The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-26
THE EVENING STORY
ShOO@y-ShoO.
(Rv Edith Graz J

John O'Neill. erstwhile newspaper
man and dramatist to be. was one of
the younger celebrities of those Thurs
day evening gatherings for which Mrs.
Strathfeld de Witt was lauded from
one end of town to the other. extolled
for unstinted hospitality, admired for
gracious tact and sought out for ra-
diant beauty. Yet far more than the
magnificent social affairs in which she
always figured so conspicuously, the
balls and opera-night triumphs, which
invariably received a lions share of
next mornings social column, did she
reve1 In her artistic triumDhs and her
reputation for unusual ability in gath
ering about her local talent and even
visiting prodigies from far waters.
| Even her detractors dared not deny
| that Mrs de Witt was woman of
power and no mean personality, and,
under the rose. it was safe to whisper
this: None knew it better than herself.
Tonight she stood as usual ar the
far end of the great reception hall,
velvet gowned and regal in the IA
nous Strathf1eld jewels. giving forth
| world fame 'cellist. to young artistic
Dick Stair. out at elbows and i'll at
ease the same beneficent smile the
| unfailing bit of praise.
| John O'Neill, one of her most Vaunt-
ed favorites, having just paid his COM
pliments, was passing on into the
crowded music room. free to carry out
/
| clination might chance to lead Cor
| dial greetings encompassed him as he
| wandered, unsettled and restless from
group to group, but, in spite of the al
1 lurements of flashing eyes and the en-
couraging mods from men of estab-
lished repute, O'Neill. with an alb
| Stracted manner and indifference of
mien, passed through the magnificent
ly furnished rooms out into the con-
servatory beyond.
1t was solitude after all that he
wanted He could settle down here
for space and puzzle out a few of
the many things which had of late so
bothered him. For many days he had
put away the facing of this problem
the impartial judging 'twixt heart and
mind. But O'Neill was a man of fine
sensfbilities, of high and honorable
ideals, and he knew that he could not
again accept the f1attering kindness of
his hostess. the overwhelming cor
diality of her friends without coming
to true knowledge of his inmost self,
and, in some subtle way, giving her to
realize the final outcome of the prob
lem which. at last. amid the twinging
| roses and orchids. he must bravely
| face and settle for all time.
John O'Nein, fresh from the old
| country, with great dreams within his
eyes, was a different person from the
well-groomed, self-assured gentleman
straight drawn brows, seemed, amid
the surfeit of elegance of this uptown
mansion so thoroughly at ease, so
| completely master of his own. For
heart, a lover of the right and good,
he was, in the common acceptance of
the term. selfmade man.
He had fought his way, from the
| beginning, through the humiIiating
! trials of advertising agent and COM
mon reporter, step by step along the
staff positions of a large newspaper,
| till now he had reached the position
magazine. And still his best powers
must go to the earning of bread, and
| the dreams of drama and novel yet
unfuIfilled And with the rigor of
| those dreams another, too, held sway
an old longing, softer vision which
the 1ionizing of sweet and foolish la
dies, the surroundings of luxury and
| ease, instead of Snuffing out and rel
egating to the past of dusky mem
cries, served only to enfame and raise
on him.
For there are some things which
| man may never forget, and among
youth. And that was why John
O'Neil1 had drawn apart to seek
among the exotic blooms of the per-
fume laden court the healing of his
| doubt.
But with the facing of his problem.
he must. of course. be logical. Yes;
he would be quite frank with himself
There should be no delicacy nor false
4
| question. He was an artist and gem
| tleman-also, as such, he was pau
| per- He knew that the realization OF
| his best efforts could take place but
| for certain things. These things MIS-
/ Strathf1eld de Witt was now in po-
| sition to offer him. She had not In
| so many words told him so, but he
| knew from covert hint and glance ana
| from the more oDen revelation OF
| friends, that Natalie, the youngest
daughter, along with the financial
and social gifts which she would un-
! deniab bly, bring, was his for the asking.
His for the asking! And Natalie was
a fine-loolxing girl. well formed, with a
| head crowned with coil upon coil of
| heavy auburn hair. A dozen artists
had painted Natalie, in ball gown, In
| street gown, with her spaniel, in mas
ouerade costume. without question,
| Natalie de Witt was a beautiful girl.
| but-and the man condemned himself
even though he knew his analysis was
i.iustified-she was great, beautiful,
| over-petted, over-fed piece of animal
femininity. She had no spark of her
mothers cleverness, no glimmer of her
her from the beginning, and she was
too sapless a thing to dream now of
| rebellion too lazy to do other than
drift onward with the current. If ne
1 asked her she would consent, and she
| was at least too inanimate a creature
to interfere in later life with any of his
/ dreams. Why ask for more? If she
/ would no disturbing element. There
would be leisure and some peace. Why
ask for more?
/ O'NeilI stood now upon his feet, de-
ternfned and quite, done with argu-
ment 1t was all so simple, so easy