The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-12
THE EVENING STORY
DANES Cavalier.
CRv Louise Merrif1eld.)

| quite lair to trouble you Will H. Or'NA-
LOTS, but you're just darling old diplo-
mat, and really, the situation is very
delicate"
''Old lady got a hair-trigger DISPOSE
tion?'
"Oh, she's not an old lady" protested
Evelyn mysteriously. "She's in the
early forties. but very youthful in ap-
pearance. Roy says she is like some
lovely French marquise with her young
face, and gray hair. He is very much
| attached to her because she was MS
| fathers only sister,.
"Married?'' oueried the judge.
Dear me, no. She's very wealthy,
and interested in social reforms, and
taxes on bachelors, and so on
How about taxes on old maids?"
| laughed the judge.
| You'd better not start in asking her
such questions. Roy says she is awful
| ly correct. He spent all his vacations
| with her after his parents died, and
travelled abroad after he left college.
| She wanted to settle an income on him,
and let him go in for what she called
| the betternent of mankind, but Roy
struck out for himself, and put up his
own fight I think it was splendidly in
| dependent, don't you, Uncle Otis?"
! 1.-The kids got a good grip on him.
SELF assented the judge. Likes to
make good on his own hook. When Is
this social adjuster arriving?"
| 'Oh, she's already here. That's the
trouble. Roy just 'phored that she had
| descended on him yesterday. He thinks
she heard that he-that newell, that
| he was interested in me-"
| Good excuse, isn't it?''
But he has this chance that seems
to have fairly dropped out of the skies
| to take charge down at Perez on the
| canal, and it means SO much for him,
and he won't go unless go too
The judge pursed his lips and
frowned.
I've told him I would" added Evelyn
demurely, but quite positively. But
now she's come on for visit with Roy,
and expects him to rush her, you know,
as the boys say; take her all around
and show her the sights, and go to the
opera and do the right thing"
'Well?" The judges tone grew omin-
Gus.
well, don't you see what we've plan
ned for you to do, you dear? We want
you to meet her and take Roy's place.
make yourself so awfully nice that she
won't want Roy at ALL or miss him.
Then maybe when she found had such
an uncle she'd appreciate joining the
family"
Am I a sacrifice or an accessory be-
fore the fact?''
You're an accomplish" laughed
Evelyn. And you can't get out of it.
only asked you out Of remorse in
way, because, honestly, Roy and
have settled the whole thing, and
we're to meet her at dinner tonight
over at his hotel
Mind, will not make love to her,"
protested the Judge.
1t was his final word in the mat
ter. That evening he met Miss Diane
LIE Moyne Now the judge confessed
to 81, and was mighty proud of his
modest belt line, his handsome car
riage and way with the fair sex, as
he still called his undeniable chivaIry.
He surveyed Miss Diane in frank ad-
miration. 1t seemed altogether i'm
possible that this tall, spender figure
could be Roy's old maid aunt Clad in
gray velvet she was. So much the
judge guessed, but his masculine mind
failed to grasp the full intent and
charm of the cut steel, and lace over |
dress, the dull silver band set with
rubies in the beautiful gray waves of
hair, and all the other points of inter |
est, as Evelyn would have called them |
He only saw an interesting face, full |
of sympathetic response, and the love- |
Illness that counts only from the inner |
grace of well-poised character.
do you like her, Uncle Otis?'' ask |
ed Evelyn when it was over.
Like her, my dear child?" exclaim-
ed the judge. DO we talk of liking |
the moon or the evening star? A most |
exceptional woman, Evelyn. By CAD, |
finest type I've ever met There's a |
woman with all the charm of her sex
and not a spark of nonsense. There's !
a woman that can give a man sympa-
thetic friendship and not sue him for
breach of promise the next season"
I'm SO glad you get on well to-
gether,'' Evelyn replied softly "Roy'e |
pleased, too. He has accepted the
canal appointment, and we want to be
married by the end of the month so
as to sail on the 5th.'
III entirely to child -
urged the judge, kindly. Il will pre-
pare her for the shock, and fix things
so there shall not be the slightest
unpleasantness. She looks like a wo-
man you can reason with, woman
of sense, by gad-
So the two went quietly ahead with
the wedding preparations. and the
Judge kept to his part of the bargain
He showed Miss LIE Moyne the city
a siduously. He took her to the thea
tiers and to concerts. He motored with
her to all points of interest.
what a delightful old cavalier he
is" Diane told Roy. at is fortunate
his being able to take me around, or
1 know I should have been lonely, with
you SO very busy, Roy, dear
Roy's conscience gave an annoying
twinge. He had spent every spare mo-
ment with Evelyn
AUNT Diane, do you believe in lover
he asked awkwardly leaning over her
chair, and stroking the beautiful gray
hair.
why, boy dear, you may as well ask
if I believe in life or truth
But you've never loved, have you,
[ mean so everything else just slipped
back into perspective and left only
yourself and one other?
mot exactly said Miss LIE Moyne,
gently. i
$50 the whole world would look dark
IL you knew you'd never see them
again2" persisted Roy. Il
rs it that way with your She turn
ed her head up to him, her clear eyes