The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-23

use postage Stamps 1or the OouDie pui
pose of stamping and sealing, without
which Toms unique mailing PROPOSE
ton lost one of it's chief charms, ana
he could not interest the firm in any
of his numerous suggestions for SUD
stitute.
Soon after all these business liS-
haps he went for a weekend mouse
party at Hillcrest Lodge, the home OF
Betty's bachelor uncle, George WI
son. There he was thrown still deep
er into despair by seeing Betty accept
with evident Willingness the chivairic
attentions of on aarles Arthur
Mowhray, a tall, dark, dreamy eyeu
young man, said to have returned out
recently from long stay in the orient
As the son of her uncle's old college
chum, he was invited TO Hlllcresl
Lodge, where his delneatlon OF lle
legends of the orient was CHIEF en-
tertainment feature for Betty anu
some of the other girls in the mouse
party. Added to this young man
was the appealing way in which he oc-
casionally made reference between
heavy signs to tragic romance in MS
own life while in the orient.
Another legend, have no DOUBT,
thought Tom when he heard the story
when a good looking chap backs Up
his own tale of woe with a lot OF ro-
mantle stuff about some faraway land
it puts a halo around ms neao 1or
every girl who listens to him.
The morose mood brought on py
such reflections did not enable Tom TO
shine in comparison with the easy
suave, f1attering chivalry OF MoWbray-
And Betty, being young and pretty
and fond of novelty and of flattery,
was yisibly impressed. 1t seemed 70
Tom tn no matter where ne turned
he found this man with Betty-Slttlng
ont dances with her in the evening,
walking in the garden with her in the
morning, sitting beside her at lunch-
con and at all times pouring out IN
that deep but subdued voice legends,
legends. legends.
sPlI bet he's a crook for sure" said
Jack Chisholm as they packed their
suitcases Sunday night preparatory to
returning to town. when 1ehoW'
purrs like a cat always look out for
cats claws to show themselves sooner
or later
Tom refrained from the profane &C
uuiescence he felt with merely,
'Should not be surprised"
He had made up his mind to have a
few minutes alone with Betty before
he left and he hurried downstairs
after his packing to find her one of an
interested group listening to yet an
other legend of MOwbray'S. When the
story ended the talker was drawn into
a conversation with his host and Tom
lost no time in capturing Betty.
1--WE scarcely had a glimpse OF you,
Betty" he said. MAY 1 steal you
away from the others long enough to
show YOU the pretueSt OCTOBER moon
on record p" Out on the broad porch
Betty clapped her hands rapturously
as she saw the great golden disk hang
ing Just above the horizon and throw
ing weird shadows through the bare
trees.
"Oh, isn't it lovely?" she exclaimed.
Lovely enough to have an oriental
setting instead of commonplace mod
ern landscape gardening and archl-
lecture
Commonplace! Gee whiz, Betty"
protested Tom, look at that sweep OF
brown fields on the left and that mass
of tree-studded hills on the right, and
this big, comfy home on the h1ghest
hill of them all. Anything common
place about it all 2"
There is a certain rugged beauty
about it, agreed Betty, but it doesn't
suggest romantic legends like oriental
| lands must do"
s.Oh I don't know" said Tom, who
had learned from his advertising work
not to let any personal anger get IN the
way of landing a cOntract-and he
realized that he was now trying for the
most important contract he ever hoped
to land. Cant you imagine some
Iroquois maiden and her heap big
hunter trysting hereabout when 1t was
the land of the red man? You know
we're too busy leading lives today to
concern ourselves much with Legendary,
but in its own good time our land will
have it's legends"
But isn't it a pity that ours is Such
IA prosy age?' asked Betty.
"PrOsy? But is it? Modern men
are fighting dragons and conquering
difficulties as never before"
Betty did not reply and a moment
later Tom continued, 1.-The same old
moon that shines on those faraway
| lands condesends to shine on ours,
and not quite the same, but a better
sort of love grows up in the hearts of
1 nff
hadn't meant to tell you yet, but INV
heart is bursting with love for you.
I'm fighting dragons for you every
day. When I've conquered enough of
them to take care of you safety, will
you let me claim you?
| Betty's eyes were dreamy and her
| hands were unresisting as Tom took
| them in his own, but just as she be-
gan to lift her eyes to meet Toms de-
vouring gaze the hall door opened and
the tall. slender figure of Mowbray
emerged. With a cat-Iike swiftness he
approached until quite near them.
Then in his purring voice he reminded
Betty that she had promised to play
his accompaniment while he sang
| Beside the Shalamar.'
Betty and her mother remained at
| Hillcrest after the other guests de-
parted, and Monday evening after
| dinner, when the ladies had finished
| their coffee in the library, George
| Wilson lighted a fresh cigar and
| joined them there.
| well, we've seen the last of our
Oriental guest, hope" he began, ana
| Betty shot him a surprised look from
where she sat toasting her toes before
| the wood fire. You see, Mowbray
came into my office last week with a
| tale about being here to get local color
for a novel in preparation, and while
/ saw at once that he was not without
weaknesses, L didn't suspect that he
was the degenerate I've since learned
he is. His faultless manners were so
like his fathers that 1 assumed he
had some of the deeper good traits of
his father, and so invited him out
here. His evident uneasiness when /