The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-23
THE EVENING STORY
At Her Face Value.

At Her Face Value.
(By Katherine Hopson.)
Don't you even know her name ?"
Mrs Brighton spoke with the
| restraint of one whose patience has
! been taxed to the utmost
mo, failed to get little items like
| that" returned her son.
| A frown creased his mothers hand
some face. 1.-The very IDEA, Albert, of
inviting to our house a girl whose
! name we don't KNOW
well, mother, it might be worse. 1
| admit it was a rash act on my part,
| but she has every appearance of being
| a lady; so let's take at her face value "
How in the world did you happen
to ask her. Albert"
He laughed. well, you see when
Miss Ivor's regrets came at the
eleventh hour, and you were at the
| club meeting, it was up to me to sup
ply the vacancy for our dinner party
| tonight knew most people were out
| of town at this season. Just as l was
| wondering what 1 was going to do, l
saw this girl on the Carter porch, and
| she semed a good solution very In
teresting one in fact-of our problem. ="
| but 1 can't see how you scraped
| up an acquaintance, enough to ask
! her" In her evaporation, particular
/ Mrs. Brighton lasped into slang.
| "Oh, I'd noticed her around there,
| so today when 1 saw her sitting on
| the front porch, 1 walked up and ask
ed her to take pity on our distress
| begged an introduction from Mrs. Car
ter to make things orthodox but
| didn't catch the girls name"
'I can't imagine who she is. Mrs.
Carter has not said anything about
| having guest
| We'll isn't it about time to dress
| for the suspicious occaSion?'' Albert
| remarked, as he walked leisurely
i away.
| When Mrs. Brighton went to her
| room to change her street dress for
/ Thoughts
a turmoil. This was one of the many
| incidents with which she had to con-
/ tend in her handsome irresponsible
| son.
"It isn't that he lacks ability; it's
| rather want of ambition and settled
purpose" she thought.
| She had hoped he would make a
| good marriage, but though he dalIied
never seemed seriously in love.
! The inability OF Lucy Ivor, who was
| the daughter of an old school friend,
| to attend her dinner party that night
was a keen disappointment to Mrs.
| Brighton. 1t had long been a dream
of hers to bring about a marriage be-
tween this girl and her son, and when
| she heard Lucy was visiting in Bird
we'll, it seemed as If her opportunity
! had come. To be sure, Albert had
J shown little interest in meeting her.
Her mother was the most popular
| girl in the college, and it's only fair
to suppose her daughter is like her. 1
wish 1 had heard sooner that she was
! in town that 1 might have called on
her before the dinner. L might have
| overcome difficulties about her COM
| ing
! Here her revery was cut short by
| the necessity for making hasty toilet,
and she bare reached the drawing
room before the arrival of Richard
| Lander, a noted sociologist, who was
the guest of honor that evening. Soon
| four other people came and the last
guest to arrive was the unknown girl
from the Carter house next door.
| tx the unknown quantity
murmured Albert soto voce as the
bell rang.
Miss CanStOn," announced the
maid.
AS Mrs. Brighton rustled forward to
greet her guest, she was relieved to
see that the girl looked refined as well
as pretty; and was well dressed in a
simple white evening gown. Not for
the world would she have had the
other guests know there was anything
| unusual about the circumstances.
Every one Acknowledged the intro
duction with commonplace acceptance,
except Mr.. Lander, whose face showed
delighted surprise.
cit is indeed a pleasure to see you
Miss Canston was a pupil of mine in
sociology at the university he ex-
planned to the others. You are keep
ing on with your work presume?'
1 have been fortunate in securing an
appointment to help Mrs. Carter or
ganize some clubs for the mills hands
of Lower Falls
81 am glad to find out a little about
my guest thought Mrs Brighton
grirnly. She was relieved to see the
girl was both clever and well bred,
and her previous acquaintance with
Professor Lander gave her social sane
ton However, one cloud still fingered
on the horizon: and that was the fact
that Albert had seemed greatly inter-
ested in the newcomer.
1T would be just like him to fall
seriously in love with a girl we know
next to nothing about" she thought
anxiously.
During dinner, Prof. Lander led the
conversation. He was an interesting
talker and held the attention of the
table Under cover of this, Brighton
gained an opportunity to say to Miss
Canston, VINO sat at his left: Did you
think it unpardonably daring for me
to butt in without an introduction and
invite you here?"
Her Irish blue eyes between their
dark lashes danced.
Did YOU thing me amazingly bold
to Gomez" She answered his question
with another.
Not a bit, 1 thought it uncommon
ly kind
Il had some reports that I really
should have made out tonight, but
when your invitation came I couldn't
resist" She turned full toward him
her wonderful eyes. Maybe you don't
know, Mr.. Brighton, what it is to be
starved for a frivolous good time"
Don't they make it pleasant for
you at Carter's?" he asked.
"Oh, yes; but pleasure is always
strongly tinged with duty