The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-13
THE EVENING STORY
A Random Shot.
(By Harriet Lummis smith.)

| ing to do with each other. The cam
| era belonged to Westcott, who was
enjoying the serf at the moment. and
was not troubling his head about any
/ thing terrestrial. The girl belonged
I-temp orarily-to the young man who
had driven her over from the Breakers
| that morning, and who incidentally,
would have been glad to make his
| claim a permanent one.
The name of the slim young man,
| who came chuckling out of the water,
after half drowning an offending ac-
quaintance by holding his head under
water, does not signify. He had
| grown to six feet something, while re-
naming essentially boy. This morn
ing under the exhilaration of his dip,
and the salt air, he exuded mischief
at every pore. The proximity of the
| camera and the girl appealed to him
| 1rresiStibly- He picked up the form
er and took a second view of the lat
| ter. She made an even prettier pic
| ture than he had expected, as she
| looked dreamily beyond the antics of
| the bathers to the changing sea. The
young man pressed the button, wound
the film and went on grinning dia-
| bolically. to play fresh prankS on a
| long suffering public.
When Westcott came in from his
| swim, the camera stood where he had
| left it, and the girl who had uncon-
4 y
| in the bathing suit had disappeared.
Westcott had no notion that Fate had
| been at work. 1t did surprise him,
however, that of his roll of films there
were but three left, instead of four.
Westcott took several animated views
Of the bathing beach. and left the film
in the hands of an accommodating
photographer.
When the prints came back to him
he experienced a distinct shock For
1 along with the miscellany ha
| pected when one carries a camera on
the board walk was the face of a
girl. Westcott knew he had never
seen her, since it would be impossible
was doing on his roll of films was a
mystery beyond his solving, but there
was no escaping the fact of her pres
ence.
Westcott gave a dangerous amount
of thought to the pretty, dreamy face.
He was not unaware of the folly of
this procedure. He told himself saw
agely that in all probability she was
married to somebody, since it was in
conceivable that such a piece of per-
lection should grow to maturity with
out being snapped up by some figura-
tive early robin. Yet this realization
did not prevent him from inserting the
picture in his watch, looking at visit
fully at least once a day, and thinking
about it considerably oftener. He also
| regarding TRANCE young women with
the alert expression characterizing a
lost retriever searching for his mas
ter.
At the expiration of a year West
colt and the picture in his watch were
on terms of close intimacy. He told
1t good many things he did not con-
fide to others, and even asked its adj
vice on certain qeustions.
When Westcott went to the shore
a in sim or hi inGf
triever expression was noticeably in
evidence. He knew that many people
besides himself have a liking for visit
ing the same resort season after sea-
son, and he could not rid himself of
the impression that he might find the
original of the face in the watch. The
outcome was the exact opposite of his
hopes. For one afternoon, as he at
tempted to consult his timepiece to
inform himself of the proximity
of the dinner hour, he made this hor-
rifying discovery. His watch was
gone.
Under ordinary circumstances this
calamity might have been faced with
stantial, serviceable article, without
any especial association. 1t is not
difficult to replace a reliable time
piece. The complication in this case
was that the watch contained the
girls picture. A sentimental reluct-
! ance to duplicate her, which in the
light of events appeared to Westcott
incredible stupidity, had brought it
about that the picture in the watch
was the only one in existence. and the
film had been accidentally destroyed.
Westcott's state of mind was that of
the conventional lioness deprived of
her cubs
While his frenzy was at its height.
an automobile party, speeding joyous
ly along a stretch of open road, was
halted by a Shrek from blond young
woman on the first seat. "Stopi" she
cried, II saw a gold watch lying be-
side the road"
Nonsense, Irene,"' exclaimed the
other girl of the party. You couldn't
possibly distinguish a gold watch
when we are going at this rate. It
would look like yellow streak" But
the young man who drove the car,
and was Miss Irene Fenton's slave,
brought the machine to an imm ediate
| stop and went back with her to con-
| duct the search.
The temperance of the pair, watch
in hand. silenced the scoffers. "Per-
haps there's a name inside" suggested
the girl who had jeered. new respect
| in her voice.
at was just about to look inside. -
Miss Fenton proceeded to open the
case deftly and started. Her friend
| looking over her shoulder INDUCED in
a little scream.
why. Irene, how much that looks
| like you
"I don't think So" Irene made an
unavailing effort to close the lid upon
the dreamy face, but a remorseless
| hand prevented.
Irene Fenton, it is you. That's
the blue dress you wore last summer.
Whose watch is 1t ?"
1--WE no idea, Laura
The other girl coughed, a cough
significant, amused, incredulous. eff
you want to be believed" she said