The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-19
THE EVENING STORY
Best, Man.


through April shine and shadow, her
hands overrunning with pale, frail
wild flowers and blue stars of wild
flax gemming her yellow hair. She
was bareheaded and fine golden
freckles powdered her saucy nose.
They were no blemish-rather, they
gave richness to her creamy skin
and accented the bloom of her cheeks
and the cherry red of her smiling
lips.
bounding the thin woodland, and be-
gan to run through the new grass
singing high and clear:
MY people all get mad with me
For keeping my love company.
They may get mad--say what they
Upon my honor. I love him STILL
Who is the lucky fellow?" Dandy
asked, coming from an ambush Of
thorny thicket
The thicket masked a sink hole;
otherwise there was nothing to break
the spread of grass. Aida made a
race at him and went on singing:
L love my love so WELL he knows
Il love the ground wherein he goes;
l love my love with a free good will;
Upon my honor, I love him still"
"Indeed"' from Dandy. his ewes
twinkling. Really, Ida. this is kind,
but embarrassing. I never dreamed
you were so murh a victim of my fas-
cinations"
Dear me! I always feared you
We're stupid Aida answered, with a
twinkle matching his own. "Other-
wise you could not have failed to I'M
derstand how fatal you would be to a
village BELLE
oh, I say-who told your" Dandy
began, scarlet with embarrassment.
The girl smiled at him roguishly
Il don't need to be told-some things"
she said. Not when my city seventh
cousin is at such pains to protect me
from myself for-was it three whole
hours?"
mo, no.-three minutes at the
most!' Dandy protested. Then halt
ingly, "Lida-I-I have wanted toto
tell you what chump you made well
come. I-really, how shall L say it?
had misgivings-'
How could you help them?" Ida
interrupted, audaciously AFTER be-
ing so pursued, so chivvied by all sorts
of girls. you must have felt yourself
Irresistible
''Don't-don't rub it in-there's a
good fellow"' Dandy entreated. ct ad-
NIT my idiocy-and am willing to do
penance for 1t. See if L am not. Set
me any task you will-no matter how
hard. I shall undertake it gladly-if
you promise me forgiveness in re-
ward.''
Aida dropped her eyes. but the
at the corner of her mouth as she
murmured reflectively:
Don't you think 1t would look
well-sort of cement the edifice of
family pride-if you were to be best
MANI"
manded, an anxious infection
strengthening with each query.
Aida looked down, the moral and
pattern of maiden shyness as she
answered. "Why-at my wedding?
Don't you know I am to be married
in the fal1?''
Good Lord! No.' Dandy cried
huskily. Then catching both her
hands. why wait so long. Listen to
my amendment. Marry right off-and
let me be-
But you are going tomorrow" Aida
interrupted
He shook his head at her. saying:
BE quiet! Let me be, not best man
but groom"
Aida went off into a fit of laugh
ter, elfin, silvery, genuine it made
him vince. He had come full of con-
descension, to see his distant kinfoIk in
Burleigh village, full also of a sense
that he must walk wariIy so as not
to arouse false hopes in the girl he
rated village belle. She had swept
him off his feet with the first lift of
her long-lashod lids-all through the
fortnight since they had played the
game of love-making, much as they
might have played a game of chess |
Master of 1t though he was, he had
admitted to himself at least a week
back, she was his match and more |
Much earlier he had told himself she
was his predestined mate and match |
every way-"that impossible she, the |
sum of all projections in a woman'-f
at least for him.
Where is the joke?' he asked after a |
half minute, finding her still gurgling |
though she tried to make her riotous lips
demure.
II can't tell you-if you don't see it,
she flung back at hin-then with an |
other silvery peal: Il wish you saw
yourself-men are awkward enough say
ing such things when they mean them |
and reasonably But when the things |
are merely part of the game
Stop!" Dandy said low and deep This |
is not part of the game You know what |
L feel-what mean
How should To- Aida countered.
He caught her by the shoulders, and |
shook her ever so gently, answering, BE |
cause you are witch-that is to say, |
woman. 1t is your birthright to know
such things-especially when foolish men |
spend their strength to trying to show /
you"
from him whirling on her tiptoes, and |
flung back over her shoulder, Think of
my pettion-and say yes to 1t, when you
come to tell us good-by.''
Dandy strobe after her, but she waved /
him imperiously back. He stood watching |
her until she vanished through the gate |
at the other side of the meadow. Then |
he went quickly homeward-to the house |
his great-grandfather had left him. It |
had stood empty. but for a caretaker full |
twenty years. The caretaker had lived up i
to her name-stout and CHEEKY widow, |
she had kept the place spick and span, |
ready for occupancy any day of the year. |
She loved every stick and stone of It'll
hadn't she grown up in it? Her mother, 1
old Edmund Danby's housekeeper. had |
been married in the great dim hall, with |
the master to give her his blessing, and |
come back to 1t as a haven in her sudden |