The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-08
The Evening Story
Her Masters Voice.
(By Cora o. MOrton.)

(By Cora o. Morton.)
| Billy Hinton squared his broad
shoulders against the mantelpiece
and looked down at Gerta Roswell's
blrshing. downcast face. She sat in
a low chair. her slender fingers play
| ing with the laces Of her gown. There
was the crown Of her dusky hair. a
glimpse Of white brow, a fringe of
| II am sorry, Billy she said mis-
erably, when she could bear the si-
| lence no longer. =
| AS she uttered the words all the
light died out of Billy's eyes and his
fps settled down into q tense line.
Don't feel badly about me, Gerta
I. only thOught-but of course, it's
Littleton-he's a lucky fellow grit
ted Billy through his teeth. He even
managed a smile that was CHASTITY.
Gerta looked up with startled eyes:
her lips were white as her cheeks.
from which the color had fled. There
was a frightened expression in her
| face.
Hilton reddent l to his ears. For
give me, Gerta," he stammered. I'm
a laundering fool-forget that mem
toned any one e. ="
| Before Gerta could reply there was
a discreet knock at the door and q
servant entered with q florists box.
Gerta united the strings and looked at
the fragrant, long-stemmed roses. A
card was conspicuously placed.
Mr.. Jeffrey Irving Littleton," was
engraved there and scrawled beneath
wer l. few penciled words:
BE ready at 8 to accompany me to
the Gounod concert" :
I Gerta sent the roses away and
thoughtfully touched the bowl Of fra
grant violets on the table beside her
the violets had been Billy's Offering
| Moderate viOlets at shOckingly extrav-
CANT prices for poor
Billy, who was clerk in a bank. OF
course, Jeffrey Littleton could have
chids at any price. Jeffrey was ROLL
| ing in money and he was one Of the
board Of directors Billy's bank.
| II am sorry. Billy" repeated Gerta
after awhile. ~fse
| Don't be sorry any more laughed
Billy nervously. BE glad that I've
got it off my mind-Fve loved you
all my life. Gerta, ever since we
played together as XII. but when
yO', came home from thA..s trip around
the world with Littleton dangling in
your train. felt 1t in my bones that
| there wouldn't be any show for me-
I hope you'll be happy dear, and that
what I want to say!" He squeezed
her hand SO hard that she almost
cried aloud with the pain. but she es-
| sayed a fearful smile and SO Billy dis
| appeared for awhile. s!Est
When she was alone, Gerta sat there
She had mucn to consider Billy was
| right.
Jeffrey Littleton had dangled after
her ever since her debut four years
ago; other men had been relocated to
the background for jeffrey was always
In attendance, her devoted cavalier, her
favored swain. He claimed most of the
dances on her program, she wore his
flowers. sang his favorite songs and
read the books that he recommended
and they shared a secret in common.
And this was the secret: While all the
world supposed them to be engaged the
fact was that jeffrey had never asked
| Gerta to marry him! He was always
leading up to the momentous question,
ever skating on the thin ice of actual
confession of iove-and always break
ing off in the very nick of time.
| Because she loved him Gerta Roswell
had suffered this in silence. Her love
was greater than her pride: but of late
there mad come an anxious expression
| in her eyes and unconfessed fear that
jeffrey considered himself free to love
and marry any other girl and yet, she
had been SO certain Of him and trusted
SO fully in his Cnspoken declaration Of
love. that she did not even resent 1t.
When jeffrey had spoken Of their plans
for the future, just as IL he had actual
ly proposed to her and been accepted
or, and the thought whipped her PRIDE
as though it were a matter which
he had settled in his own mind and
because Of that 1t was necessary to
ask her consent. He was her master
In his demeanor was an air Of tri-
umphant possession that stung her
while it thrilled her-for he was SO
dear to her; he had wooed her so
tenderly that she had unconsciously
lost her heart to him and she had
watted-was waiting now for Jeffrey
Littleton to speak.
Even Billy Hinton had supposed she
was engaged to jeffrey. She would
have given precious year Of her life
to have answered his question proudly:
Yes, I am engaged to Jeffrey Little
ton"
/ But she could not.
Her eyes fell to the card she was
twisting In her fingers. Jeffrey's card
with it's command. How she had al
ways meekly obeyed his commands. His
| note among the roses: BE ready at 8
4 cert" was the command.
I AS she sat there. miserable and self
abashed, sudden temptation came TO
her. She drew a sheet Of paper toward
her and wrote q. note. sending it out
by q special messenger.
jeffrey LittletOn came first. He was
standing before the fire In the draw
ing room when Gerta trailed her pale
Il violet dFnperieS intn thereon She