The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-12
THE EVENING STORY
IsabeI's Fermentation.
(By Jeannette WaIden.D

IL was good news-glorious-the mes
| sage which for endless months she had
been longing to hear, and its first read
ing had brought catch of GREATNESS
delight, a culver of her long lashes as
they yelled the gladness of her eyes.
But when she turned from her desk,
where she had been standing in pink
flowing morning robe, her pouting lips
indicated the inevitable revulsion of
feeling.
why couldn't it have been a sur
pr1se?' she murmured to herself.
She stepped through the open case
ment to the balcony, to breathe in the
freshness OF the summer morning and
the starry, purple glory of wistaria that
overhung the portico. Presently, with
the 1mpetuous grace of a numming
bird, she darted within to don her
riding costume.
isabel was whimsical. That was what
her friends said. She had many friends
an numbered among those who knew
how to manage Isabel. Sweet and gen.
erous as she can be, but notionable,"
was what her girl friends said: while
the men volunteered the verdict that
she was "a jolly interesting girl"
Isabel was popular, in spite of the
fact that her chief eccentricity often
caused Inconvenience, and sometimes
methodical of her set. For Isabel de-
manded the unexpected. She never
planned ride, or a drive, and as for
picn1c-that was an intolerable bore
unless the hampers could be packed
and the whole crowd be merrily and
breathlessly on their way in about
seven minutes from the time the ex-
cursion was first thought of. Thus, her
visiting friends had learned the secret
of sincere welcome and a flawless
good time. They always took Isabel
completely by surprise.
So, it seemed to the girl that morn
Ing as, on her glossy bay, she went
cantering desultorily through the park,
a particularly annoying circumstance
that Alex Holt, the person above all
whom she had been longing to see,
should plan his visit with such stupid
precision-even to the hour of his ar
rival. Why! if he had come unexpect
edly, just popped into view some even
ing, from behind the shrubbery or the
fountain, he could have taken her in
his arms, and all that silly nonsense
of courtship and proposal would have
been obvtated. And how gloriously sur
prised she would have been!
Isabel was fully Warranted in i'm
agining such scene as this. For
Alex had given her to understand be-
fore he went away that it was only
his indefinite position in the business
world that kept him from suing for
an immediate contamination of their
girl and boy devotion. And now that
he had made good there was no mis-
taking the tenor of his letters or his
purpose in returning at this time.
When Alex arrived, Isabel's joy at
seeing him almost swept away her
whimsical displeasure. His manly
force, his deferential devotion to her
ken IsabePs despotic affections by
storm, if he had chosen-just any mo-
ment. That wa sthe difficulty. Alex
Holt, in his careful and systematic
dations securely for the blissful eli
max.
Isabel knew what to expect on a
certain Thursday. They were to auto
to Riverdale alone, returning about
sunset. Alex had always loved the
herself was touched by the sentiment
tai beauty of the time. Indeed, she
had no idea what she should do or
say when the moment came. OF one
drive, given "a hours IN advance, would
have been spurned by her, coming from
anyone else but Alex.
That was a triumph for him, but
it was an ephermeral triumph. When
it was over, Isabel was appalled, at
herself. If she had not known the
exact turn in the road where he in
tended to speak. if she had not antici-
pated by three or four minutes the
words she wished above everything
in the world to hear, she might have
yielded.
how the suddenness of disappoint-
ment for an instant snapped the con-
troll of Alexis face; how he manfully
got himself in hand and smiled down
at her.
little girl-friends still?"
The unsteadiness of his voice al
most conquered Isabel. She could
have hidden her face on his shoulder.
But in another instant it was too late;
his growing calm repuised her; he
didn't care so much afer all.
Friends still? Isabel consented. But
| it was not the same as before. 1t
never could be. In the Darkness of
the remaining two days of his visit,
Isabel was beginning to realize how
| she thrown away such a love-for a
| within? But Isabel had her pride TO
succor. She passed those remaining
| two days in her brightest, gayest and
emptiest mood. She even violated
her nature and planned an excursion
and gave a premediated tea for the
sake of surrounding herself with a
diverting crowd of young people
At last the evening arrived when
Alex was to take his train for the
| west. Isabel. still brave. volunteered
| to see him off.
1t was dusk when the brakeman
| shouted "All aboard," and Isabel,
leaving Alex smiling rather forcedly
from the rear platform, hurried
through the long train shed toward
| the waiting room. 1t was an abrupt
| action on her part, but she could not
1 wait to see the train pull out. She
| had managed to smile back at him,
| but now her face was all a-quiver,
and the station lights begal to dance
| before her eyes. It had been the
most meaningless farewell they had
ever said-and it was the last
The locomotive was already putting
and changing its way out OF the train
shed. He was gonei Isabel for the
| first time, realized what she had lost
To get away from there. some place
where she could not attract the atten-
ton of curious strangers to her grief;