The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-27
THE EVENING STORY
Mystery in a Picture.
INV SlIsanne Glenn.)

(By Susanna 'Glenn.)
John Whalen, instead of being at
the club or opera like a normally
constructed young man with good red
blood in his veins, was absorbed with
work in his dark room.
In the eyes of his friends, there
was something wrong about Whalen.
He had got through college without
a love affair. And now, having
reached a marked success in his BUSH
ness affairs, he was still far less sus-
ceptible to the charms of a young
woman than to the lure of green
woods and open fields.
! John himself felt somewhat dis
gusted with his friends in their fall
ure to see the success he was making
of these field explorations.
Cant you see the importance of
such work as that?" he would ex-
claim, exhibiting a page of clear cut
pictures in a magazine.
Maybe that can take the place of
human compantonship to you," they
rejoined.
John was especially anxious about
this batch of pictureS-he had spent
a whole spring day, stolen from BUSH
ness, to get these pictures of bird life,
and he had been unusually fortunate
in getting good studies.
The plates had been developed the
night before, but an interruption had
hastened the process, and he was
fearful of the results.
Very carefully he removed the first
paper from the printing frame and
plunged it into the. solution, watch
| ing the witchery of the appearance
of the picture.
Whalen's eyes bulged with astonish-
ment Gazing at him from the tray
was a face of remarkable sweetness
hair waving softly from a fine fore
eyes that smiled straight into his own.
| Great Scotti'' exclaimed the
would-be bird photographer, and he
snatched the picture out of the solu-
ton and rinsed it carefully.
How under heaven" he inquired,
bewilderingly, did 1 come by this pic
ture ?''
He carefully lifted the other plates
out of the rack and peered at them
closely-they were his own pictures.
But this other one-how came it here
in the well-conducted dark room of
an Indifferent bachelor? - ..
He went back to the rfnsing tank
and gazed at the pictures, fascinated.
| Certainly he had never seen that
face before-trust him not to forget
a face like that! But who was she
And where was she? And how came
she here, smiling bewilderingly out of
| his rinsing tank?
For the first time in his life, John
Whalens sleep was disturbed by
thoughts of a woman. And as he
thought, the mystery of her appear
ance seemed of less importance than
the question of where she was to be
found.
Next evening the young man packed
| the mysterious plate in a box by it
self. The picture he carefully mount
| ed and set on his mantle. Then.
chair to the fire, he looked at her
contemplatively.
| Il believe" he said aloud at last,
st honestly believe that girl can APP
preciate a joke. And yet she is none
of your scatter-brain creatures who
laugh in the face of fate.
And" he concluded, after a long,
meditative silence, 'she doesn't seem
to disapprove of tobacco smoke,
either!"
lows happened in.
what is this?" they howled, OBJ
serving the unusual adornment on
Whalen's mantle Here, own up,
old chap-make a clean breast of the
whole thing, and treat, like a mani
Who is she? How'd you come to do
it?"
st wish L could tell you," said John,
Undisturbed. cit is as much a mys-
terry to me as it is to you. 1t is
picture I-fourdi"
well, it is certainly a find all
right! But that is too thin, old
man."
Truth. I found that plate in a
lot 1 was developing. And I'd give
thousand dollars to know how it
came therei'
'FWell, we will accept your explana-
ton. But it is fortunate you haven't
wife, or you would have to go into
details"
Whalen heard a great deal about
his love affair, but he accepted 1t all
in good humor, merely saying:
eff you happen to see her, just let
me know, that is all"
He had taken that solitary plate
out of its wrappings and printed an
other picture, which he carried, I'M
mounted, between the leaves of a
book in his inner pocket. That was
one of the things his friends did not
know about.
, AS time passed, the situation began
to get on Whalen's nerves
He would never have admitted just
what a hold those smiling eyes had
taken on him. He tried taking the
picture down, but the room seemed
empty of a real presence, and he put
it back again.
"Oid man." shouted one of the fell
lows, coming into his office one morn
ing, 1--WE seen your girl-sure thing!"
'rWhere?'' Whalen pushed back his
chair and stood up resolutely.
"At the opera with Fred Mayard and
his sister, last night. And, old man,
she beats that picture hollow!"
whalen had already seized his hat.
Thanks" he said, boiling for the
elevator. TN see you later
In that moment his way became
clear. He must see her at once.
AS he left the street car in front of
the Office of Mayard & Son, a car drew
I'D to the curb. Mayard was seated
in the banck.
.eSae here Mavard said John COM