The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-04
EVENING STORY
without Fermentation.
(By Susan Claggett-)

(By Susan Claggett-)
Are the islands forts"
John English answered the question
absentedIy, without turning his head.
They are masked batteries, 1 be-
heve."
"AIl of them?"
Something in the tone of voice
caught his attention He looked a
the woman standing beside the ran
past her to the bay and the many is
lands dotting its surface.
Boston is well protected" he re-
marked casually.
"of course" Rachel Baruch moved
so as to face him. Il am good
American" she said dryly
"Yes?"
Your tone implies reservation and
an implication"
For an instant annoyance dominated
John English. Then he laughed The
times call for reserve. AS for implica-
ton, 1 never impl.y a thing"
Then why?" she waved her hand
outwardly.
Ignorance. 1 have never before
been in Boston harbor."
She looked at him doubtfully.
MY explanation is not satisfac-
your pardon. There is something
, familiar, yet I am sure 1 have never
seen you before. A chance likeness, a
similarity in tone"
Il am fortunate if I resemble one
who is a friend; it argues favorably
f r me-" he answered idly.
"A friendi No. l disliked the man.
In fact, I am running away from
him"
/ His eyes twinkled THE obvious
reason?"
She did not reply The swell, that
makes the trip to Yarmouth some-
thing to be dreaded, was rolling the
steamer in a most unploa sant way
! and had cleared the deck of all but
ther.4 selves. isn't it very rough ?"
she asked, glancing about helplessly.
| Il have been told this trip is worse
than an ocean voyage" Then he
glimpsed her face and wa all con-
Germ.
at is nothing" Rachel said hastily.
little dizziness that will pass, but
| I think 1 will go in"
The air is best for you. and you
will miss the sunset" But she shook
| her head and left him.
They did not meet again until a
week later. Lettering upon the plaza
| of the Queens hotel, Halifax. he saw
| her pass. His first thought was to
| join her. His second, to wonder why
he should desire to do so. Such an in
I clination belonged to youth, not to a
man who had long left sentiment be-
| hind and found his most congenial
companionshp among his own kind.
His means permitted him TO live as
he pleased in the house built by some
| forgotten ancestor. This he had
changed little. The principal altera-
ton had been in the attic, which he
| had transformed into a billiard room,
! the pleaSantest place in the house, and
this room visualized itself with some
amazing additions to the furniture as
he watched Rachel Baruchs retreat
ing figure A baby grand stood be-
| side one window. Now, he could not
tell the difference between Dixie and
! the sextet from Lucia, and he real
lied the iucongruity of a piano in his
den, but the oddly of its appearance
disappeared in a greater establishment
| as he noticed upon the hearth two
| pairs of slippers. This in itself was
| not unusual, but when he glimpsed
| one of the pair he wondered what had
WORKOUT and comfortable number
mines was a womans shoe, dainty and
small
blast from a steamer at the pier
reused him. and he looked at his
watch as a porter approached with his
grip and rug, and with an uncon
scious sigh he came back to the bust
ness of the moment
That a man should have dreams is
not surprising. The surprising thing
was that this condition of mind was
brought about, not by a young woman
but by one quite thirty-five or more
years of age. She could not even lay
claim to beauty, but in RacheFs face
was force and sweetness; a note in
| her voice that appealed to him. Anal
yzing his condition of mind later on
he reached the conclusion he was in a
state bordering upon the idiocy OF
extreme youth; for the first time in
his life he could not restrain his feel
ings to respond to his will.
He wondered why he had been sc
short-sighted not to join her, to ac-
cept the chance offered by the gods
and as he dashed himself mentally
in the attitude of a woman upon
whom his eyes had rested unseeingly
for some time brought sudden real
ization that, after all, fate was kind
He made no move to join her. He
was content to wait, hoping she would
recognize him when she turned. He
was disappointed. Once her eyes
swept swept over him casually, as
casually as they passed over others
standing near.
Still he hoped for recognition. "like
a fatuous youngster," he told him
self. Instead. she moved to the other
side of the steamer.
That evening when he went on
deck he found her in the chair next
to his
It knew you at once" she told him,
| but have travelled so little it is diff
ficult to accept the freemasonry OF
shipboard life I am very glad you
| remembered me-" she ended simply
That trip to st. Johns always stood
out in John EngIish's memory as the
one perfect time in a hitherto pleasant
life. A man of literary tastes, he
found in Rachel one who had read
largely and had the courage of her
rather positive ideas. But it was the
personal in which he was interested
Especially was he concerned in the
identity of the man from whom she
was running away. and he asked one
evening if she still noticed a resem-
blance.
Occasionally" she replied and
would have changed the subject, but
he persisted. 1t seemed to him he
must know what part the man had
played in her life.