The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-16
EVENING STORY
Cold Courtship.
(By Sylvia Turner.)


coed Aunt Jean held that in
strictly female seminary a girls mind
was apt to be so filled with her
studies and feminine pursuits, that she
/ was untitled for her life role of wife
hood. The doctor took an entirely
different view of the situation, as he
told Hilda the night before she left
Dear girl, you've led lonely,
monotonous sort of life at this old
place with just Jean and myself. Hou
need companionship of boys and girls
your own age. Long ago your mother,
bless her. was a student at Sycamore.
You are to have the same room she
had, and her seat in the dining hall
Have a good time and don't have too
many love affairs. By the way he
stopped marking stars on the blue
desk. blotter and met her glance with
bouyant CLEAN of recklessness in MS
own eyes, you may find step-moth-
er here when you come back, one
whom 1 know you will love"
1t seemed at that instant as though
the whole world turned black to Hill
da. She looked at the oil paintings
on the wall, the portrait of her own
dear mother who had died nine years
before
You mean Mrs. Everdon. dad" she
asked, a little break in her tone in
spite of herself.
Il mean Paula Everdon," he re-
sponded, quietly.
You know 1 wouldn't mind' she
flashed back quickly, IF she hadn't
known mother when they were girls
You'll feel differently as time pass
es by, Hilda. 1 hope that you will
be very happy in your own new life.
We won't be married before next June
in any event"
When she had been at Sycamore
just two weeks far too busy to dwell
upon her own personal troubles, she
was one day on a tall mountain spur
overlooking the Hudson for miles. The
profile of Storm King showed far to
the south and to the east rose the
undulating highlands. She liked to
take long walks by herself exploring
strange roads and clambering over
the rocks toward the river. A storm
had been brewing and she had been
trying to make the college grounds
STUN bled on the rocks, lost her foot
ing, and fell. The pain in the Shout.
der and foot was eXcruciating. She
tried to rise but could not, and sudden
ly there came a drenching downpoIr
of rain, with a crash of thunder. a
swift equinoctial stor. broke low over
the land.
She wore a short military cape, and
threw this around her like a poncho,
trying to shelter herself from the
downpour. She hadN never been out
in heavy thunderstorm before and
a panic swept over her as tho she
had been on her first battlefield. All
at once she felt herself lifted bodily
in strong arms and carried on a run
to the shelter of an old deserted
shack used by workmen who had been
blasting
1t was dark inside the hut, so dark
that she could hardly discern the face
of her reScuer. The terrific noise out
side barred any attempt at conversa-
ton, but he had removed her cape and
was busy trying to light a fire on the
old stone hearth. When the blaze
flared up, she caught a glimpse of his
face. 1t was a strong. young one,
dark and scholarly. The chin was
sharp and decisive, the lips firmly set.
He turned and smiled at her, feeling
her scrutiny.
Were apt to be here for some
time. You'd better make yourself
from your homer"
Just Sycamore" replied Hilda,
holding out her hands to the fire.
I'm afraid 1 can't help myself very
much. My shoulder and ankle both
seemed to catch it when 1 fell. Per-
haps when you go, you might leave
word at the college so they'd send
for me. I'd be awfully obliged"
Il think l can manage to get you
over, myself" he said; "at least as
far as the gates; then can run down
after you in the Deans car"
1t did not seem that they were to-
gether long before the storm cleared,
yet three hours had passed when
Hilda finally reached her own room
He had carried her in his arms against
all her protests up to the lodge-keep-
er's house. and then gone after the
car.
isn't he perfect darling" said
Anne Rathburn. her roommate, when
Hilda was snug on the big couch,
drinking tea, Il haven't seen him at
0f ha oil 10 he
senior"
1t surely gave her prestige among
the other freshmen, this eing cared
for in cavalier fashion by a senior.
She wrote home and told her father
of it, during the week her sprained
ankle confined her to her room. And
he laughingly warned her in his reply
of the real danger of coed courtship.
Remember, my dear, that love is
after all natures trap for the un-
wary. You are just at the age when
you will fall in love with love itself
not personality. Keep your head, re-
member that one love does not make a
life time, nor one swallow a sum-
mer"
His name was Ralph, she found out
from some of the other boys. Ralph
Kingslake. After she grew to know
him better, he told her something of
his own life. Hilda had been fear !
fully curious over the visits of a very
handsome woman in black who came
and left the college grounds in a large I
touring car every Sunday.
"Oh. that's the mater" Ralph told /
her. shes fearfully good to me /
She's just my step-mother. but we've /
been regular pals ever since my father I
died. She's put me t-sru college,. and i
we rather keep an eye on each other. I
You see, by the terms of my fathers +
will, il she marries before I'm 25, she
loses all but her dover right in the i
estate That would We me the house I
in New York and a fine old stock farm
up in Sullivan county, besides a little /
place at Newport. But then again, if /
I marry before I've established myself /
wins"
Hilda looked at him approximately /
II should think it would be splendid +
I go deliberately against such a will =