The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-15
EVENING STORY
Georgian Silver.

Alex looked down at the little girl
beside him with calm, quiet scrutiny
which might have conveyed diversity
of impressions upon any W noticed.
But for the enlightenment of the few
who know not Alex L sh-n explain
that he was quietest when most de-
lighted, and he was indeed thanktul
| to his hostess for putting him beside
this sweet little violet of humanity.
He drew a long breath and waited
| for her to speak. The hostess, busy
| with a hundred guests, had considered
] her roof an introduction. He dldn
know the girl and ne hoped she didn.
know him. OtherwiSe-he shuddered
when he thought of it-she might be
| like the others; overtalkative, unnat-
ural, and apt to overdo. He was too
modest to appreciate the fact that,
as the best catch in the matrimonial
sea, he was apt to be offered bait in
generous quantities and of infinite va
riety. AS yet, none had been to his
| liking. He liked things wholesome
and sweet and plain.
| Dorothy looked around the dining
room with wide eyes, then up at him
with a smile 4 can't believe I'm
awake she said.
on.
NO They say that sometimes a
wish is father to a thought. Maybe
I've just wished for something IKE
this so often that now I think it's true
Maybe I'm not here a. all-only
| thinking l am
What does it matter? Maybe m
thinking ell this too.
| She laughed, then said frankly:
But 1 really am hungry. l nope the
food isn't Just air-painted to look real
[ don't mind a bit about all these
gorgeous flowers and silk lanterns ana
candles and things being brain chill
idren, but, begging your pardon, m
starved to death and. hope they IL nur
nv up and bring some real bread ana
butter SOON
s.Your wish is granted" said Alex
as the waiter brought the toast ana
caviar.
IT was lust thinking she remarked
in the interval before the soup, that
it's a shame Bob couldn't be here.
He'd love it so. But Aunt Jane said
he couldn't come, that's all there was
to it. Aunt Jane said it was kind OF
| Mrs Dexter to ask one of the poor
| Virginia relations without ringing IN
| the three of us. You see, there's Rob-
ert, Stonewall and myself. The boys
are dears, you ought to know them.
Bob's my twin
HE must be dear" ventured Alex
She laughed, but colored neverthe-
less you'll quite turn my silly head
if you say things like that. You see
I'm apt to believe all hear. I'm not
what is the word Aunt Jane used?-
| SoDnlSIlCaIeQ, l
Alex frowned. Aunt Jane had no
business saying things like that. Wood
violets were SO much lovelier than the
! dollhouse ones.
He changed the subject. Are you
BEEN admiring those Georgian candle
sticks. The pattern is very rare
Dorothy gave him an odd little side
long look before she answered. Yes.
they are beautiful"
l.s4 1
there he went on. mo doubt you
can tell me some wonderful things
| about old silver. Most Southerners
can. But one thing I have discovered
for myself, that southerners may part
| with their homes their clothes, and
even their souls. but their silver
never I know where there are some
splendid collections in the south, but
you can't get them"
Dorothy's appetite for food suddenly
disappeared. She laid down her fork
and looked so distressed that Alex
wondered what dreadful thing he had
said.
q want TOTO tell you," said the
girl finally, where l happen to know
you may find a beautiful collection of
Georgian silver. 1t is at Berni's on
Fifth avenue. 1t all came from one
! family and it seems to me the things
ought to stay together" Then sud
denly and brightly as if to nrt /.
you could know Wally and Bob. They
are the dearest boys in the world .
How can L, unless you permit me
to call? Dorothy little guessed how
many hearts in the room would have
gone pit-a-pat upon such a reonest
from this man.
Permit you?" she cried eI'd ,ove
, 1t. VIII you come? The boys are
going to college next week, tho You'll
have to come soon" Again a shadow
stole over her face, but was gone in
l an instant. Il was just thinking how
Bob would love this dinner. m try
= ing hard to remember all the courses
SO I can tell him. Poor Bob,''
= why poor?"
oh he loves nice things so. We
all do! But I really meant it literally
you know. We are poor. very. You
l see that's why TIM Sic stopped
ing she answered his eager inquiry
Il thought 1 could tell you, but
can't
A painful flush had spread over her
face and Alex had an uncomfortable
feeling that tears were near. Some
!. thing was giving this little girl a great
deal of unhappiness, he had discov-
cred, and suddenly he had a desire to
chase the clouds away from the seri-
+ Gus dark eyes and to see the dimple
! come and go in her lovely smooth
+ cheek. A feeling of tenderness, en-
} tirely foreign to his ossifying heart
= was giving MIN an unusual thrill and
) it pleased him to give it it's way.
1 Il want to tell you something funny
5 read today" he began. and soon
Dorothy's dark eyes were brimming
: with merriment and her mouth curry
1 ing with laughter. That's better" he
I thought with satisfa ction, beginning
} on another funny incident, but think
t ing all the while, 'I'll bet Aunt Jane
2 is sort of pillbox, and after the
' brothers go away this little soul will
/ likely live with her. It's a pity. She's
: the incest girl I've ever met
t The next day he stopped in Berni's
Not that he would have remembers
l the thing itself, but he had gone over
5 every word Dorothy had said to him
and among other things there was the