The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-18

Deaf and Duunb pelia.
(By Molly McMaster. }

! (By Molly McAaster.)
Della was neither deaf nor dumb.
She possessed. however, great lack
of concentration, which was beginning
to annoy her asi we'll as her friends
You positively make me tired,
Della" her best GIRL friend had re-
marked IT have to repeat everything
say to you and 1t Is simply because
your wits arc woof-gathefing ana you
fail to pay any attention to what peo-
pie say"
"Genius," Della had laushingly told
her.. Il must be real genius.
If you are." the disgruntled friend
had added, you have no other ear
marks except observation-disclosures. II
you wrote weird tales. painted cubist
pictures or did anything else to dis
tinguish yourself from the rest OF W
right to make people repeat all their
sallies to your unheeding ears-but
you DON'T
At the time Della had laughed. but
somehow 1t really had hurt her to
know that she was fast becoming
dreamer who did nothing. The habit
OF meditating and living among the
clouds was getting on the nerves OF
her friends.
II need concentration" unused
Della. and need it badly II am to
retain my friends
IN consequence, Oeua4 1Ouuo ne1ScsA
rejecting ON ways and means for ac-
Quiring concentration. She was not
anxious to try the accepted method OF
sitting down and keeping her gaze
fixed interminably at q black disk; 1t
was neither exciting nor appealing to
her. Neither did she care to go about,
as she had been doing. with a mind
fixed on one especial thing In order
to practice concentration.
Il will assume an afhictioD."
thought Della, land try to keep it in
my mind. 1 hope. however, won't
make myself have anything in conse-
quence. The mind is powerful agent
in these matters." She pondered on
the ailments she might assume with
out damage to her physical being and
decided that to be deaf and dumb
would take much control of thought
and yet she could not bring upon her.
self the afiiiction in reality. There
fore she decided to be deaf and dumb.
1t would be q trif1e dificuN be-
cause Della was rather fond of talk
ing. Il will have to change my
boarding house. she unused. land go
where no one knows me-
She gave notice that very day and
looked up another. room. where she
hoped there would be plenty Of peo-
pie on whom she could experiment.
II hope they will. not be too awfuAy
interesting" sighed Della 1T will be
dreadful to sit alta table full of laugh
ing, Cabling people and be unable to.
join Them IS lbs ss
The place she found was certainly
filed with congenial boarders. When
Della first took her place at the table
her new ideas were on the verge of
falling from her, but she resolutely
remembered the remarks of her
friends and determined to acquire
concentration. The landlady with
vuyhn oh ho -
by letter received her in the dining
room and introduced her to the other
guests. Della. smiled her delightful
smile to one and an and sat down. 1t
was difficult. even from the start, to
bring q look of Darkness into her
face. With; allsfhe joyful. converse
ton, to whichs she tried to turn deaf
ears going on. she. found herself con-
stantly on the verge OF speaking and
caught herself just in time to save
the situation. When the very hand
some man at her right side offered
her command in order not to thank
him. She did. however, nod and send
another smile into his eyes.
The looks of pity and the surrep-
titious glances she received sent over
her an almost historical desire to
laugh and give herself away COM
pletely. -
She was concentrating with all her
power when the man beside her
turnde to the man on his other side
and said under his breath: isn't
she peach? I would like to have a
wife who could be SO altogether
beautiful and yet one who would not
talk from morning until night" He
laughed and glanced quickly at Della
The blush that mounted steadily
and surely into Delia's face brought
a quizzfcal light in his eyes. He,
however. turned again to the other
man and left Della alone to wrestle
with her anger and her most becom-
ing bushes. She ate so quickly that |
she felt a trifle sorry for her diges- |
ton. yet it was the only possible SAL
walton since each moment at the ta-
bic was becoming more unbearabfe,
and she knew that in another few
moments she would have joined that
happy chatter and her effort at con-
would be forever lost
When she had bowed her excuses
and hurriedly left the dining |
room she heaved a sigh Of relief. De-
liza realized that the first meal was
the most trying ordeal. Her attic |
tons once firmly established in the |,
minds of the other boarders her task !,
would prove easy. She wondered just |
what they were all saying about her
now. and especially che pondered IN
the young man who had sat next 10 !
her. She knew that could she but |
speak she would endeavor to make |
him sorry for the words he had given |
to. That way in which she |
would make him sorry brought u
smile to Delia's eyes.
IF he fancies me when am deaf |
and dumb" she unused. what could 1 |
make him feel-if wanted to-" De-
liza realized that she was going to
want to make him think q great deal.
She went to sleep that evening in her |
kSr>.v -Sf inc
marking her thoughts. |
Her concentrate plans BODIED i'll for |
the heart of her male table compau-
ion.
During the following days Della I
found herself enjoying her self-in-