The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-16
TIE EVENING STORY

(Rv Dorothy BlackmoreN

DO they teach that at college"
Cynthia Danvers raised her eye
brows, shrugged her shoulders and |
answered, Perhaps they do. Who
knows?"
Remington Ardsley looked her
squarely in the eyes before he spoke. |
Then my daughters shall not go to |
college, he said.
Cynthia laughed. you anticipate
the future with flattery to yourself
she retorted.
"Ill deal in the present If you pre-
fer. Cynthia. Though. to be perfectly
frank, I was happier in the past" he
said earnestly.
Cynthia's eyes questioned him. She
did not speak.
YES; when you were a sweet, I'M
spoiled girl he said deliberately
Before you went to college," he
added.
| Thanks" replied Cynthia, sharply.
They walked on in silence. The
warm sunshine invited a tagging step;
it cast over all the world of Glenmore,
lazy step. Even Cynthia, usually
erect and quick of action, stro1led.
-Four years ago when your step
mother sent you to a fashionable col
| lege, Cynthia, you were neither hare
nor cynical Ardsley continued. You
were gentle and hopeful and-Wom-
anly." He added the final adjective
with some nisgivings. He was not sure
he dared to speak SO frankly; and he
WaIcneQ ner from the TAIL OF Ills eye.
Cynthia raised her chin a trif1e high
er and began indiferently to hum an
operate air. She swung her parasol
to and fro as she strolled
"At least, Mr.. Remington Ardsley,
jr,'' she said, after a while. they
taught US, at college. to be polite"
POLITELY pessimistic?'' he asked.
She nodded. "Perhaps-even that"
she said. But I'm sorry you've taken
the trouble to look me up again if I'm
$3.50 different"
tits only on the surface, I think
1 hope
Cynthia turned on him. an angry
flash in her eyes. add dishonesty,
hypocrisy to my list of acquired
faults! I'm sure you've heaped COM
pliments on my head this afternoon
and quickening her step Even the
oldest of friends can go too far in
| frankness.''
Ardsley bit his lip to keep from ut
fain would beg, but he felt it his duty
to give Cynthia an idea of how her re-
Gently acquired notions affected her
friends. 1t was hard but he had de-
termined to do it. He believed he IN
derstood women and he felt this to be
his duty plainly laid down.
After that there was little said be-
! tween them and when he left her at
her fathers gate it was with a distant,
curt word of farewell from her as she
fastened up the rose-path and disap
| peared from view.
That night he thought only of Gym
thia and the more he reviewed his own
! attitude and recalled his own accusa-
tions the more he hated himself. What
right had he to sit in judgment of
her? He had been brUtally frank
| cruel overland she had at first tried
/ to take him in jest. He had accused
her of being not only unwomanly but
/ hypocritical.
The next day he met Cynthiass bro
Their at the club at lunch. The two
men had always been friends but,
somehow, today when Robert Danvers
took the seat opposite Ardsley at the
small table, the latter felt strangely i'll
at ease. How could he look into the
eyes of the man whose sister he had
treated so badly?
Luncheon was we'll under way when
Danvers looked up at Ardsley.
| Rem, old man, you've always been
a friend of the family, haven't your"
Ardsley nodded, a pang of shame
darting through his whole being. "Of
course he said.
Were pretty proud, you know.
Rem, as a family, but sometimes 1
think it's false pride and-weI, Gym
thia is suffering from It ALL
"Cnythia2" repeated Ardsley, in a !
low tone. How sop
1.-THE pater, as you well know. mar
ried a woman we did net care for
not that any woman living could have /
but Sis and I decided that for Dads |
sake, we'd make the best of it. And
we have. It's harder for Cynthia
than for me for she has Mrs. Danvers
all day and now that's she's home
from college for good it's beginning
to tell on her. Last night found the
poor girl in tears out in the honey
suckle arbor all by herself. She said
she had tried in the last four years
that she'd been away at college, to
acquire a hard, cynical view of life
so that the little things at home would
not jar on her and upset her so much.
1t seems that it is hard and she is
unhappy in being unable to be her
own, old self. Now what shall we
do? I hate to raise a scandal and
break up the family by taking Cynthia
away from home-and father-but.
you know, old man, you can't sit back
and see your only sister unhappy be-
cause of family pride.'
The young man pushed back his
been hard-this conf1ding of family
trouble, even to so old a friend as
Remington Ardsley.
TT hate to make fuss, you know,
Rem, but I had to speak of it today.
Our family is so old and so proud
he added, his chin unconsciously Gle
waited.
Ardsley did not speak for a full
minute. Il appreciate your situation
and I respect your confidence, Bob,
but-you don't know how it has made
me feel. I would like to disappear
off the face of the earth at this
minute"
you? But it's not your family,
REM said Danvers in surprise
mo! but you don't know how much
I hav eto do with it." Ardley re-
marked, meaningly. TIL try to .ell
you more about it some other time.
Now must rush off,
The two men separated as was their
custom after lunch. Ardsley sought the
Danvers home and Cynthia. He could
not wait another hour before telling
her how he had misjudged her, how
abjectly sorry he was for his unwonted