The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-02
EVENING sToRY
The Unexpected Guest.
(By Isabel Fros..)

duCeQ hospitality. her weekend par |
ties were select little affairs. where
you might be sure of never meeting
any one outside your own charmed !
circle. There was never anything to
jar ones sense of the fitness of things. I
One week she would have celebrities. |
the next society crowd and thu next
she would pay back little social obli-
cations of her own with careful Sc
lection of persons whom sht did not
honor with her personal friendship.
1t was on this last list that she had
placed Shane O'Moore's name. After
receiving cards to his private view of
pictures, she had deemed t a grace
full thing to write him little note, in
viting him. if he had tie time TO
spare from his arduous artistic labors,
out for a weekend at Oaksmere.
Imagine her utter amazement, then,
when he arrived absolutely without
warning in the midst of Louise party
composed only of the ultra select. He
bounded up the steps ana made for
| the spot where Mrs. Latimer stood
spe1lbound at his temerity
II knew you wouldn't mind my
coming out today instead of next
week" Shane said in his buoyant, art
less way. TITS so perfectly splendid
of you to think of me. 1 love your
place out here"
Bareheaded, he turned TIC survey the
landscape, and the nearest object his
glance fell upon was Geraldine Rog-
| ers Now, Geraldine at any moment
was a sight calculated to brighten the
mental horizon of any mans outlook.
Today she was in grass cen linen,
her heavy dark gold-colored hair
massed in a knot at the nape or her
neck. She had just returned from
a motor ride up thru the hills and
| in full bloom
shane stood perfectly rigid, the
light of appreciation dawning in his
blue eyes, and Geraldine smiled at
him. 1t was very seldom she met
any man who looked interesting at
Oaksmere. Later on that evening
| Mrs Latimer found time to stop in
at sGeraldine's room.
! You don't know, my dear, what
| a relief it is to me to have you take
that impossible boy off my hands.
always have horror of people that
| YOU never can tell what they're going
| to say next. One has to think so as
| to keep up with them. and if you only
say really or doubtless you don't
know what you committed yourself
to. It's sweet of you to be bothered
| with him.
''oh but I'm not bothered at all"
| Geraldine replied promptly. He's
the only interesting man I've met
here, Belle. Has he ever read you
any of his poetry?,'
Good heavens, no. replied Mrs.
Latimer thankfully. Il never dream
| ed that you had a streak of poetical
mania in you, Gerry. Tho you rever
| can tell what may come out in fam
well as an artist 2"
| The color rose quickly in Geral-
dimes cheeks She braided her two
long plaits thoughtfully. They hung
| over either shoulder like Isolde she
leaned forward in front of the open
l fire 1t was still chilly in the hills
at night.
81 have an idea he is a man first
of ALL" she said, quietly, 'and 1 like
| him.
| O'Moore was the hit of that par
ticular house party. He was prodigal
| with his talent in entertaining. Usual
| ly genius requires either throne,
a pedestal or rostrun, but O'Moore
mingled freely and happily, quite like
Pan who had escaped from the
| charmed Olympian circle to frolic
with mortals.
| 1t was toward the end of his stay.
Geraldine and he had 3ust finished a
swift bout ON the tennis court and
were coming up the edge-bordered
| walks that led to the terraces. The
| hedge was too thick to see any one
on the other side. but voices pene-
trated, and suddenly they heard
Ralph Merkle saying in his easy
drawl to Mrs. Latifner:
Its a good thing that Gerry won't
know anything about it until she gets
back to town. 1t would cut her up
| fearfully. Altho she'll hardly forgive
US for not telling her.
"Oh, 1 wouldn't breathe a word of
it for the world Mrs. Latimer said.
tho, frankly, I've been expecting it
for a long while. They've both had
| too much money ever since their
father died. Jack ran thru his the
| first year. and I'm perfectly positive
she's been holding him up ever since
| to keep back a scandal
| On the other side of the hedge
| there rose suddenly a rollicking Irish
| tenor voice. They could not see Ger
! RVS face covered by her hands. They
only heard Shane O'Moore's voice
| singing:
'As pretty young Kitty one morning trip
| To the fair at Coleraine"
The other two passed on in silence
| Shane waited and then laid his hand
lightly on the girls bowed head.
| .''Tis trouble I'd be sharing with
YOU it's da petbins ne s she s sGry tone
was filled with a weary bitterness
| I've been expecting it for a long
while Jack is my younger brother.
expect he's got into some sort of a
mess, as usual l must go straight up
town"
] LET me go for you" urged Shane
..'Tis no place for woman when
\ there's trouble afoot. Let me go find
the boy and keep things hushed up.
What's he been doing?"
Just sinking every dollar we both
owned into wildcat stocks. For all I
know. 1 may be penniiess this minute"
Pray God you are" responded
Shane happily. '1f it were only true,
I'd be at your feet this minute telling
you how 1 loved YOU
Gerry looked up. at the eager hand
some face above her. Oddly enough
she was thinking how all of them,
4 Mrs. Latimer, Ralph\Merk and their
set, would slip out of her life if Jack
| had indeed sunk all of her fortune.
Il wonder" she said. dreamiiy. II
| wonder if