The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-28

1
knife in Peters loyal, loving heart
So Susan fell very silent, while Dor
othys voice trickled on. a musical
ripple of words:
with curling golden hair like
| Greek gods; eyes blue and mystic
| as the sea; stra light nose: a firmly
I mooeled mouth and dimpled chin.
Oh, L don't care" pouted Dorothy at
with a dimpled chin is too alluring,"
My word." cried Jimmy Dean
shrilly.
Don't be silly, deari' whispered
shrugged a careless shoulder and with
pink color flying in her cheeks went
on recklessly:
He must be musical-and an
athlete-and fond of all outdoor
sports. He mustn't read anything ex-
cept the newspapers"
m afraid he'd be a horrid pore,"
remarked Susan, drily.
Peter Ford was walking away to-
ward the fish pond
Amid chorus of laughter, Dorothy
completed her description of her ideal
lover, and then. yawning prettily, she
resumed the reading of her book.
The guests scattered to other
amusements, and after a while Dor
othy was left alone. The sun was
sending long. slantiEg shadows across
the green turf and there was a fra
GRANGE of roses from the garden be-
yond the fish pond.
Lazily Dorothy tossed aside her
book and made her way slowly toward
the rose garden.
But the garden was already ten
ated.
Standing before a great bush of
pink roses, his hands grasping the
thorny stems and crushing the masses
of pink bloom against his cheeks, was
Peter Ford.
She stopped and watched him with
growing apprehension. What was
Peter doing there in the rose garden
alone? Why was he standing there
among the roses? Plain, practical
Peter was not given to romance. Dor
othy almost laughed aloud at the very
idea. Peter was anything but senti-
mental.
She went close up to him, and still
he did not turn to greet her.
Timidly she touched his arm.
Peter" she whispered.
He turned a haggard face and
looked down at her from burning
eyes.
"Wen?" he demanded, almost
harshly.
"Oh, Peter-Peter-what is it % she
quavered.
He laughed bitterly and passed a
hand across his eyes.
Nothing, Dorothy, nothing; I've
sort of headache, L believe. Forgive
me for acting like a bear. I'm best
left to myself"
Still Dorothy hesitated.
Il SuppoSe-you think I'm awful
1y silly" she stammered; "a perfect
idiot
You know L never could think any
thing like that about YOU he said.
Il mean silly when talking about
castles and ideal lovers and every
thing. L was hopelessly silly, know
No, you are not that he said, !
slowly, but you are young and beau !
tiful Dorothy. and who could blame
you for desiring a mate to match your
own loneliness? Not l."
1T couldn't make any difference to
you, anyway, Peter" half whispered |
Dorothy. turning her face away from |
him. You wouldn't want to live in |
my CASTLE" ~
Not with that, paragon of perfec-
zion YOU described
Tt wouldn't either." cried Doro-
thy, with astonishing inconsistency. |
I'd be bored to DEATH"
But you said you described your |
IDEAL" protested Peter, lamely.
'But-but,' admitted Dorothy, tear
fully, that description was the exact |
of my ideal. There, You've |
made me say it, Peter Ford!''
Say what's" he demanded, grasping |
her hands and looking into her droop- |
ing lace. Are You playing with me, |
Dorothy
81 couldn't play-when-it means so |
much to me-" she confessed, with |
sweet humility.
There was an eloquent hush in the |
rose garden.
Susan, waiting on the terrace for her |
sister, spied Dorothy coming across
the lawn with Peter Ford. They were
hand in hand like, two happy children.
They paused at the fish pond and |
Susan saw them bending over its tell
tale surface.
Dear old Peter-Tm so glad muir
sympathetic Susan. 1.-The
child, to describe such a pop
Inlay of man when when she adores
Peters ugliness! What are you chill
dren doing?''
Peter and Dorothy lifted their flush
ed faces from the mirror-like pond.
Dorothy answered with a swift wild
rose flush in her rounded cheeks:
Il was showing Peter the face of my
deal lover. '-(Copyright, 1915. by the
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate