The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-03
The Euening Story
A Timely Tip.
(By Catherine Cranmer. }

made there by Miss Amy Masterson,
who is summering with her aunt. Mrs.
d'Laittre, at her handsome cottage.
Gerald Mason flung the offending
newspaper containing this unwelcome
announcement all the way across the
dining room of his mothers big house,
| of which he was the only occupant ex-
| cept the caretaker and the cook. After
a lonely dinner, with a lonely evening
facing him, this gossipy item was like
a slap in his face, for business held
him in the city while Amy Masterson
fitted about at a summer resort, and
business had summoned him to anoth-
er city right on the eve of Amy's de-
parture, thus preventing even salts
factory goodbye to her. The paper
market had fluctuated and flared as
often as had his feelings for Amy,
and his hopes that she might enter
| tain some tender feeling for him had
been equally intermittent.
| AS he read this gossip of the So
ciety column, Gerald realized the dan
ger of remaining away from Amy at
this time, and as he reflected upon the
complicated state of the paper mar
ket, he realized the danger of remain
ing away from business long enough to
make more than flying visit to the
distant place where Amy was sum-
mering He cursed his luck that his
business was not corn meal or gar
den seed, or some other thing which
would not be affected by far-away
war.
With the queer way one has of look
ing back again at something that is
| loathsome sight, he walked over,
picked up the paper, and once more
read the pert comment about Amy. A
moment later, he stalked across the
room and into the telephone closet,
| where he called up a railway ticket
office and engaged berth on the
midnight train for the Atlantic coast.
Fifteen minutes later he was throw
| ing things into a handbag and sur
veying the contents of huge suit case
| to see if he had put in all the necessi-
ties of a three-day trip.
| a weekend visit to Amy's summer
resort seven hundred miles away was
a mere sandwich of two tiresome rail-
| way journeys with an evanescert bit
of pleasure crowded between. Gerald
| arrived at his de: sination Saturday
| afternoon ana learned from Amy's
aunt that his day letter to Amy had
never reached her, as she was off on
an automobile trip and the time for
her return was vaguely indicated as
| some time Sunday
"Of all the ninnyhammers outside
the home for the feehleminded I'm the
| least likely to remain out. Why didn't
I make sure Amy would be here be-
fore coming all that distance on a
three-day limit?'' These and other
thoughts as cherries crowded each
other in Geralds mind, but he man.
aged to be courteously attentive to
Mrs d'Laittre, vaguely hoping there
by to gain an advantage with her
niece
Although the aunt was cordial to
him, he could see that she was equally
| cordial to several other young men,
| each of whom he suspected of having
| hat ha
Her aunt explained her absence as be-
ing motor trip with the Martins"
and Gerald wondered whether the
Martins" included any unmarried
male eligibles.
After an evening call at Mrs. dLait-
tres cottage, Gerald strolled along the
| board walk, listened to the music and
watched the crowds until he began to
feel lonely by reason of no one in all
that throng having any personal in
terest in him or for him He went in
a cafe and ordered something as an
excuse to have som where to sit and
something to do. At table rery near
| him a pretty woman and two men
were seated.
| Don't look so cut up, Percy" said
the woman, addressing a bored look
ing blond youth with an eyebrow mus
tache and faultless evening clothes as
mime conquest. Amy Masterson will
be back tomorrow, and If she hasn't
become engaged by that time to that
tremendously rich old uncle of the
Martins you may probably be able to
have her all to yourself for-perhaps
half an hour. Eth. Mr.. MAXWELL"
This to the older man at her side.
| Better not count on more than
twenty minutes. Percy" the older man
laughed. Mrs. d'Laittre tells me a
young Lochinvar has come from way
out of the west and that he'll be paw
ing up the sand with Impotence until
she arrives, or words to that effect"
The party then rose and passed
| from the room and Gerald g1ared
gloomily after them. He drank the
drink he had ordered without appar-
ent enjoyment. and. reassuring the
anxious waiter with a fairly generous
room at the hotel. He was angry at
hearing Amy's name tossed about
from one man to another and he had
a sickening fear of that ridiculous rich
uncle of the Martins becoming en-
gagged to her before he, the young
Lochinvar, had chance to do any,
thing more effective than paw up the
sand.
But a roomy bed and a sea breeze
| through the window after a night and
half day on cindery train brought
their logical result of sound and rest
! full sleep, so that the next morning
Gerald awoke refreshed and with re-
newed courage to compete with his
rivals for Amy's favor.
| Eleven, II and even 1 o'clock came
on Sunday. but neither Amy nor any
message from her came. Gerald, who
had been invited to dine at her aunt's.
appeared punctually and tried hard,
but failed entirely, to contribute one
mans share of the light conversation
among the half dozen guests around
| the dinner table. AS the diners left
the table and went into the long liv-
ing room, there was the sound of a
motor horn at the curb, and all rushed
to the open French windows in time