The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-14
The Euenine Story
Betty's Broken Resolve.
(By Catherine Cranmer. }

tBy catherine CrdnIner.1
I'll tell you, Sis, you'd better not
try Markham too severely, or you'll
drive off an "a number one matri-
monial chance"
"Pshaw, Jack! Aren't there plenty
more fish in the sea 90
Not plenty of Markham's kind"
You are evidently of one mind
with him, for it's because he is so
sure that he can't be wrong about
anything that I've been keeping him
on the anxious seat
Take it from me, Sis, it was wise
| fellow who said that a man is some
thing like an egg-if you keep him
in hot water a little while he boils
soft, but keep him there too long and
he hardens. Do you get me?" Jacks
question was flung over his shoulder
from the front hall, where he was
getting into his overcoat and hat.
Yes, I get you," laughed Betty, as
she curled up in a big tapestried arm
chair in front of the fireplace, and
began looking idly through a new
magazine. She started to read a
story, but presently found herself
quite unconscious of what she was
reading. She shifted her position
restlessly, rested her right elbow on
the arm of her chair and, cupping her
chin into her palm, gazed at the
cracking fire.
Although she had firmly resolved
not to give a single thought to Fred
Markham until he apologized for his
part in their quarrel of the evening be-
fore, somehow, as she gazed into the
fire, her thoughts We're all of him.
The quarrel had come about from Bet
tvs mention of lark she had en-
1oyed at a, fancy, dress BALI at the
country club. "a few evenings before,
when moving picture had been taken
of the ball room by society man
whose latest fad was moving pictures
Great Scott!"C exclaimed Fred. 81
hope you didn't get in range of the
picture machine?'
why, yesl Why not? Larry Mapes
and L did special stunt before it."
And may L ask when and where
this picture is to be run as a means
of Haunting you in the face of the
public?"
I'm sure don't know, or care" re-
turned Betty defiantly.
well, care, and L mean to know
and to stop it if possible
Now may ask" began Betty, with
dignity and even hauteur in every inch
of her five feet of height, whether
this picture is any affair of yours and
whether you want to shield the pilb-
Tic or the picture by preventing its ap-
pearance? ?"
1T may not be my affair, Betty
that rests with YOU Fred answered,
but want to protect the picture be-
cause you're in it. 1 don't want every
Tom, Dick and Harry thinking that
you belong to a feminine type on a
par with the masculine sort represent
ed by such men as Larry Mapes''
And may 1 ask you to specify his
type?" Betty was sarcastic.
"a dancing, driveling cad would do
fairly WE'LL
oh" Iofti1y retored Betty "any
account of my frivolous pleasures
would naturally sound most flat, stale
and Improbable to great highbrow
who prefers stale books to society
buds and delving for knowledge to
dancing for pleasure"
Fred WINGED at the cutting sarcasm
of her speech and resented her sheer
at him as highbrow. Betty resented
his assumption of authority over her.
and so the quarrel had continued un-
til Fred had bowed a formal good
night to a naughty Betty, whose big,
brown eyes had looked high above his
head at nothing in particular.
She was still curled up in the arm
chair gazing meditatively at the fire
when her mother and father returned
from their dinner engagement at
Judge Mapess.
MY, but you're home early!" she
exclaimed. Did the judge run out of
stories or did the cook run short on
courses? 90
Neither. my dear" answered her
father, as he removed his gloves and
slapped them together and held them
| tight in his right hand, but Larry evil
IDENTIFY ran out of sane amusements
and came near causing his own finish
as well as that of two other people"
Poor old Larry What's he I'D to
ncw?" asked Betty indifferently
Hes in the hospital right now.
having his many bruises dressed, and
poor little chorus girl will be too
nervous to stand in the front row to-
night, and"-with sly look from I'M
der his frowning eyebrows-HFred
Markham has got a smashed road
ster, a bruised head and some broken
ribs as mementoes of his heroisTr1''
Fred Markham! Daddy, tell me
what you meant. There was no lack
of eagerness now in Betty's big eyes
as she sprang from her chair and put
a hand on each of her fathers Shout
ders and looked up into his ewes.
well, Fred was driving along in
the park and he saw Larrys little red
and white racer come shooting toward
him like a cannon ball and on the
same side of the road as he was. There
was small embankment sloping
down from the road, and Fred tried to
turn his car down that embankment
before the racer hit him, but its front
wheel struck his back one, and his ma
chine turned turtle and Larry's went
smash
"Oh, daddy"-almost in whisper
lis Fred badly hurt? What made him