The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-03
The Evening Story
Gwennie'S Boots.
BY lola Forester. }

bed in the hotel room the night be-
fore she sailed for England. They
were very nice boots. She had had
them made specially for all those
wonderful tramping jaunts that she
had been planning on for months.
soft flexible calf with the dull gun
metal finish. The heels were not too
high, just what proper walking heel
should be. Altogether they were emf
nently desirable boots.
Il don't see what you can do about
it now" Amy said, in cousinly apathy,
sitting back in her steamer chair, and
looking dreamily over at the studious
the first hour out, and was preparing
for battle already. you can write
to the hotel to save them for YOU
Saye 5nem fbev peRestea GTHn1 ME
chambermaid grabbed them. Maybe
they're not under the bed. Come to
think of it, 1 think 1 stood them just
behind the dressing room door, or was
it in the WardrObe?' ~
wireless after Them murmured
Cecily, the next cousin in the steam
er chair row. cor, wait, can't you
send letters back by the pilot? We
haven't dropped the pilot yet
Thus it happened that a strenuous,
somewhat urgent note went back to
the proprietor of the ST. Alban, the
select private hotel near Gramercy
Park, and the rest of Mr.. Hubert Sea-
bury was disturbed thereby.
He had only taken the room for the
night, and had left an early call, in
tending to sail the following morning
for Southampton. The tap on his door
about IL was disturbing. He did not
know that Gwennie had put a special
delivery stamp on her letter to make
doubly sure of her boots.
"Boots?" he repeated, cropping I'M
der the brass bed. There aren't any
boots here. Whose boots?" ,,,
pleasantly Number threes, black
calf Maybe she left them in the
wardrobe"
All around the bedroom they hunt
ed, and into the small dressing room
and bath until Seabury pulled them
out from behind a door. Something
like a definite thrill passed through
his hand, wrist, arm and so to his
heart from those boots They were
small yet sensible, distinctive yet mod
est. He eyed them reflectively, APP
provingly-
vouchsafed the boy. It's a good thing
the chambermaid didn't cop them"
81 am going to London unused Sea-
bury. Il could easily deliver them: L
sail in the morning. Tell the pro-
prietor I'll bring them down myself.
And being persuasive and respect
able appearing individual, he succeed
ed in getting the boots into his per-
sonal custody, as it were, and had CIV
en- his word that they should be de-
livered to Miss Gwendolin Marsh, Z
Willoughby square, Crescent Park,
London w.
shes to be there until the 7th,"
added the man at the desk.
II land the 6th,' returned Seabury,
reassuringly, and the boots went into
his suitcase next to his pigskin brush
case and a volume of French idioms.
The boat was overdue, and it was
the night of the 7th when he drew up
in a cab before Willoughby square.
He had not even gone to a hotel, but
bolted straight for Crescent Park. 1t
was a charming place, but the maid
at the door informed him that Miss
Marsh and her cousins had left for
Scotland with their aunt, Mrs. Cav
endish Leland. The address was Cav
endish Lodge, Dunlevy.
Seabury ascertained the exact spot
in the Highlands where Dunlevy lay,
rested overnight, Stunned London,
Only one thing he had gained from
the maid. He had asked her quite
casually whether Miss Marsh had red
dish hair, rather short.
'Lor, no, sir. It's as fair as a
baby's and down to her waist"
When he got back to his hotel, he
put the boots up on the table before
him, lit his pipe, and leaned over the
back of a chair, regarding them with
such a wealth of imaginative detail
that all obstacles melted way, and he
found himself slipping them on their
owners feet like the happy prince in
Cinderella.
Dunlevy was a jewel nesting in the
heather. He made inquiries at the
inn, and engaged a cart to take him
UP to Cavendish Lodge 1t was a
drive of eight miles. He carried the
boots tenderly on his knees all the
way. The drive wound up past tall
lodge gates, through quiet park, and
ended before a quaint gray stone
house. A gardener seemed the only
human being around the place. He
was on his knees, shipping at the low
hedge.
Mrs Leland haze gang ava for the
week. he said. ITO the isles
Seabury took off his cap and wiped
his forehead. Had the young ladies
gone also to the isles? They had.
For cruise among the Hebrides with
Sir Archie kincardie's party.
1t is an excellent thing to come
from New England stock. The pa
thence and endurance of the Pilgrim
fathers hold one steady under many
trials. Seabury drove calmly back to
the inn, engaged rooms and settled
down to wait, with the boots.
But the days dragged, and he be-
hill paths, and through the glens
and he found that another wandered
over them daily. Sometimes she rode
past him, just a fleeing glimpse he
had, and again he saw her ahead of
him on the deep glen path or climb
ing the rocks above some quiet loch.
Finally there came a day when she
drove down to the village, and he
caught her buying camera films at
his favOrlte store She was a bonnie
Highland lass, too, blue eyed and fair
haired. with a way of looking at one