The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-20
The Euening Story
His Girl of Dreams.
{ by IzOIa FORESTER.
nallin0

| MIR. Broderick calling"
| Steve heard the girl at the switch
board announce his name. He turned
away toward the elevators as she nod
ded to him to go up. Miss Meredith
was in.
| Her rooms were on the fourth floor,
/ at the end of the corridor, the boy
| told him when he stepped off, and he
passed along the green and gold pas
sage, thinking of the past ten years.
| 1t had been quite that long since he
| had seen her out at the ranch. She
| had been q girl of sixteen, fresh from
the same school as his sister Polly.
| He was seventeen then, a big, awk-
ward western yCungster, out herdlng
cattle week after week. and she had
seemed like all the girls of romance
he had ever read or heard of all in
one.
He wondered if her hair was as
curly and blonde as it had been then,
and her eyes, big, lustrOuS disturbing
eyes, as blue and full of mischief as
when he had lost more sleep over
them than over any maverick that
ever strayed away
She must have known that he loved
her even then, even although ne had
not dared breathe word to her. not
first love affair. He would as soon
have raised his face to the evening
star and called it Sweetheart"
So she had come back east after
the summer out on the Crazy j. He
had often wondered if she had mar
RED this girl of his dreams. Some
how the very memory of her had
been a fragrance in his life, a power
to hold him back from paths of dali
lance. IF he should ever happen to
meet her again, he wanted to be able
to look her in the eyes and tell her
what she had been to him.
He had come east a few days be-
fore on a quick business trip and had
met Polly's husband on the street.
Polly was in Virginia, Jack said, visit
ing his people. He was sorry, but
their place in town was closed.
Have you called on Edith" he
asked suddenly. 'She's been at the
Plaza with her mother for the last
week They're bound for Spring
Glade, the Meredith place down on the
Jersey coast"
steve had left him with every nerve
of memory tingling. He had hailed
taxi with a curious sense of determi-
nation. Ten years since he had seen
her, and there had not been day
that he had not thought of her. He
had made straight for the hotel and
now he was outside her door. Just
for an instant he hesitated, then
pressed the electric button at the
side.
The door opened and Edith stood
there She was all in white, some
summary, dainty gown, with her face
came the quick, glad look of recogni-
ton into her dear eyes as she stretched
out both hands toward him.
why, Stevei'' she cried. steve
Broo erick, how did you ever find me?"
He tried to speak, but the words
stuck fast in his throat. He wanted
to tell her then and there just all she
had been to him since the old days,
just what it meant to him to see her
again and hear her voice, but as she
hi Io1 I1an he a
There were only two in the whole
world for the moment-his girl and
himself-and he loved her.
AS his arms caught her close, she
back, but he held her fast and kissed
her. And suddenly he felt her stop
trying to get away. felt her return
his kiss shyly.
waited ten years to see you again.
Don't try to break away from me.
Don't you care one bit?''
Edith laughed up at him, her head
lying back on his shoulder.
steve, you big, silly boy" she said
softly, however did you dare to
do it?''
He released her, but held both her
hands close in his, looking at her with
a new expression in his eyes. He had
come with all the shyness and anxiety
of the boy, dreading almost to look at
her and feel the old spell of her beauty
was changed.
ST don't know" he answered, 81 was
afraid I'd lose you"
why didn't you ever find me,
goose? she leased. 81 thought you
had forgotten me-
"I met Jack he said. HE told me
Polly's in Virginia, and he was afraid
I'd be lonely here
She smiled mischievouSly-
And if you hadn't met him you
never would have even taken the
trouble to find out whether I was alive
or dead"
Sweetheart 1 don't dare. Just
that didn't dare. I've thought of
you by day and night, riding the range
ana herding cattle under the stars up
wonder in those mountains, and I've
sung every love song 1 ever knew to
YOU and dreamed of you and longed
for you, but l didn't have the plain, |
everyday grit to come after you and |
get you. Maybe 1 was afraid to risk |
it A mans naturally got to have |
some pluck and nerve % risk every |
hope of his life on one throw. don't |
you known
She listened. the smile gone from |
her face, and in it's place a curiously |
tender, womanly look, as if she knew |
and understood all that the lonely |
years and the boyish hope had /
meant to him.
He drew her nearer, hungrily.
And you never forgot me, Edith ?"
q write to Polly always just to /
hear about YOU" she whispered
you've come east to look after the |