The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-27
THE EVENING STORY
The Dividing line.

The first time he saw her she was
with two men presumably her
father and her brother. Following
came hotel porters carrying grips and
golf bags. He bestowed only passing
glance, for it was mail time, and the
desk was surrounded by=an impatient
crowd. 1t had been warm all day but
now refreshing breeze had sprung
up. and after a short stroll he was
again in a mood to- observe 1.-THE lffe
about him.
He next saw her after dinner. stand
ing in the lobby with the man he had
| assum ed toF be her brother. She
seemed to know great many of the
people and to be popular; even
| strangers lowered near to- be intro
duced
With opportunity to observe. him
self unnoticed, he discovered that she
was fascinating, but not handsome,
that her voice was low but carried
we'll. that her whole bearing betok-
ened pride of birth and. blood, and
that she danced easily. What aroused
| his curiosity most was that she
danced very often with her brother,
who hardly noticed any one else. 1t
occurred to him to look up the reg
lister: Colonel Lee, Miss Dorothy Lee
| and-Mr. James Haddoni Just why
the revelation disturbed him. as with
| swift instinct he readjusted the rela-
tionship he could not tell.
| In drifting fashion, he found him
evening and again the. next morn
ing. In an idle moment, his eye rest
ed on her descending the stairway
with Haddon. The two men looked at
| each other, and a strange expression
passed over Haddon's face. At the
same time he drew nearer to the girl,
with an unmistakable air of proprie-
/ torship. But John Eimers held his
ground, fixing his gaze on Miss Lee.
who was unconscious of the little by
play.
| Elmers handed It to her. AS she
| glanced at the writing, the eyes of
the men met again. Something in
Haddon's gaze Elmers took for an in
suit, and his own all unconsciously
| sharpened to a glare. Thus, all in an
! instant, they became enemies on no
tangible grounds.
Miss Lee bestowed no attention
upon either man. but sauntered out
to the porch. Haddon was at her side
when she finished her letters, and
| they spent the morning at golf
l. John Elmers was one of those I'M
fortunate men without great head
for business and minus the wealth
to justify this deficiency. He had
1 never rises above the position of
hotel clerk, and never would. A long
| struggle had ended in convincing him
of t-lis and upon the discovery he set
himself to the fulfilling of that Office
with a consciousness that amount
ed almost to a fault
| In every other respect he was a
| splendid fellow. He could drive a golf
ball, bring down a shot, sit, a horse
with the best, and although occasions
to display such skill were infrequent,
| the knowledge of his ability gained
him popularity with the men. AS to
the women, they found him well spok-
en- and good looking, also an execp-
tionally good dancer. When not on
duty he sometimes mingled with the
guests, and having dismissed the idea
of astounding the world, set about
getting the best out of l.fe that it
could offer him.
Liking all the women of his ac-
/ quaintance equally we'll and equally
iflittle, he could not tell. why Miss
Lees arrival had upset his general
attitude of satisfaction He found his
thoughts dwelling constantly upon
drought her to the desk. Nearly al
ways Haddon came with her.
One day he awoke to the absurd
Elmers, hotel clerk, was in love with
Miss Dorothy Lee, an exceedingly
wealthy young woman, of aristocratic
l.ancestry. and whose pride was
Il stamped upon her face and manner.
4 After the first shock he mapped out
| a definite course. In pursuance. he
shifted the duty of handing out her
mail, and deliberately avoided a So
cial Introduction to the fascinating
Miss Lee. His course was directed
wholly by the motive of self-protec-
ton, and he could not foresee the eff
feet it would produce on the girl.
Miss Dorothy Lees great pride
should have prevented her taking no
tice of hotel clerk; but at the same
time Miss Lees vanity was outraged
by this very clerks attitude, too
marked to escape her observant eyes.
Haddon, too, noted it with smirk
taf fri1 nh Ey1rl1p
pretend not to see. She noticed that
1.-THE assistant invariably handed her
1.-THE mall that Elmers eluded an intro
duction to her, that he not only talked,
but danced with the other guests, and
thereupon she was irresistibly impell-
ed to conquest.
| Miss Lee, one morning, in riding
tattire, deliberately waylaid Elmers,
buying a postage stamp to cover the
TT is a splendid day. she ven
tured.
ct is was his courteous, but dis
rs it far ride to the river?" she
pursued. ''Win I have time to go
there and back before lunch? %
.oh, yes" said Elmers, forced into
talking. You can do it easily in two
hours-smooth going all the way
That's good" she said brightly.
"I'm a lazy rider. I hate bad roads"
She paused, but E1mers said moth
! ing. She turned to go. just then
Haddon came down the stairs and
she caught the look he bestowed upon
Elmers. She read its. meaning.
Elmers, who had neither courted
nor desired Miss Lees favor, re-
scented doub1y Haddon's attitude. His
fists c1enched on the edge of the count
er and he involuntarily stepped for
ward. The girl unconscfously stretch
ed out a OBTAINING hand By her ex-
! preston, Haddon realized his mistake.
Miss Lee. recalling herself, moved
away. Elmers gazed after her quite
lhopelessly, yet thrilled with the mem
cry of her finger tips.
More and more annoyed by Had
, don's air of .proprietorship, and
piqued by Elmer's continued avoid
: ance Miss Lee pursued the latter