The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-04
THE EVENING STORY
just Love.
(By Joanna Single.)

Duties of a vacation house party. Jack
and Angie met in June, loved IN july
confessed in September, and by CHRIST
mas had coaxed her parents to consent
to a February wedding. The Aliens
were reluctant, for Angie was ridicu-
lousy young, but they had no obJec-
ton to Jack.
The course of true love ran, for
time, most smoothly. Holland, ST.,
gave his son an adorable little cottage;
the Aliens produced a check to cover
furnishings. There was much shop
ping, much trousseau making, merry
parties, and vows and kisses hardIy
as surreptitious as they should have
been. There was peace-a treacherous
peace.
Jack had made one blunder-he had
not told her ALL" The experience OF
his elders seems never to make
young man see that when he puts his
heart for life into girls soft hand,
he is thereafter in tight place. she
will be supreme; she wants to be not
merely first, but all. She is jealous
of his mother and sisters, his fr1enos,
his bull dog, his pipe. anything what
| ever that before her time loved MN
| or gave him aid or comfort. No oc-
casion had so far arisen for jealousy.
and Jack forgot the weak place IN
his armor. He was off his guard:
Angie had come upon his conscious
ness like oblivion of all that had gone
before. Like all lovers, he said he
| had never loved any one else-end
| thought he spoke the truth. 1t was
| a secret, unconscious disappolnIment
| to the girl that Jack had no past
| whatever. She would have liked 10
forgive him, to have consoled him for
sorrows-deep wounds of cruel fate
from which her love would henceforth
protect him. She would nave uked
details of past unhappiness offered up
| to her like incense.
feFrrzI
does" is the first commandment to an
engaged man. Jack disobeyed-and
| suffered. At first, to do him Justice, ne
had really forgotten to tell Angie
| about Tessie Burton. He had been en-
gagged to Tessie at college. The affair
was brief. ending in trouble as the
sparks fly upward. Tessie broke 1t
because she saw another man. Her
methods were prompt, at least. He
! had told Tessie he would always be
| true to her, and wait for her untli ne
died and other familiar quotations
When he did remember this, ne
knew that if. he told. Angie now, she
Iwould ask why he had not told her pc
| fore? 1t would have, seemed serious,
worth having hidden until he was
more sure of her. No; it was too late.
Jack trusted to luck, and to the fact
that Tessie was in the east and lived
| in another town. He thought himself
safe.
! ESarlV in January IQdI ldluOuS SOoll6
man took his bride-to-be on one OF
| their many shopping tours, which al
WAYS ended with tea or chocolate and
| a lovers tete-a-tete before going back
| to the family circle, where everything
was a hustle, despite the fact that the
wedding was to be strictly family
and-intimate friends affair. The gift
| season, just past, had broken into
preparations and dressmakers posses
| sed the house. Now Jack and Angie
were choosing the last of the furniture
Ia sewing chair and table for Angie,
who was hesitating between mahogany,
| Circassian walnut or a perfectly cum
ming arrangement in wicker.
| Enamored of the wicker, Angie stood
with dainty gloved finger to her lip and
considered. Jack was loving every look
| Of her, the brown hair and eyes, the
deinure, tird-like plumage of brown
| cloth and fur AFFECT, alteration shona
| from his eyes. Then a light laugh be-
side him made him jump-it was a
| laugh he knew.
A cold wave scurried down his spine,
| as he turned and knew that his sin had
found him out. He lifted his hat and
| took Tessie's offered hand with what
grace he might, while she swept Angie
| from head to foot with a glance of her
wide blue eyes. She took in the situa-
| tion, but waited for her cue-to do her
| justice she gave Jack his chance.
Jack fumbled shamefully. Had he
Immediately. and delightedly presented
Angie 20 his "old college friend, Miss
Burton, Of whom he had SO often
spoken it would have been all right.
| Instead, he presented Miss Burton TO
Angie as he might have any mere &C
quaintance. Angles perfectly court
eous but Indifferent manner showed
| she had never heard Tessie Burton's
name before.
| Tessie, hardly believing her own
senses, took characteristically prompt
| lightly, she said she had come for a
week with Cora Chandler, and was out
| shopping. Her manner to Jack was
artlessly familiar. She called him by
| his first name, and several times by a
| college nickname, as If unconsciously.
Also she let her hand rest a moment on
| his sleeve
Cora told me of your good fortune"
she remarked, settling her veil over her
shining fair curls. 1T makes me very
| lighted Jack has fallen into such
charming hands, Now 1 shall never
reproach myself about him again-he
was SO youn, and tragic, you know,"
Here she laughed. II forgive the
creature for having forgotten me. It's
fortunate men can forget SO soon, isn't
| it? So comfortable for themi So pleased
to have met you, and wish you all hap
pinessI Goodbye
She fitted out and Jack stood dazed.
He wished DULY that Tessie were not
so confoundedly pretty. Would ex-
plantations help him 2? He tried. care
less nonchalance, and returned to the
matter of the chair.
| Angie did not look at him, but in a
! cool little voice spoke to the salesman.
She was somehow dignifed and remote
l-out of reach.
Il think will not decide about the
chair today" she said. Then she turn
ed to the door, which Jack opened, and
4 turned hOmeward.
Jack saw that there would be no tea
together, no coy tete-a-tete. He .f1oun-
dered about for words, and did the
lclumsiest thing possible
''Tesse Burton-I knew her at COL
/ lege-"