The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-22
The Euenine Story

(By Louise Oliver.)

/ L had begun to hope that his silence
was portentous of something-that he
had been busy with other things. But
| if so-he doesn't give an intimation
of it here. Read it for yourself.
| Philip Mercer lighted cigarette
and held out his hand. Golf. boating
and so on. Ell? Anything but a girl!
Is that the trouble, sis? I can't see
why you're so blamed anxious to have
| him married"
| You are living example of what /
! don't want him to be, Philip"
What! A happy care-free bachelor
of forty-oddi No bad habits, as habits
go, a perfectly good cotillion leader,
never out of sorts, ready to work
overtime a filler at all my married
friends dinner parties, pascal bly, good
looking
Mrs Baldridge paid no attention.
You know you need an anchor, Phil
Up. You are merely nonentity float
ing around this way and never getting
anywhere. When you are as old as
am you'll wish you had put in to some
good port and settled down for life.
| Frankly, 1 don't want Tom to be like
you. l want him to fall in love with
some sweet girl and settle down. The
earlier the better! What greater am
bition can a man have than to devote
his time to making some good woman
happy?
1 thought-you see-I didn't know. 1t
was all SO long ago I thought it was
over" She laid her hand contritely on
his arm.
The shadow passed from his face
and he patted her hand affectionately.
IT'S all right, sis. 1 think myself it's
all over-then something happens to
bring it back. Therei I'll love Pauline
\ till my dying day. 1 can't help it,
Maybe she's dead. don't know. Nine
teen years is a long time and navy Of
| finarG Ri1f
only person l ever cared about and I'll
never marry any one now"
| Cheer up, Philip, I'll ring for tea
you need reinforcing. My motto: When
man gets melancholy-feed him.
Don't doctor his Hver-just fill up his
stomach. Here we are-with some of
| Milly's raisin rolls too. Isn't that sun
shine enough to make the angels
sing! What a changeable day. It's
like our livesi Highlights and shad-
ows! We need tbe shadows to appre-
ciate the sun. don't believe I'd like
Summer Beach where Tom ISL
| Philip took a roll. Don't you? I've
about decided to go there myself and
l was going to suggest that you go
along,''
How impulsive you are, Phil, L
don't believe you ever thought of such
a thing until this minute. OF course
1 can't go, thank your
| IF you like, I'll undertake to be a
| iIldlrlIiOHldl SulOe LOT your son. GU
see, / take like hot cakes wherever I
go-all the mamas will introduce me
to their daughters and, in turn, I can
introduce them to
Hush! You conceited goose, But
run along if you really want to go.
When I think of it L believe it will be
good for Tom to have you there. And
1 think you need a change. Phil,
dear suddenly leaning forward
with eyes full of sympathy-"Im
sorry, SO sorry I spoke the way 1 did
Now good-by. I've an errand to do
before dinner
1t was late in the season for Sum-
mer Beach. Many of the winter So
I journers had gone north to replenish
wardrobes for the summer campaign
and arrange for the opening of sum-
mer homes on mountain and lake. But
enough of gayety remained at the
hotel to fill the quiet moonlit night
with sounds of laughter and music.
Two men, Philip Mercer. and his
nephew, Tom Baldridge, had dinner
on the terrace, where a cool, soft
breeze blew from the sea. The smoke
from their cigars was waited across
the terrace to another table, at which
a girl and an older man were finishing
their dessert. The girl turned and
Philip Mercer caught her glance A
startled glance it was, for he was on
his feet in an instant staring as
though he had seen ghost. Then
seeing n6I Amusement, ne sank PACK
to his chair He flung his cigar over
the rail and mopped his forehead.
THAT girl, Tom-who is she?''
Patricia Talbot
And who is the man?''
81 don't know-it's the first time
I've seen him. 1 don't know her very
well. Just met her yesterday. Her
daddy, maybe. What's the matter,
Philip"
rs her mother here?"
81 don't know anything about them.
l met her on the beach and only talk
ed with her for little while
Something in Toms tone caught the
older man, something that conveyed
to him that the few minutes had been
very precious and a hope that chance
might offer more opportunities.
She is beautiful. And she is the
image of some one 1 used to know
I don't know the name of the man she
married. The family took her to ia
pan where she met an Americana
lieutenant in the navy-and married
him. I never knew his name. 1t may
have been Talbot
Philips face had gone gray He
got up Il think I'll walk on the
beach-a1one Tom. I've a headache
and don't feel like talking"
II believe I'll do the boy more good
by keeping away from him." he
thought, as he walked down the palm
covered path to the beach Patricia
Patricia Talbot
The beach, hard as a stone, where
the tide had receded, showed white
and glistening in the moonlight.
Philip strobe along the edge of the
water. not hearing the soft lap, re-
gard1ess of time and distance
Thoughts and feelings he had thought
dead twenty years were tormenting
him-just because he had seen a
face that reminded him of his old
sweetheart He despised himself now
for fool. Why, instead of running
off, hadn't he waited to meet Toms
friends? That would have ended the
misery What was he afraid of?
Afraid to find out that the girl he
had loved was after all but a MEM
Dry? Afraid the man at the other