The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-03
THE EVENING STORY
In the Case.
(By Katherine HopSon.)

! large, old fashioned affair of little
value, but on opening it, he had been
startled by the likeness of the sweet
| face to the ideal woman Of his
| dreams. In imagination she had al
ways had a delicately featured oval
face, with soft dark eyes and masses
! OF blue-black hair piled high on her
head.
81 shall find her if it takes me the
rest of my life vowed Lighton. Given
| now, she may be in this very city,
Hereafter the object of his life was
to find the original of the girl in the
picture. He advertised the locket eX-
tensive1y in the Lost and Found de-
partments Of the papers, and even in
serted personals, but OF all these eff
forts there was no response. He never
turned a corner without hope of see
ing her; and he never entered a street
car without the same idea. On Sun
days he haunted the different church.
es in hope of finding her, and became
a frequenter of theaters from grand
opera to movies"
All these quests were fruitless until
one day he caught a glimpse of the
pictures living Counterpart as she en-
tered a waiting motor.
He summoned taxi.
Catch that car-the big gray one.
I'll make it worth your while.' he
shouted to the chauffeur
Lighton had no definite idea of
what he was going to do when he
caught up. He could not very well
y
mand an introduction. But in the ex-
citement he did not consider that. The
driver exceeded the speed limit, but a.
binding snowstorm and heavy traffic
OF the streets made it impossible to
catch up. After time the disap-
pointed man was obliged to give UP
the search.
AT any rate I know now that she's
q living reality thought Lighton.
His lonely bachelordom and the
f1ourishing states of his finances made
the search possible, and his efforts
did not flag. However, it was not
that he was rewarded-and then by
accident.
He had boarded an early morning
train to reach business appoint
ment in the southern part of the
state. He had settled himself COM
forta bly, in the car seat with a news
paper when suddenly he became
aware of the girl sitting in front of
him across the aisle. 1t was she.
He leaned forward in delight. Then
sank back in amazed detection In
her arms, looking out of the car win
dow. sat chubby baby boy, and a
small girl, a stair step older, wrig-
gled restlessly in the seat facing
them.
That the dream woman might be
already married was a possibility he
had never taken into account Sur
reptitiously he compared her face
with that in the locket and found
them identical.
The baby's moist. plump little
hands kept pulling at her sleeves to
draw himself up and the little girls
feet kicked against her skirt. Ligh-
ton had always been fond of chill
dren. but he felt that he hated these.
'"Tiresome little brats," he thought
savag ely, when he, saw the effort the
woman was obliged to make to keep
the children still. She looked tired
and a little pale.
Presently the little girl got out of
the seat and started down the aisle.
Lighton spread open for her amuse-
ment the gaudily colored funny page
of the paper. The child was delight
ed, but shyness held her tongue-tied.
Having just quoted the fretfulness
of the boy, the woman became sud
denly aware of the girls absence.
"Morianr she called in alarm, and
looked anxiously around. In spite of
her tired, worried look she seemed
absurdly young to be the mother of
these two restless children.
and brought her over. "She wanted
to explore the car he said.
'Oh. thank you. Baby had taken
my attention SO 1 did not notice
Marian slip away
They're Il handful I fancy"
Yes, indeed; but aren't they fine
babies??'
He assented warmly. After a few
more words there was no longer eX
cuse 10 linger, and he returned to his
seat. Presently Il man sauntered in
from the smoking car, and leisurelN
sat down in the seat beside the
woman.
We'll. Buster" He gave the fat
boy a playful poke.
'4HoW'S papa'S girl?" he added, as
the small girl climbed up in his lap:
But he serenely ignored the beautiful
woman.
The selfish duffer," declared Ligh-
ton. He is fond of the children be-
cause he sees in them a reflection of
himself; but the woman is of little
consequence after she became the
wife of his lordship."
Lighton watched the mans indif-
ference as she struggled to amuse the
heavy. fretfu1 baby; and there rose
an almost murderous hatred toward
him. 1t seemed to him the irony of
fate. Here was the woman whom he
had waited for all his life, but, when
found, she was not free. His dream
was rudely punctured.
Gloomily he sat and watched the
little family party before him. In
spite of himself, his attitude slightly |
changed toward the man. From the /,
first he had been struck by something |
familiar about him. 1t seemed as if |
time ago. Vainly he racked his brain |
for a connecting clew.
"Confound it, he muttered. Il |
wish l were a better hand at remem- |
bering faces. I'm sure I've met that |
chap before.
a drink, and the man. who had be-
come absorbed in a magazine, said: |
I'll get her one, Maude.'' He picked /
up a telescope cup, and with the