The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-05
The EOenine Story
The Green Seal.
(By Jean Dickerson,)

The Green Seal.
(By Jean Dickerson.)
Bob Noyes was "a brave as one |
could desire when he had to face ac-
tual danger, but when 1t came to pro-
posing to one little blue eyed girl |
with whom he was madly in love. |
why Bob simply backed away from
her fathers front door and rushed |
to the nearest telephone pay station |
to make his confession over the wire. |
Alma's voice at the other end was
soft. and hesitating and entrancingly
sweet: but the hesitation was mad
dening to Bob Noyes.
Tell me now!" he urged impa-
tiently.
II couldn't!" she pleaded. I'll
write you a little note before I go
to bed-honest will, Bob" she ended
in q quavering, childish voice for this
proposal Of marriage even over the
commonplace telephone wire was
a. life stirring thing to her.
II wish you could tell me now and
put me out of my misery" he urged.
Just think. when receive your
note in the morning after a sleep
less night-I'H sit and look at it. not
knowing whether happiness or mis-
cry is concealed under that flap!
Alma-dear!" he coaxed:
any right-yet-and perhaps never"
she added hurriedly. I'll tell you
what I'll do, Bob. I'll let you know
before you even open the note. If it's
good news there will be a blue seal
on the flap of the envelope-and il
it's-not good news. why there will
be a green seal. So you will know
as soon as you receive the letter.
With that arrangement Bob had to
! be contented and Alma having mys-
teriously vanished from her end Of
/ the wire he went to his club to kill
the hours until it was his bedtime.
1 In the morning he would know his
! fate.
! would he be confronted with blue
/ seal or q fatal green one?
All the evening the query haunted
/ him and when he went to bed he
/ dreamed about receiving huge envel-
| opes splashed with green sealing wax
i and containing missives from Alma,
| bearing the fatal mol" in characters
/ ten inches high.
/ Morning brought light Elumber
4 and awakening gave him new hope.
Had not Alma shown him in more
q than one way that she cared for
\ him? Were there not precious
4 fraught with bliss when her eyes had
i met his?
He sat down at breakfast and
looked nervously at the letters neat
Iy piled beside his plate.
j On top was q bill from his tailor
Dunn always had a gruesome way OF
putting these unwelcome mfssfves sc
as to greet his masters matutinal
Il hours.
j Somewhere in that pile of letters
was a little white envelope with q
splash of sealing wax on the flap
4 would it be green or blue? Blue
the color Of hope. or green, the tin,
Of despair?
/ Blue, Of course. he encouraged his
failing heart a. he darted at the let
ters and briskly turned them over.
a All, here was the letter. He
turned 1t over.
'Turned down, by Jove!" he NUT
lin his breast pocket and pushing
: aside his plate. "A cup Of strong
coffee, Dunn. and nothing else" HI
1 ordered.
mot a chop-or a bit Of fruit. sir?'
= protested tho servant.
Nothing
Il The coffee disposed Of he graspe,
the remainder Of his mail, raj
81 through it quickly, ordered Dunn t
s. pack his suitcase and then telephones
IA little golf in the Bermudas viii
cure me!' he decided in his headlon
: way.
Al . o'clock that evening Alma Ra
2 heard with a shock of dismay tina
Bob Noyes had sailed for Bermuda
! that afternoon.
HE wasn't in earnest after all" sh
> said with q pale smile as she dance'
In Bermuda Bob Noyes hated gol
e and bridge and spent his spare tim
I glowering at the unopened letter witt
4 the fatal green seal on the flap.
t "Faithless. after ALL" he groane'
:. beach. "If a pair of blue eyes eve
: said" he shook his head fiercely.
!. At that moment he came face t
j face with Alma Rays brother jack
Y who was staring at him with mali
ciously amused eyes.
D you're looking seedy, Bob, sal
q Jack, after they had shaken hands.
mo reason why 1 should" defende
k the other. I'm fit as a fiddle-hav
t ing no end Of a good time. Surprise
q to see you here at this season"
Governor had poor SPELL wa
detailed to escore him down here: he
y over on the links now. grinntng like
+ Cheshire cat and having no end OF
4 name!'' laughed Jack.
= .sEr-family all well?" asked Bol
= st told you dad was afling. return
ed Jack with a surprised look;
"Oh, yes, Jack dropped the sut
ject in an exasperatine way tne1 ne,
e tied Bob Noyes- What was the ma
h ter with the boy? Did ne know
t. haps. know that Alma was engaged I
t. "Tm going over to see how Dad
IT getting along. said JACK. Come
le Bob's reply. and he was thankfl
IF ~hen he was alone. who could in