The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-18
TIE EVENING STORY
Encouraging Kate.
CBy Mabel Chase Englandl

| walked down the bathing pier of the
! famous seashore resort and Joined the
| group on the end. Viva Hartleys eyes
| cleaned exultantly under their lower
| ed lashes. Renslaw was something of
| a lion, in his way, and since his first
| appearance in the place it had been
| her secret ambition to attach him to
| her train, but he had seemed curiously
| Indifferent. She Immediately challenged
| him to beat her in the art of high
| diving, and the two engaged in a laugh
| ing competition.
| why doesn't your cousin come out
| and try it?'' asked Renslaw presently,
| looking contemplatively toward the
unattractive and lonely figure wading
| about in the shallow water near
| shore. Miss Hartley's open neglect of
| the girl whom her mother had invited
| up out of kindness had incensed him
from the first. Hasn't she learned to
| dive?''
| Viva looked her establishment.
"Oh, no; Kate never does anything.
She's rather stupid about sports, I be-
| lieVe."
Perhaps she needs encouragement,
suggested Renslaw. whimsical no.
ton had taken him. 1t might be in
teresting to try what the lavishing Of
a little attention and interest would do
for the girl, SO plainly left out in the
cold by all of WAS crowd. I'll go
over there and see if I can get her to
try swimming"
AS he swan off toward the lonely
figure near shore Viva Hartley sent
after him a swift look of mingled
amazement and anger, then turned
back to her companions with a mock
ing lift OF the brows.
Painfully diff1dent. Kate Cameron
shrank nervously at Renslaw's ap-
proach.
Miss Cameron" he announced smil-
ingly, I'm going to insist on teaching
you to swim. Have you tried it at
alp"
"N-no,' she admitted, I'll don't
think I'd care about it. And I'm just
going in she added. turning, then fac
ing about again, miserabIy irresolute.
Indeed you are going to do nothing
of the kind" he told her, with pleas
ant authority. Come, I'll hold you
up and teach you the strokes. You
mustn't talk or even think of anything
else"
Commanded not to talk, Hates nerv-
BUSINESS in large measure vanished. 1t |
had long been her secret ambition to |
learn to swim like Viva. |
you've done remarkably WE'LL" he !
told her kindly. After a few more |
lessons you'll be swimming in deep !
water
"Oh, thank you stammered Kate, |
couldn't think of troubling you |
again.
"Nonsense," he laughed. by the !
way, shall you be at the dance to- |
night?"
"Oh I-don't-know," she hesitated. |
Aunt likes me to go, but I don't |
care for dancing, and SO just sit there, |
you know"
She finished rather breathlessly Her |
fear of boring people, frayed to acute |
sensitiveness by the frank restlessness
and inattention of the few men she |
had come in contact with, amounted |
almost to an obsession.
Renslaw refrained from urging and
gently helped her up the little ladder
that hung by the pier, waving her a
smiling adieu.
But as he expected, the evening
found her at the dance. He went at
once to the corner where she was
seated with her aunt and dropped
into vacant seat beside her. She
surrendered her program.
81 see you stand firmly by your con-
viction that you don't care for dane
ing" he said as he attached his name
to four of the waltzes.
The next dance was theirs, and when |
If was over Renslaw led her to a coy
nook under some palms and sat down
beside her.
For one who dislikes dancing you
do it remarkably WELL" he said, his
eyes laughing down at her.
Kate flushed. THAT was not true,
she confessed bravely. Il love dane
ing But men don't-they WON'T
She stopped in confusion and her
lower lip trembled slightly. A warm
rush of pity swept over Renslaw.
my dear child,'' he comforted, don't
YOU know it's simply because every
one thinks you don't care for it? I
think YOU will find that, having once
been seen dancing, you will have as
many requests as you care about"
And indeed several men, who had
seen and marked Renslaw's devotion,
now sauntered up. For Renslaw was
credited with rather a nice discrimina-,
ton in regard to the gntler sex, and,
as he we'll knew, 1t would not be be- ,
cause Kate Cameron had been seen
but because she had been seen
dancing with him. that further requests
would be forthcoming.
Toward the end of the evening he
stood and watched her as she fioated
round the room on the arm Of Graham, /,
his most intimate friend. ,
We'll outwit that cousin of hers ,
yet muttered Renslaw-
In the days that followed he took
on himself the province of big
brother and lectured her freely when
occasion arose. Most of all he insisted
on various outdoor activities, And in {
deed within a few weeks she had de-
veIoped a passion for sports and an
CELEBRITY in acquiring perfec-
ton in each that surprised and de-
lighted Renslaw. Dawning interest be- ,
gan to appear in mems faces when
thew spoke of her. Several paid her
noticeable attention. Graham, Renslaw
noticed. grew to be one of the most as ,
siduous.
He himself having launched her,
kept as much as possible in the back
Nevertheless he could not bel
that the preference was al
ways his. that her engagements were ,
held subject to his wish for her COM :
MANY ar any possible time or for any