The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-25
The Euening Story

(By catharine Creamery

Strated ner married sister, MIS-. VIII
kins.
please don't dwell on that" Nelrs
tone indicated finality. I'D much
rather shut myself temporarily away
from desirable things than to shut
myself up for all time with something
undesirable
Meaning, of course, a marriage
with Perry Norton"
Yes; I mean just that and moth
ing more.''
yet if you are really absorbed in
this work of decorating houses, think
what an opportunity tnat old Morton
country place offers, and you could
choose any sort of town house you'd
want, with no limit to what you could
spend on furnishings" Mrs. Wilkins
set aside her unfinished cup of tea
with an impatient sigh.
Get thee behind me, Mammon."
laughed Nell. II also know there
would be limit to a lot of things that
money can't buy-happfness, for in
stance. But let's stop discussing this
and I'll finish that lampshade for you.
If you leave it to me, I'll use the fleur-
de-liS cretOnne with the black stripe.
What do you say?'
"Oh, have your own way. as you
always have things" said her sister
without interest, as she resumed her
idle scanning of a magazine.
Poor Sis said Men. as she put the
last lOucneS on the dfIpSIldQeJ you
do get out of patience with me some
times, but you'll be proud of me yet,
dearie, even though 1 couldn't please
you by falling in love with a young
scion of an ancient family with money
and houses and lands in excess of his
physical, mental or moral charms
Now, Nell, there's no use picturing
Perry Morton as a monster just be-
cause you don't happen to fancy him"
No, he isn't a monster at all, Sis;
he's too inconsequential for such a
vigorous title. He's merely an easy
going, line f-least-resistance sort,
and his program for life could be
without having to make any subse-
quent changes of Importance. In 9TH
er words. he's a cut-and-dried product
of his up-bringing and environment,
and I'm for the men and the maids
who hew their own destinies But,
look at the clock. It's time to pack
the tools with which I'm to hew out
my own little destiny. You'll go to
the station with me at A, remember"
And Nell, whose last remarks had
been delivered while standing in the
library doorway, took the nearest
stairway.
When she came down all ready for
the train, a maid handed her Perry
Morton's card, with this message
written on it: 'Good-by, Nell. Luck
to you. If 1 bob up now and then
please try to regard me as a good
Omen.''
. When she arrived that night at her
tiny one-room -and-kitchenette apart
ment she found a huge box of pink
and white roses A few moments
later, a telegram was delivered to her
1t contained this message: "Omen
number one. May the rose-co1ored
days outnumber the colorless ones two
to one. Perry"
With the telegram in her hand, Nell
stood looking down at the roses, and
| in her eyes there was a puzzled look
that contained something of pleasure
and something for pain. She took
out the roses and carefully arranged
them, discovering meanwhile that the
pink ones ouCnumbered the white
two to one. Now that was terribly
decent of Perry" she murmured. DO
blessings really brighten as they take
their flight, or was l too much alb
Sorbed in myself to notice any such
brightness as this in Perry when he
was near by She paused with the
pitcher of roses in her hands, looked
thoughtfully down at them again, and
| finally threw back her head with a
laugh and shrug, and set the pitcher
on the table
Nell worked hard, and her first few
months were little better than an ap-
premiership in a department store
housefurnishing department. Although
| her sisters letters brought accounts
of many social affairs, Nell did not
long for formal society, but she did
| long for companionship with some of
| her own kind. During her first months
she had occasional notes from Perry
| Morton, but since he had gone out to a
| Western ranch he had sent her but
one note and it contained little more
than his address One day, soon after
oh had toll 7fF-sao for ,icI7-
ing some apartments she was explor-
ing about in a furniture shop when
she was effusively greeted by young
bride from her home city.
| ''Oh, Nell! What a lovely SURPRISED ~
exclaimed the bride. But you look
entirely too efficient going about here
with your notebook and this profess
sional air. No one would suspect you
were involved in a threefo1d mystery
Mystery? Why, Adelaide, what
can you mean?" asked Nell.
Just this" said the bride, with a
| teasing smile, everybody at home
wonders about the threefold mystery
of your going off to work and Perry
Morton's subsequent affair with Mrs.
| Mapes widow of his college pal and,
lastly, about Perry's sudden departure
for the Wild West For the life of US,
we can't figure out whether you got
peeved at Perry's fondness for the
widow, whether she tried in vain to
rope VI WAelIleF ne went TO the
wilds to forget you or to forget the
widow
| Il see nothing mysterious. 1t
sounds just plain silly to me-" laughed
Nell. But after she went home that
night she did good deal of think
ing about the mystery herself.
After she had sat thinking of it for
several minutes she noticed on her
table a magazine addressed to her.
It was mailed at the publishers in
New York, and, looking through it. she
found a blue pencil mark in the in
of Program, a Story, by P. NJ. Orion. 81
1t was the story of a young mans
awakening to his own unimportanee
by hearing the girl he loved speak