The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-07
TEE EVENING STORY
1.-THE Shrinking Violet"
(By Martha Observation-Disclosures

/
est malice.
Lynn flung back to her. caught both
her hands, drew her to her feet and
cried tenSely: II ought to shake YOU
-hard! You think men We're made to
De tormented-by yellow headed"
It's positively wicked" Denise inter-
rupted plaintively. Wicked in you to
1rown when you know a smile makes
you perfect Greek god"
Stop that" Lynn communicative
nickname Beauty always made him
TO remember that Also that my
"Oh, Beauty. For s anne! The very
blacklist frown from Frowntown!"
Denise apostrophised, casting up her
eyes and drawing down the corners of
her mouth. A dimple danced there,
despite the drawing down. Douglas
Lynn kissed it audaciously-then shook
its owner gently and ran away Tuning,
put chuckling underneath. At the door
Denise flung after him. so your
mental cognizance of yourself is the
Shrinking Violet. All right. I shall
indeed remember
Il think yours is the daffodiI-ar
yellow and Haunting" Lynn barked at
, her-but grinned in spite of himself
when the door was between them.
He was vastly pleased with his own
ready repartee-and resolved to drive
it home by sending her the biggest
clumsiest sheaf of daffodils he could
pick in his grandmother garden.
The treatment Denise gave him
truly was neutrality-suspicious. he
loved her! If only she would say out
right Yes, or even No, to him, the
situation would not be half so trying.
A man may ask and ask, and ask yet
again and not be ridiculous-but to
keep tagging after an elusive wretch,
-I10 oh he 1ooc I'D for
ones praise or ones anger, 10 be in
different as to ones advantages, and
positively maternal in regard to flaws,
actual or possible, is to say the least,
wearing on ones conceit.
Lynn had plenty of conceit, but
masked it under an abnormal shyness
regarding his looks. He was, however,
no conscious hypocrite-it made him
flush and stanmer to hear Beauty
even whispered ALL the same he
would have been hurt and grieved as
a child might be grieved if Denise had
not given him sugar plums now and
then. She was almost as much sprite
as woman, quicksilver creature
whom one had to love or hate. He
hated her soundly at least once a week
and for the space of full half hour
To make up for it, when the fit passed,
he was more than ever AFFECT in his
worship.
Denise, albeit five years his Junior
read him like a book in large print.
To say truth, there was much method
in her madness-she knew he had
courted her first. with many apologies
to his self -esteen1-not at all what the
future Mrs Douglas Lynn should be-
vet in some occult fashion the only
possible occupant of the place. She
knew a husband who thus patronized
his prepossession for her would be
wholly Impossible. Unless she could
bring Beauty to a better frame of af-
fections it must end in goodby to him,
his name and his fortune.
She was not mercenary, nor wholly
calculating: merely singularly clear
visioned. The man himself appealed
to her. Outwardly he was "the male
of her Species But when he protested
how gladly he would die for her she
answered with naive verify. Don't
you know it is heap easier to Ole
for people than to live with them?"
There lay the rub-she could not !
fancy herself at Criselda meek under
provocat ton all through the years. To
her diary alone she conflded; Concelt
is the worst of all bad habits-love
V urself we'll enough to reform lover
first and marry him afterward'
: She laughed elfinly as she heard
Beauty gaIlop away-then unaccoun-
tably sighed. The tiny ghost OF
sign sufficed to disquiet her. Look
inc at herself in the blurred old man
of her image, saying severely: De
Mise Mayne, I'm ashamed OF you!
Your heart is fluttering disgracefuLy
at the bare thought: Suppose ne never
came back!' That means you're SOIL
bout hiu-really soft-after going on /
~ beautifully all these months. Pick |
Yourself I'D, and do something worth |
while. Make him angry enough with /
Won to half die of it-and you may |
cure him. But let him once get the |
whip-hand-well! It'll be the nunnery
for you, if you are wise
fter that she sat silent, thinking
hard for space of seven minutes. |
At the end she laughed out, danced
a out with her arms above her head
ran to the phone, rang up furlously
half dozen shops, then sat down TO
laugh until she cried
Douglas Lynn, coming next day, was
told she had gone for fortnight
nobody knew just where. So he had
to bestow the sheaf of daffodils upon
dignified Mrs. Selden, whose dear wish |
in life it was that he would rid her,
and quickly, of her husbands trouble
some niece. She looked at the posies
appraisingly, her eyes openly asking
if it could be Douglas Lynn was mean!
That sent him away in a baddish tenn
per. The temper was not sweetened by
findfng upon his library table a big
hoy of the finest fresh vioIets. More
came next morning, companioned by
crystal flask of violet essence. Still
he did not swear until the third day
brought him handkerchiefs violet
wroupF,t. silk socks of that engaging
tinge even pajau1as of the finest
White silk with sviolets encircling his
Followed a violet scarf
with a diamond dew
drop in the heart Gaping all came
a laundry bag, printed with giant
yiolets Evidently it was made to or
ho fipureS were SfPnciIod.
Round about them twined the motto, |
I'VE Blush Unseen-Except Some