The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
THE EVENING STORY
Miss Phoebe'S Strategy.
(RY A. Maria Crawford J

toned her the day of her arrival for
a fortnight's visit. He is a middle
aged man and you-how old are you,
Eleanor"
How did it happen?" snapped her
mothers old maid sister. Just
| drifted into it, I suppose. as people
do in little towns. Nice stepmother
age and a certain finesse that you
don't possess to make a successful
| stepmother, Eleanor. You'll make
| the child miserable"
Indeed, I won't, Aunt Phoebe. He
is a dear little thing and says that he
| is sincerely fond of me-
"Pshawt His father makes him
talk that way. Widowers are all
| alike, the world over. Wait until the
| ceremony has been performed and he
knows that he has you. He'll let the
| boy make faces at you. I know. Now
| tell me all about 1t. AS soon as your
| mother wrote me that you were en-
| gagged to him. invited you to make
me a visit. I wanted to know all the
| circumstances and L knew well
enough that your mother wouldn't
tell everything. She has always been
afraid you would be an old maid
| things The old lady in her straight
! back chair, took off her glasses, wiped
| them and put them in case she car
| ried in a side pocket of her black
| Her eyes were almost merry.
| HE began coming by the house and
asking me to go on calls with him.
| He brought me baskets of fruit and
| things like that, but I just supposed
| he was being neighborly until the
young fellows quit calling on me. I
was so mad at my friends then for
taking SO much for granted that I
| thought L would give them all good
reason to be jealous.
jealous?"
Yes, all of them that had pretend
ed to like me-
Wasn't there one that you rather
singled out, Eleanor"
WELL hesitated the girl. absently
turning the solitaire back and forth
on her left hand, ct wanted to hurt
Jim Mayfield more than anybody else.
We had always been such pals
Seems to me you are old enough
to know better than to try to be pals
with the man you love-"
But I don't love Jim-that is-not
in the way you mean
Then don't be so quick to deny it.
There, there, L won't be cross any
more. It's just my way of finding out
the things I want to know. I have a
nice surprise for you, niece" She
unlocked a bureau drawer in the room
she had assigned to Eleanor and mo-
toned the girl to come to her. Here
are some treasurers for you! Your
grandmother's pearls are in this case
and a pair of bracelets that belonged
to your Aunt Jane are in this red vel
vet box. The lace fan and set of
canoes were mine when I was girl"
80 Aunt Phoebe! I don't know how
to thank you,' Eleanor began.
Just take that diamond ring of DR..
SCOTS and put it away somewhere.
1t irritates me to look at it. Stepmoth- |
er, indeed! Change your frock and
hurry downstairs. I hear voices. The |
oJr
call on you
For that first evening Eleanor found |
that her aunt had arranged a dinner |
dance at the country club. Grounds !
and galleries were bright with many |
japanese lanterns, and the pleasure
boats on the river below had been
strung with lights that were clearly |
mirrored in the water. In a soft pink
gown with her Aunt Phoebe's wonder |
full canoes on her breast and arms, |
Eleanor made lovely picture.
''Tll teach her what real love
means" Aunt Phoebe promised her
self as her eyes were rowing from the
girlish beauty over the crowd of hap
Ply dancers. In the doorway, under it's
arch of great pink petunias, she saw
Jim Mayf1eld, jr. She would have
known him. anywhere. He had the
same brown hair and dancing brown
eyes that had characterized the older
Jim in the days when Miss Phoebe was
the toast of the town. When his IA
Their had asked her to marry him, she
had laughed and told him to wait I'M
til she had seen other men. Then she
sailed for summer abroad and when
she came home, happy and eager to
see her sweetheart again, she heard
that he had married the day before
she landed. If Miss Phoebe cared, no.
body had known, but the fact re-
manned that she refused many hand
some suitors and, at her fathers death,
moved away to another city and lived
in magnificent splendor, an eccentric
old maid as far as the world could see
but in her heart. mother to an endur-
ing dream.
out her hand. I've been looking for
you, young man. You mustn't tell
Eleanor about my telegram. That's
between you and me-"
She gave a little silvery peal of
laughter that echoed the happiness of
her far-off youth. Her cheeks were
flushed, and as she walked
across the floor, her hand laid lightly I
within his arm, she might have been
the Miss Phoebe of fifty years before.
Maybe Eleanor won't be glad to ,
see mel he said doubtfully.
wait and see for YOURSELF" laugh ,
ed Miss Phoebe happily.
At the entrance to one of the gal ,
Eleanor and DR.. Alec Scott. The two
men bowed formally and Eleanor pre- {
sented the physician to her aunt.
Miss Phoebe was suddenly reserved, !
and said that he must hurry to catch ,
mis- train neither of the women made )
any effort to detain him
'eWhy didn't your doctor friend have
he good manners to come and greet =,
me as soon as he came to my party"
demanded Miss Phoebe icily-
.Tt was this way, Aunt Phoebe" be- s
gan Eleanor ST met him quite by ac- :