after break