The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-27
THE EVENING STORY
Chance and Charley.

| Several hundred have been asked
I believe" she answered indifferently,
dropping into a chair. Il have decid-
ed not to co.
May I ask why?"
Certainly you may ask" Alice as
sured him with small show of grace.
but must decline to answer, Tor
| believe that after a minutes medita-
| ton your own memory will save me
| the trouble and answer wou more in
| diligently and less dispassionately
than L possibly could under the cir
'-All this is Greek to me, Alice.
said Charley, a surprised, hurt note
in his voice. Suppose you tell me
all about it'll"
Il can't do it without emotion and
1 will not cry and let you laugh at
me- Alice slowly pulled the gleam-
| ing circle of diamonds from her finger
! and laid it on the table between them.
! Il give you back your freedom"
See here, Alice said the man, stern
| ly, you owe me some sort of an eX-
PLANTATION. What's the matter? Have
4 done anything that displeased your
mo. You have your freedom. Now
enjoy itI"
There was fina1ity in her voice and
without even glancing at the ring on
the table, Charley Lanier said good
night and left her.
He was stunned. he was Inundated
as he stepped into his car and ordered
his chauffeur to run out on the river
road.
Ten miles from town, the stiffness
! of the country and of the eternal hills
smote his inner consciousness with
peace and the anger in his heart for
the girl he loved died and left only
a sense of loneliness. Life could be
made too great a thing to waste any
hours over a tickle woman. He told
his chauffeur to drive back to the
Havemeyers garden party. If Alice
could give him uD for some foolish,
abstract reason, he determined that lie
would forget his hurt by mingling with
people.
"WelI, I'm glad to see you here,
Charley" said d pleasant voice, as
he turned away from his hostess. I've
been looking for you. I want you to
take Thankful Morris around with
you and have her sing. She has won
derful talent"
He turned quickly and saw one OF
his mothers best friends and beside
her the beautiful girl whom he had
taken motoring in the afternoon. He
had asked her to go only to please
his mother. but now he was glad OF
an opportunity to be with her and
introduce her to his friends.
1t was when a party Of guests had
gone into the house. into the hand
some music room. to hear Thankful
Morris sing, that Charley first saw
Alice standing with a group of men
and covertly watching him. The full
mellow voice of the singer had the
silvery trills of nightingales in it and
! the sweetness of her own f1ower-scentcd
south. Under the sound of the music
the mans heart began to ache DULY,
despairingly. He turned to a fellow
cIubman and asked him to provide an
| escort for the visitor, then moved quiz
city through a French window out on
the vine-covered veranda where the
moonlight through the leaves showed
in patches on the floor.
He was alone there and he leaned
his head back on a chair and closed
his eyes, listening to the pleading love
song that seemed to mock his own
pain. He had been so happy with
Alice she was his complement ana
all that he needed to complete his life,
and for some idle notion she had given
him up without even granting him the
satisfaction of knowing why. He knew
that his pride ought to keep him from
grieving, but she had been SO dear.
so beautiful and so very much his own
the week before when she had let him
slip the glowing circle on her finger
He had never known Alice to be
much given to moods, and again ne
wondered what had caused the change
in her. He was SO ueeply interested
in his own thoughts, so absorbed in
planning possible solutions for possible
problems that he did not hear the
merry guests leave the music room
10 go out into the garden, nor did he
hear the soft footsteps of the girl. She |
spoke to him before he knew that she |
was there.
INV sense of justice made me fol- |
low you here to offer an explanation, |
which 1 denied you two hours ago. |
Will YOU hear me?"
He had risen at the sound of her |
voice and stood looking at her, young |
and slender in her soft white gown.
seOf course, Alice.' he said, tenderly |
and quietly. 'I will hear anything |
forward beside his own. will you
sit down?"
IT have never been guilty of yield |
ing to caprice. although my attitude |
tonight has doubtless looked very much |
like it, I did not know what to do |
and circumstances seemed against you, |
so determined to find out things for |
myself If I could"
The man watched her, pale and fra |
grant as some moon-fiower there be- |
fore him. She was so young. so sweet |
" troubled that he wanted to take her |
in his arms in spite of everything and |
tell her that her sorrow was his own |
and that she must let him share it |
with her.
.'Today, quite by chance. I over |
heard your mother talking to Mrs. |
TYLER at a party. They were discuss |
ing Miss Morris, who is here now. Both |
of them hoped that you would marry |
her 1 could not bear to see you turn |
from me TOTO somebody else. so T.
Alice, what are you talking about?"
The leaden weight of doubt and I'M |
happiness was lifting from his heart |
and he leaned over and took one of |
her cold little hands in his. What is |
It. dear?"
Il will not marry into family of /
people who do not want me, and |
when I heard your mother say that |
she hoped you would marry Miss Nor |
So inst SfeeIed NV heart against L