The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
EVENING STORY
Nora and Her Knitting.

".
important, apparently, for she seldom
raised her lashes-at least not When
anyone was looking.
Her fingers are mighty swift.
commented Lieutenant Drake, u S. N
Mighty white, too" added Lieuten-
ant Conant, u. S. A.
Thus the army and navy admired
the demure Nora as she sat knitting
in the coy chesterfield. one OF the
many lining the hotel alley. Ihere
were politicians and army and navy
men galore in the other comfortable
seats, but Nora glanced at none OF
them-apparently
You observe" remarked Lieuten-
ant Drake with a superior smile, that
the color she knits is gray The navy
is quite naturally her choice"
Scarcely had he spoken than from
out of the great brocaded knitting bag
with its cluster of riotous fruits OF
silk on each side, Nora drew an almost
completed scarf of khaki
The dig which Lieutenant Drake got
in the ribs prodded him into an almost
undignified posture.
But the army gets there first,
laughed Lieutenant Conant-
The two admiring officers watched
Nora examine the two garments, shake
her head doubtfully, then go swiftly to
work with her flying needles on the
gray scarf.
"I'n bet a lunch at the Purple Iris
go?''
You're on" said Lieutenant Con-
ant IF the navy scarf is finished
first I blow you to lunch and the
Circuit in the evening. It's walk
away for me-"
The officers gravely shook hands.
A queer little smile lay hidden be-
meath Nora's dark lashes. Were her
little pink ears particularly useful or
was it merely a passing happiness that
made her smile?
From then on the two straight,
clean-cut officers watched with in
creasing interest the progress OF the
two bits of knitting. The laggard
gray caught up on the almost COM
pleted khaki and the race became
daily more exciting.
Something besides the race became
exciting, too. Lieutenant Drake, while
stepping into the elevator. had had
the most fleeing glimpse straight
into Nora's eyes. He found them
deep blue and decidedly alluring. If
he had failed to see the faint rose
that hastily crept into Nora's cheeks
it was because his heart had been far
too excited to permit his eyes to see
more than one charm at a time.
From that moment the army SEEM
ed to have put one over on the navy
but the navy remained quietly smlI-
ing. He, too, had been vouched
glimpse of Nora's eyes and there had
been the faintest of color in her
cheeks, but the army was not to
know of it.
| tried vainly to find a means of be-
coming acquainted with Nora. She
seemed to know not soul in the
whole of Washington, save her moth
err, who was with her.
Naturally, being from New York
City, and on her first visit to the cap
| ital- and being demure and reserved,
it was not easy to find a friend at
court.
the moment when he should have
strolled into the alley and nonchal-
antIy dropped down in friendly con-
verse with Nora to the surprise and
chagrin of the rival.
But no such moment arrived and
the scarfs reached a state on the
borderland Of completion The army
and the navy were fast friends. other
wise the preference for the same bit
of feminine beauty might have made
trouble.
THAT little knitter has us both on
the end of her wool" Lieutenant
Conant had remarked early in the
game.
Hope the wool won't get tan
gled," laughed Lieutenant Drake.
1t was the navy officer who was
really deeply interested. He saw
Noras deep blue eyes and her swift
" flying white fingers even in his
dreams. 1t was no easy matter to
reckon on the day when he should
sail off to English waters with his
ship and there help watch for U-boats.
He wouldn't mind so long as a GER
tain little knitter were knitting by
his fireside while he was gone. But
the chance for that happy ending
seemed tragically slim since no one
knew Nora and no happy fate flung
her into his arms without an intro
:. IL ha nj fat
but they hadn't come his way.
Nora had measured her two scarfs
and found them almost the regulation
length, and the two officers were
watching almost breathlessly for the
finish when Nancy O'Neal made her
appearance at the far end of the alley
1t mus be that Nora had sensed
the coming of the other, for she was
up like Il lash and the two girls were
wrapped in each others arms to the
huge interest of senators and con-
gressmen, to say nothing of army and
navy men.
|. Nora and Nancy then came along
the alley talking, laughing, as good
friends are wont to after a short sep
aration.
They sank down in the big chester
field and continued chatting. Nora
took up the two scarfs and handed
one to Nancy.
"Oh!" laughed Nancy, examining
her long khaki scarf, you've been
working on mine as well as your own.
That was sweet of you"
Just bit of strategy whispered
Nora, and then followed a secret con-
versation. An unusual color lurked in
Nora's cheeks the while she whisper
ed, and, emboldened by an ally, she
looked straight across at the officers,
who were now bTeathless with inter-
est.
The two men looked quickly away.
for no matter how alluring the sights
they were both thoroughly well-train-
ed fighters.
But Nancy O'Neal had looked
searchingly at the objects of Nora's
story about the bet that was on re-
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