The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-10
The EUening Story
The Third Time Charms.
(By Catharine Creamery

| 1Iey say II 5 TO get DdDtGS OF
widowers through their second sum-
mers," mumbled Jack Ellis to himself.
but it'll be miracle if Dorothy
Leigh gets through her second season
without becoming engaged. She's
pretty. popular, wealthy, adorable-in
other words, just Dorothy
Jack frowned at the awful POSSIBLE
tiles of the case. He was in love with
Dorothy, but would not be in a secure
| enough financial position to propose
| to her before January, when he would
be taken into the firm as a director.
| The present uncertainty of business
| conditions gave him occasional doubts.
| Thunder and lightning! Business
has got TO grow" he exclaimed, light
| ing his sixth cigarette in ten minutes.
ana springing out of the low armchair
where he had been half reclining.
With hands in his pockets, he made
rapid strides back and forth in his
den. He tried to devise ways and
means for selling two reams of paper
where he had before sold but one, but
ever between his frowning gray eyes
| and the complicated paper market
| there rose the vision of brown-haired,
brown-eyed, peachy-skinned Dorothy,
and ever about her were swarms of
admiring men including everything
! from callow youths just out of col
| 1ege to the blase roue.
'Biff!'' and Jacks right fist cupped
| into his left hand with thud. His
set jaw and narrowed eyes indicated
what he'd like to do to any man who
dared to go near Dorothy. At the
same moment he determined to go to
her that very day and offer her his
heart, asking her to let him add his
modest fortunes, which would be
greater within the year. "And with
Dorothy as the goal. what mountains
of difficulty could stop me or even de-
tain me ?''
In frenzy Of love and hope and a
rather foolish certainty of success,
Jack made a careful afternoon toilet
and went swinging along the few
blocks to Dorothy's home. Head up,
eyes shining, he was quite uncon-
scious of the adniring chances he re-
ceived from the many girls taking
their Sunday afternoon stroll to the
park.
But alas for mushroom hopesi AS
he passed through the iron gateway
leading into the residence street
where Dorothy lived, he stiffened at
the sight of Henry Ardmore's shining
black automobile rolling noiselessly
toward him, with Dorothy and Ard
more In its roomy rear seat. Ardmore
leaned forward and faced Dorothy
just in time partially to obscure the
glory of her charming smile of greet
ing to Jack.
why can't that old fossil stay at
his club, where such as he belong?"
was Jacks mental query as he passed
nothing of interest for him.
1t was only 4 o'clock and the late
autumn afternoon was one of rare
beauty, so rare. indeed, that to Jack
there seemed no means of doing it
justice except in Dorothy's company.
Bereft OF that, he went home, took
out his car, and went for an aimless
run into the country. He avoided the
country club lest he should seem to be
trailing Dorothy and Ardmore, who
would probably stop there for tea.
With little thought of speed regula-
lions little interest in which turn
he took where roads diverged, he
rushed on. The short afternoon faded
behind a brilliant sunset that was fol-
lowed almost Immediately by dark
ness, and fast moving clouds over
spread the, entire sky.
Rounding a corner at a pretty good |
pace, Jack had to bring his car to an
--'--+ ~t~- - o--~'d danger of col |
liding with two disa b1ed cars viii
,. each other. with /
dead engines and anxious passengers. |
Jack recognized the one headed for /
the city as Ardmore's. He promptly t
offered any possible aid, and his heart |
beats broke all speed records when the |
task assigned him was to take Dor
othy cityward lest the approaching |
storm break before the damaged car
could be repaired sufficiently to make
the trip.
With wicked thankfulness that his
little gray roadster could accommo-
Dorothy in and drove off feeling
luckier than Aladdin when his lamp
was at it's best. He noted little of
the details of Dorothy's account of
the accident, but made her reiterate
her assurance of her own complete
though Fate had snatehed one oppor-
tunity from him she had flung an
other at his feet, Jack decided it was
up to him to make the most of his
opportunity.
Dorothy he began, just as they
entered the park, on whose smooth
and much curved roadways he was
willing for once to observe the speed
But he never got any
further with his speech, for a big lin
and Dorothy's father called her name
Is he stepped from the door.
'-Ardrnore's chauffeur telephoned
hat there had been an accident, but
he connection was SO poor that I
couldn't get the straight of what had
become of you, SO / started out to see
f 1 could find you along the way It's
lucky we met here in the light" con-
,Iuded John Leigh.
Although Jack thought it most I'm {
lucky to have met at all, he did not
ay so, but accepted their cordial in
'itation to tea, consoling himself with I
vague recollection of the alleged c
harm of ali third attempts against !
allure, and he determined that he
would make a third attempt to pro-
,ose before he left Dorothy.
Dorothy was charmingIy flushed /
nd exuberant and her parents were
penly demonstrative of their joy at c
Ter escape from injury and of their /
'ratitude to Jack for bringing her B
lone. In the little family group Jack
egan to feel quite at home. After g
upper he enjoyed rare cigar with Q
ohm Leigh, while they discussed bust a
eSs conditions Inwardly, though, he v
7as longing for an opportunity to be t
lone with Dorothy. when a frighten-
d servant girl burst into the living d