The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-15
The Evening Story
Hearts Desire.
(BY Izola Forrester.O


''STURDEVANT."
The telegram was handed to Knapp
at the desk when he got in from the
club little past twelve. He looked
at it in surprise and some bewilder-
the bunch of California cousins who
had entertained him during his visit
to the fair last summer. He couldn't
recall any Ted. 1t was probably the
usual aftermath of being under obli-
lie bothered with.
He smoked in the lobby until it was
time TO make the train, engaged a
room for the boy and took a taxi TN
willingly. The Overland Special pull
ed in on time. There were few pas
SenSerS. He stood with a couple of
other persons watching the stragglers
come along the platform until girl
in dark blue trimmed in silver fox
stopped before stout gray-haired old
chap next to him and exclaimed:
Don't you know me, Cousin Jack ?"
II believe that I'm Cousin Jack"
said Knapp, lifting his hat, and look
ing down into the brownest eyes he
mad ever seen, eyes the color of the
big, brown, velvety moths of her home
state. ~ was looking for a boy
A porter carried her hand luggage,
and they followed him along the con-
course.
You know I was looking" began
Knapp once more.
For a boy?" She laughed 81 SUD-
pose you did get us all mixed up. I'm
Theodore, but they call me Ted. We're
the Santa Barbara cousins"
Knapp couldn't remember any Santa
Barbara family connections for the
life of him. but he knew he had cous-
ms in California, for lie had seen some
eff them.
Are you going to school here" he
asked.
Not here. In Boston. They didn't
want me to get in here all alone at
night, and there are no trains out
until early morning. I didn't want to
sit in the station all night alone What
did father wire you?''
Knapp pulled the telegram out of
his POCKET and gave it to her. She
started to open it and stopped short,
staring up at him blankly.
They told me what you ought to
look like, and you don't at all. Hair
rather gray and a little stout, and
| eyegla sses. Are you sure you're Cousin
Jack Knott ~
I'm Jack Knapp and 1 live at the
St Ambrose, end 1 surely have cou-
sins in California" They had reached
the waiting room Jack Gained her
laughingly. 1t was a joke ali around
he insisted, and now that he remem-
bered there was a Mr.. Knott at the
hotel. He had talked with him often
down in the lobby. He went to the
telephone booth and called I'D the
hotel Mr.. Knott had gone on a south
ern trip two days before. He broke
the news to her with a twinkle in his
eyes
I'm have to be proxy Cousin
Jack. Now, listen. Your train leaves
at $40. That's a long while TO wait
1 engaged a room for my boy cousin,
but he hasn't turned up. I'm going
to call up my sister. Mrs. Durant,
and you'll go up there"
deed, 1 couldn't. You're very kind, but
! Il don't think I'll leave the station -
Then We'll stay right here"
1t never occurred to either of them
that it was already st. Valentines day
until while pacing back and forth
through the almost deserted terminal
| they came face to face with q large
display of valentines. This was after
! he had led the way downstairs to the
palm restaurant and they had eaten
a late supper The quiet little Trav-
eler's Aid Woman glanced at them
several times, but Jack said he was
certain she detected their cousinship,
and let them alone Ted wanted to
! select valentines for her little Bos-
ton cousins 1t seemed years since
Jack had ever oven remembered St
! Valentines day. Somehow, now he
found himself telling her of his rather
lonely chlldhood, brought up in a
boys military school, sent later on
to technical preparatory school and
finally to college.
Then what happened?1 she asked
eagerly.
Nothing except that 1 came in for
too much money and failed to follow
my good star" She caught at the I'M
dercurrent of bitterness in his words.
/ But you're not Old
''Thirty-four-"
Suppose you live to be eighty-four,
and find out you've wasted fifty-four
years just looking down your nose
and wishing something had happened
that's different ?' She leaned back her
head and laughed at him. "Oh, you
haven't enough sun down here IN New
York, I'm sure, or you'd never feel
like dropping out just because you've
got morey. You don't know how
! much fun you're losing. too You said