The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-02
THE EVENING STORY
Tho Wall Flower.
(By Temple Bailey.)

AAC '" al E4ONer.
(By Temple Bailey.)
Carlton, coming into the hotel from
the windswept night, was dazzled by
the brightness.
Whats going on?" he asked the
clerk.
There's to be dance in the din
ing room,' the clerk said. 1T is such
beastly weather outside that the
young folks thought up this way of
spending the evening. You'd better
dress and come down." he continued,
with a glance at Cartons corduroys.
Carlton shook his head. 81 don't
care much for that sort of thing he
stated. I've had so much of it all
my life" He tramped away to the
smoking room. where he read the
papers with the strains of the dance
music beating in his ears
On his way upstairs he stopped on
a landing which led to a balcony
which overlooked the dining room.
Heavy red velvet curtains were
draped back on each side of the en-
deep velvet chairs drawn back from
the railing. In one of these chairs,
crumpled up and crying was a girl.
Carlton couldn't see her face but
and grace in her relaxed figure
which piqued his curiosity, so he
stood very still, waiting. Presently
the girl stopped crying and sat up
and saw him.
"Oh!' she said. involuntarily.
'Is there anything I can do, Miss
| Wharton?'
| Cartons quiet manner took away
from his offer any hint of imperti-
nence. You seem to be in trouble"
| The girl stood up. "OE. no." she
said, with some decision. cit was
silly Of me to cry Then as his eyes
still questioned, she flashed out her
| grievance:
Does a man ever know what it
means to a woman to be wall flow
Carlton looked at he~ incredulously.
"Surely you haven't had such an ex-
perience?''
ssYes. + have" she said. CT sat out
here; it was too humiliating to be seen
alone''
"But why?" he demanded. "I know
you dance well, 1 saw you the other
night. And as for beauty. well, any
thing I could say on that subject
would be superfluous. Miss Whar-
tom
But I'm not young any more" Her
| hands were clasped tightly. Don't
| you see those boys down there like the
youth of the younger girls. and I'm
not used to being set aside; I've al
ways been first"
| But you're young he said incred-
ulously. "Why are you calling your
self old?''
Because I feel old. I can't joke
and chatter as I did a few years ago,
yet it isn't easy to give up my place
to the younger girls"
| He sat down in one of the big
chairs beside her. He had talked with
her before at the table and now and
then on the porches when the storms
| of the early spring abated little
and made out of doors possible. She
had always seemed reserved, and this
outpouring came as surprise
She seemed to feel that she had
said too much, and she apologized.
eff you hadn't caught me crying, I
should not have said a word; it must
seem very silly to you"
mo. it doesn't" he said. Perhaps
men don't feel as much the loss of
youthful prerogatives, but when I go
| to our alumni meetings at college, and
the younger fellows show plainly that
they look upon me as back number,
| I have little of the feeling which
now Expresses you"
| Its dreadful to grow DID, she
said.
He shook his head and smiled. mo,
love life better than I did when 1
was younger Tonight I've been out
in the wind, walking up the beach.
and felt strong enough to conquer the
world Even in my most sanguine
boyhood days I never knew the same
sense of absolute belief in my ability
| "But you're a man." she said. "a
woman when she loses her first youth
and beauty must be content to be a
wall flower"
! "Come out" he said impulsive1y,
"and walk with me up the beach. It
| is glorious out; the wind is blowing,
and you'll feel as If the world was
miles away, and that the people in it
were of little account in the sum of
! human happiness"
The moon shone between the rag
ged clouds, as, wrapped in a red cloak
lshe went with him on their wild
| walk.
| cts glorious" she confessed, land
I don't care tonight If am poor and
a wall flower, but in the morning there
Twill be the awakening"
ct am poor, too," he said, ''but for
me there will be no awakening, be-
cause all my life I've had riches. and
an my life I've been bored. The week
before / came down here 1 learned
that I had lost everything. Every
body thought that the blow would be
Icrushing, but have been surprised to
find that I do not care"
"But you will care" she said,
and have learned of how little account
land have learend of how little account
Iyou are to people"
| what do 1 care for people?" was
his question.
| ssYou viii care just as dill tonight, .
Ishe said. when you find that you
lare of little account, it will hurt you
| He turned to her. do you think /
could ever be of little account?'' he
asked. Il don't say this with con-
Iceit. but I know that have found N.Y.
the world listen"
| ooh" she breathed, eff one could
feel like thati"
lone uaust feel like that" he said.