The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-05
TIE EVENING STORY
Kelly Versus Kelly.
(By Dorothy Douglas.)

Kelly entered his Office briskly, hung
up his coat and prepared to glance
through the mail. Because Kelly was
big and good to look at and in many
ways an attractive lure for feminine
hearts there were a number of small,
scented nissives lurking among legal
! looking documents and business let
tiers.
These he put aside until the con
tents of the more important communl-
cations had been digested-
| Kelly drew a cigar from his pocket.
The day promised to be more or less
dull. A young lawyer can only wait
when it was drawing well he elevated
his feet to the desk and picked up the
smaller envelopes.
AS he glanced over his own name
! written in various feminine hands ne
smiled tenderly. cynically, reminis-
Gently and finally questioningly. The
writing on one neat unscented en-
velope was not familiar to Kelly s
He opened it first and read the con-
tents:
pear Mr. Kelly-Your fancee,
Helen Ware. has made me promise to
look you up as soon as I reached New
York. 1 arrived only yesterday from
! Omaha and have taken the first OPP
portunity I had for communicating
with you. Since I am to be Helen s
bridesmaid it might make the we'd
ding more sociable if sore of us had
met you. I am to be in New York for
three weeks and hope you will find
/ time to call me up in the near future,
SO that | may write Helen that / have
had the pleasure of meeting her future
husband Phone, 0O9 River. Sincere
Nv yours. VIRGINIA TRACY"
| A cynical smile was master over sur
prise in Kelly's face.
|
ed. Letter sounds jolly though
guess L will see the game through.
Without a doubt in his mind as to
the class of girl who had written him
the letter, Kelly called the number,
0O9 River.
When he hung up the receiver he
had made an engagement to call for
Virginia Tracy at o'clock that same
evening. He turned to his other ne
| elected feminine correspondents but
try as he might to forget the incident
| of the girl from Omaha he could hear
! only a rather shy voice that had an
swered his call at 009 River. Since
business was far from pressing, Kelly
/ spent much of the day wondering as
to Virginia Tracy's appearance.
Toward o'clock he turned home
ward He could not recall in his own
history having been so particular as to
the set of his evening clothes: He was
| to take Virginia Tracy to dinner and
the theatre.
Kelly and the girl from Omaha were
sitting at a small table in the restau-
rant before the young lawyer realized
the full extent of his luck The eyes
THAT shone through the candle light al
his were big and gray and appealing
they looked sharply at him now anc
again as if in apology for their near
ness to him.
the taxi she had talked swiftly ane
nervously about Helen Ware, Omaha
and the approaching wedding 1t haC
| been quite unnecessary for Kelly to de
, more than agree in noncommitta
: way to anything she chose to say. h
had found himself enjoying the musi
cal voice even though he doubted the
source of her words. He chided him
self for silly idiot. All bunco girl
wer soft and innocent and alluring
That was their stock in trade.
Kelly had never been in Omaha MOI
had he so much as heard of Heller
Ware, and he hoped now he neve
would, but he found that with Virginit
: Tracy's leads he could follow his roll
: in the story with only occasional slips
The girl across the table looked a
him from time to time with vague
questioning. That mute appeal wen
straight to Kelly'S heart and before H.
led the girl from the restaurant he haC
: begun to doubt his own identity Per
haps there was a Helen Ware in Oma
ha, and perhaps she was engaged to ;
man named Kelly
THANK goodness I'm not the KEEL
ly!" muttered the young lawyer as h
piloted Virginia to a seat in the or
, chestra-
During the performance Kelly be
came satisfied in his own mind tina
there was a Helen Ware, that she wa
engaged to q Kelly and that Virgini;
Tracy was to be bridesmaid
Il am glad you are not the bride,
he said, unconsciously voicing hi
thoughts.
Virginia cast a startled glance a
him. then burst into a laugh. ''Tha
is a very complimentary speechi"
A dull color mounted to the root
, of KelIy's auburn hair and Virginia
eyes narrowed themselves into keel
scrutiny.
, Il only meant" Kelly fumbled 70
| words. that 1 would not have had thi
pleasure of meeting you-then."
''Still." Virginia stated with laugl
in her eyes, "a man generally has ha'
) the pleasure of meeting the girl L
whom he is engaged"
There are exceptions-ta all rules.
!, laughed Kelly and slipped from tn
dangerous subject
After the theatre they had suppe
and then a drive home through tn
" park. Somehow, Helen Ware ha
q dropped from the conversation.
At parting, Virginia looked up Wit
a guilty flush. Il will write tonigh
and tell Helen how nice you have bee
to me-" she said, and with a Fttl
nervous clasp of the hand she wa
h gone
a Virginia flew with light feet up tn
| stairs to her room. Her cheeks wer
n flushed and she tried to escape fror
1.-THE memory of The expression in Kel