The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-07
The Evening Story
Larry Lighthouse.


"Redhead!" tainted Larry ungal-
lantly. "LAghthouse!'' he added. as
the little girl pulled her white sun
bonnet over her gorgeous curis and
scurr1ed away to her nurse.
'Nurse!" painted Jean. "Am I q
lighthouse because my hair 10 red ?''
'No--no-Miss JEAN" laughed the
nurse. looking up from her sewing;
like your mamma's: you mustn't mind
says.''
81 shan't mind Bit" said Jean.
ton the memory of the taunt fingered
and ranked, 10 that as the years went
by she grew positively to dislike the
name OF Delmore-especially Larry
Delmore7and she was always hearing
1t, although they never met after that
Larry Delmore was the sort Of
young man whose name is always con-
fronting one. He excelled in every
thing. He was boLor man Of his class
driver OF winning automobile in q
famous race, an aviator, q musician,
and last, but not least. an excellent
business man.
Jean Lloyd heard of these things in
her remote boarding school and later
at the fashionable finishing school, but
always she discounted his cleverness
by her bitter recollection OF his taunt
1
II could never endure him." she told
her best friend one day. "A hOrrid,
grubby little tow-headed boy! 1 can
fancy just how dleagreeable he must
be now"
Miriam Smith looked wide-eyed at
JEAN Haven't you met him since
then?" she wondered.
Jean shook her glorious. rudy
| crowned head.
From his towering height Larry Del
more looked across the hotel ballroom
and saw a tall. graceful girl gowned in
white About her snowy throat was
twisted q wonderful string of pearls,
and. save for the high-piled masses OF
her hair there was not a bit of color
about her.
who is that girl?" he asked the
first man he met.
dfcated by Larrys eager gray eyes.
You mean the one with golden hair?"
he asked.
mo, no." protested Larry. the tall
girl In White-the girl with auburn
hair
"Oh. you mean Miss Lloyd-Jean
Lloyd. May present your"
mot just now" decided Larry, and
Tor some tnexplicable reason he turned
his back on Miss Lloyd's beautiful face
and wandered out to the balcony
There is something very striking
1 "
ing at the geraniums in the flower
boxes. COMPOUNDED funny feeling 1
had when Morton offered to introduce
me- I wanted to go like the dickens.
but-somehow. she had such a naughty
poise to her head that I'm deucedly
afraid she wouldn't be as charming as
she looked. I'm going to find out
later
When he returned to the ballroom
Miss Lloyd had disappeared, and he
saw her no more that night. BY care
full inquiry he learned that she and her
father were stopping at the Quetchet
hotel for the season.
| The next morning he arose with the
sun and went down to the ocean for his
early swim. He had the beach to him
self save for one lone swimmer who
was breasting the surf with easy grace
1t was a woman wearing a red bathing
cap he decided at first. A further in
spection revealed that the Elistening
copper glory was crowning the head of
Jean Lloyd and that her head was I'M
| covered.
! So Larry plunged into the sea and
disported himself like a young porpoise.
| Larry Deimore was swimmer Of note
In addition to his other ACCOMPLISH
ments and when he saw Miss Lloyd's
glowing head turned steady out at sea
wniie the flash OF her white arms cut
the blue-green surface Of the waves
like veritable mermaid he followed
her in the masculine spirit not to be
outdone by a mere woman.
But the water was cold that morn
ing and perhaps Mr.. Delmore was, not
up 20 MS usual f rm: at any rate, he
suddenly stopped his long. steady
strokes. blanched at the aeonizinr
cramp that seized his limbs, uttered. q
low cry of alarm and went down.
The girl heard the cry and turned
Just as he disappeared. When he
came up she was calling to him to
hold up-that she was comine-com-
ing! Through the flying spray and
the rocking green and white or the
waves he caught the glimpse Of her
red hair and her white face coming
nearer.
When he rose to the surface again,
still writhing in that awful cramp. It
was to see the solacing red of her
hair close beside him, to feel the sup
port of her arms under his shoulder
Il cannot carry you in" she painted,
but can hold you up until help
comes. Can you shout."
He nodded and shouted hoarselv.
A boat put hastily on from shore
and two or three lifesavers took them
in.
Il declare If it isn't Mr., Delmore."
marveled one of the men a. he ap-
piled flask to Larry's pale lips.
Jean, white and exhausted sat I'M
and looked at the young giant she
had rescued. Was It possible that
this handsome blond youth had been
the tow headed little boy whose taunt
had ranked SO long? 1t could not be
possible that she. Jean Lloyd, had
been the means of saving this cham
pion swimmers life!
About that time Jean tainted away.
and II was q half hour later In her
own room at the hotel that she sat |
up in bed. warm and dry. and uttered |
q remark that caused her worried |
father to stare.
''I suppose must have looked like