The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-08
The EUening Story
Chaperon for Kate.
(By Ellis Gray.)

would look quite all right for us both
to so. and I'll be chaperon."
What will I be?' asked Kate eau
tiously She sat before the dressing
table. carefully tapping her freckles
with a nice little pad of absorbent
cotton dipped in witch hazel and per-
oxide Things were awfully slow at
the hotel. One had to find some di-
version for idle moments.
Mrs. Cranston wrote letters. Not at
a desk, but curled up in the wide
winged armchair, wrapped in a gray
kimono lined with pumpkin olored
silk Kate, with her smooth, dark
hair combed sleekly back and her
large. uncompromising gray eyes. al
ways felt a thrill of expectancy when
her cousin went forth after adventure.
After four years of wealthy widow
hood, she really seemed almost to lis
ten for fate to call her to new ro-
nance.
tell you even his name, my lonely lord
of the highlands. Isn't that good
name for him? Wen ride up the
mountain tomorrow and pretend that
you are studying research work or
that we've lost our way"
whats he iike?" Hates tone was
mildly interested. Winifred's interest
in these cases was usually SO fitting
that 1t hardly paid one even to get de-
tailed descriptions.
well, he's twenty-four."
you always run a kindergarten"
Katherine, after all, you know, I'm
not quite decrepit."
Thirty last September" said Kate
daringly. But you do carry it beau
tifullY. 1 love you in that brown, with
the misty blde waist and touch of gold
lace. 1t makes your eyes look like
l. -
all fluffed out. They're wearing II
banded in. Honestly, Win, at college
some of the girls just hauled their hair
back so tight it seemed as if their eyes
looked slanty like the Chinese. And
they hung a Jewel pendant on a band
of black velvet right across the brow.
1t looks like Cleopatra"
Il like mine fluffy" Winifred ran
her fingers through her fair, wavy hair
and laughed. He used to like it this
way when the wind blew it loose"
Whats his profession ?" Kate never
asked what a man looked like or how
much he was worth. 1t was what he
aimed at that interested her m ostly-
why, 1 don't know exactly. 1 know
he's a consulting engineer, don't you
know. They send him out first to
look over a big project and estimate
burrow through Bald Eagle Knob-he
railroad people, L mean"
Bald Eagle? Isn't it the other
NJ mountain over this way? Colonel
Ames says if the road goes that way
it ruins Amesville, and he's sunk
every last cent into meeting the COM
pany's demands. Why. they promised
him it was going this way before he
butt ttat big concrete bridge"
Did they, really? Kate, you don't
know beans about commercial diplom-
acy. The land along the Bald Knob
ridge belongs to Senator Rhoades, and
he's interested in the railroad. 1t
doesn't matter about your nice colonel
one bit"
But won't it cost lot more to
build it that other way? Any real
engireer would see that. I don't see
how they would send out anybody
twenty-four-'
She stopped short, staring in front
CT her with sudden understanding.
I'll bet two cents it's Dandy
Rhoades"'
do you know him?'' winifred's
eyebrows raised in quick surprise But
Kate was standing up with widespread
arms like a spread eagle
DO L know him? Know blessed
old Dandy? Rather. He's the sena-
tors nephew, but his nose is straight
and so are his views on life. I'll go
with you now, Win"
So it happened that the following
day there rode into the camp up in
the spruce woods two visitors, and
Dandy Rhoades, flushed and a bit
self-conscious, welcomed them He
was a tall fellow, broad shouldered
and looking particularly well in his
flannel shirt and rough mountain suit.
With Winifred he was just a bit en-
barrassed, but even casual observer
might have seen that Kate gave him
&C nfidence. She took his hand with
the firm grip of a pal.
Dandy. 1 wanted to come to you di-
rect about the railroad surveying" she
said. And Win was kind enough to
act as chaperon-"
Winifreds pretty eyebrows lifted
| ever so slightly al this but she was a
/ soldier and never betrayed secrets
Anyway. now that she saw him again,
Dandy seemed fearfully crude. Kate
seated herself on big log with Dandy
beside her, deeply interested, one foot
table under the tent fly. And some
| how, Kate found out that eloquence
| flowed her way. Oh, how she plead ed
the colonels cause 1t was the cause
of right and fairness. too, not only to
| him. but to the railroad.
Cant you see it, Dandy?" she fin
| ished And Dandy could and did.
Uncle Curtis hasn't put it to me
raw like that. It's left for me to hand
in my report as 1 think best He prob
ably thought Id see what it meant to
him to have it run this route, but I'll
move camp tomorrow. 1 didn't know
Mrs. Cranston was your cousin. l met
| her two summers ago, and she always
reminded me of you somehow. 1 used
to sit and talk to her just to watch a
certain quick way of looking at one
! sideways that reminded me of you.
And she laughs like you, too. I sup
pose she thinks 1 was a special type of
moon-sick calf. We ought to explain. -
| IF we do, you'll have to write to
mother, too" Kate looked up at him
thoughtfully- do you think it's time,
Dandy? How are the prospects? Won't
your uncle throw you out if you turn
down his railroad scheme?"
IF he does, I'll go to the railroad
and explain the whole thing and show