The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-01
EVENING STORY
The Counterpart.
(By Keith Kenyon.

SuSy opened ana closed ner IAN I'M
patiently while Bob went on pleading
ly: you used to care. Sue. I'm posi-
tive you did. At least you were aw
fur nice to me, and at the Washing
tor. ball you didn't mind q bit when
/ took six dances. It's all can do
now to get one"
Bob, you're greedy Just because
1t happened that you got more than
your share of dances once you expect
the same thing forever. Can't you see
it's impossible? About twenty men
have asked me for dances tonight.
Count it up yourself. How can I give
every one of them six?"
You are begging the question, Sue.
If one must use plain English, here
goes: You know 1 love you. told
you SO two months ago, and you
promised to answer my question in a
week. That was the week Bert Ew-
ing came, and you scarcely looked my
you forget that I'm still waiting. I
can't stand this suspense any longer.
what is It to be-yes or no. Sue"
The spring evening was warm and
to them through open doors and win
dows. Above, moon almost full
looked down upon a wonderful world
of lilacs, hyacinths and tulips. The
girl and the man wandered down the
gravel path until they came to the
impotence on such a night, in such
a garden, with the distant strain of
music in the air.
She temporized Suppose it's no."
It's just about what I expected"
bitterly.
It was the spark needed to send the
finder into flame.
You're jealous-that's what you
are, and I'm sure it would be any
thing but heavenly bliss to spend the
-nrf Nf O.
say no since you're so anxious to hear
it. And please remember that that
means I have right now to be nice
to whosoever I please-Bert Ewing
OF any one else" !.
Bob made no answer. The music
had stopped and the return to the
house was made in silence.
-SuSy convinced herself that she had
done exactly right in refusing Bob. III
I had said yes to him tonight, that
of my days. He would never let me
dance with any one else. or take
walks, or go motoring with any one
but him. And after we were married
he'd lock me up for fear of another
person looking at me-"
But that night, after she got into
bed. somehow things looked different.
The despair in Bob's eyes had gone
straight to her heart and stayed there.
So she cried herself to sleep and
oredHieu tnat Sne was eioplng with
Bert Ewing and that Bob, with the
same heartbroken look, was following
on motorcycle. She stood up and
held her hands out to him just as the
cycle disappeared over an embank-
ment. She woke with a scream.
Bob, Bob!" she cried. "Ohl 1
thought he was dead!" And she sob
bed softly into her pillow.
Daylight lightened her remorse,
however. She realized now that al
though she was sure she loved Bob,
she was just as certain that he was
unduly Jealous. And so her busy BRAN
Matched plan that was calculated to
set everything right In the future. Sic
would cure Bobs jealousy by making
him believe she was going to marry
some one else and then. when he had
given up all hope forever and ever,
she would tell him the truth and
marry him upon the condition that
she could do just as she pleased.
A simple mo- might be final with
some people. but Susy knew Bobs
persistency, and that, like truth, once
crushed to earth, he was likely to rise
again. The only way she knew was
Bob she meant what she said.
So she wrote the following letter to
Bert Ewing and dispatched it forth
with:
Dear Bert: You told me to count
upon you when 1 needed a friend.
do need one now. and 1 want you to
do me an unusual favor. l don't want
to be engaged to you for two reasons
first, because / don't love you, and
second, because you don't love me
but would it be convenient to let peo-
pie think we are for a little while?
You see q may as well tell YOU'D it's
Bob. He's so jealous and I want to
cure him before 1 take him for good
and all. I refused him last night.
SUE
To which letter Bert replied in the
affirmative. declaring his intention of
spending the next two weeks in town
anyway and saying they could "fix
things up"
So Bert arrived and, by paying Susy
constant attention and acting the part
of the devoted lover, the rumor soon
got abroad that they were engaged
But to Susy's CONSERVATION. the eff
feet upon Bob was not all that could
have been desired. Just as she had
predicted, in spite of his hopeless look
the night she had refused him he had
rebounded with great elasticity. but in
spite of all her scheming it was not
in her direction. His spirits had
risen like a barometer on bright
sunny day, the cause being apparently
pretty Isabel Fleming. whose brother
happened to be Bert Ewing's host.
Bert took Susy to dances and pic
mics, motoring, walking and riding.
In the mornings they played golf or
tennis and apparently had nc desire
for any other society than their OWL.
But it was all lost on Bob. who was
so busy enjoying himself that he Lad
no time to see.
Secretly Susy ragged. 'Bob's making
q perfect goose of himself. The idea
of pretending to be SO completely an
INITIATED when said no. Why. he's
SO crazy about that Fleming girl he's
got everybody in town talking about
theni I think she ought to be
ashamed of herself. too, She knows
he's always cared for me and she is
doing all she can to get him away
from me-
Bert had to leave finally. and Susy