The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-11
The Euenir,g Story
On the Upperlevel.
INV Izo1a Forrester.l

was late. Also it came in on the upper
level of the Concourse instead Of the
lower at the Grand Central station.
Ordinarily the change would have
been q mere matter of official routine,
bnt 1t made all the difference in the
world on this particular Monday. for
Miss Anne Titheradge didn't know her
way to the house where she was to act
as maid of honor at 2 p. m. sharp.
Wanda had written an excited sort
Of bridish note at the eleventh hour,
telling her Tod Davis would meet her
with the closed electric and drive her
up. That was all.
She walked slowly over the great
marble inclosure. pulling on her gloves
a bit nervously.
Yes. please. two suit cases." she
said absently to the red capped porter
who approached. She reached for her
checks, and found them gone from the
mesh bag on her arm. There was moth
ing else missing, not even the twin
gold pieces in the inner purse that she
had planned to slip into the toes of
the little pearl embroidered boudoir
slippers, her gift to Wanda. Now even
the slippers were missing, too, in the
smaller suit case.
II must have dropped them back in
White Palms, she said. perplexedly.
Don't you think they'd let me identify
the contents of the suit cases? can.
easily
4AcI0 were CVCE 81 l1auy CSSCAtldA
and necessary things that she must
have for the wedding in those suit
cases, all her lingerie, her gloves, and
general dainty accessories. The hat
and dress were down at Wanda's. for
tunately.
gage room, and she waited for the load
of suit cases to arrive from the White
Plains train. 1t was tiresome. The
hands on her watch moved almost
recklessly, it seemed to her. Then, just
as she saw the familiar White Star Ia
bel on her larger one, and the old Ven
ice hotel tags on the smaller. tall
young man leaned over the counter and
pointed out the larger bag.
There she fs.' he said. Hand 1t
out. will your
That's mine.'' said Anne. haughtily
If hastily. And the little darker one
beside it. too. please
Cheeks suggested the attendant
laconically.
But the stranger had wheeled about
aggressively, and swung of his cap at
sight of Anne's flushed. lovely face.
''Why, Miss Titheradge-Anne-G
Scott, I am in luck. Where are you
going?"
1t was Bruce Crittenden. At the very
sound Of his dear old throaty bass, she
up the long incline out Of his reach.
But there was no way out. And it had
been only four weeks since she had left
him in Bermuda. Deep blue skies,
cliffs of coral. little lifting sails that
called one out to sea. and over at her
elbow this man, Bruce Crittenden, WOO
ing her as she had never been wooed
in all her joyous. victorious debutante
two years.
He had taken her two hands in his,
crushing them till her rings pressed
into the flesh painfully, but she
smiled up at him bravely.
II thought you were going on to
Egypt, and then to China, wasn't it.
and then the islands? Those really
are my suit cases that you were try
ing to run off with. and I'm due at
Wanda Isham's wedding at 2, please"
"Come on. Well get a taxi. I've got
to talk to you. Where are your
checks?"
Lost, but I can tell them what is on
top? Still with the flush in her cheeks,
Anne told the man behind the counter
that il he would just raise the lid of
each a trifle. not too high. please, he
would find in one a pale pink crepe de
chine negligee gown. and lace boudoir
cap with pink satin rosebuds around it.
And beneath, a quilted Chinese manda-
rim coat of white silk, with gold bees
and butterflies on it. And in the other
one toilet set in ivory and gold, mon
ogram "a. r.. T." Was that enough?
Quite enough. they told her, smilingly.
and Bruce swung the suit cases over
to the waiting porter, with his own,
which he had discovered.
Queer we even have suitcases that
look alike" Bruce exclaimed, tucking
her arm under his. Lord, but it's
good to be with you again. Why did
mt you write to me?"
Anne's chin raised ever so slightly.
but significantly.
why should L? You had too many
ports in your world tour
Now, what do you mean by that,
anne! Anne, dearest" He stopped
near the information booth and set
down the suitcases deliberately, Anne
watching the globe clock with tanta-
lizing fixity. ''Anne. II you don't IL
at me I'll kiss you before everybody
and swear you just got off the West
ern limited and are my wife. Didn't
snow you In every way man could
chantment that I was crazy about
you? We are engaged"
"On probation" she put in, firmly.
You didn't stand your probation well.
You broke your word
How did I? You needn't watch
the clock. because I won't let you go
now. Go on. Finish it,
''All right. Have 1t II you want it,
She turned to him suddenly. wanda
told me you had been engaged to her
she threw you over. II may be diff
ferent from other girls, but 1 don't
want" She stopped, flushing un-
der his indignant gaze.
so that Is 1t. And for an idiotic
twirl of a few weeks up in the noun
tafns two years ago. you'd smash all
our hopes of a lifetime. Where's your
aunt p"
why, up at White Plains said
Anne in surprise. II am staying on
| for the spring with her. and then we
join uncle in London"
Bruce turned to the attendant in the
booth and asked question. Then
he picked up the suitcases, sent the
porter away, and made for the taxi
stand entrance.
Anne followed with a strange, fran
tic feeling that something was going
! tn hannen and she could not nosaihlx