The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-19
EVENING STORY
..Prince Makes q CalI!"
(By Louise Oliver-)


After two years or so of vainly try
ing to make Anne think seriously of
their cause, the phalanx of suitors Of
her hand had reluctantly dwindled TO
two, and the reason of the plural was
that Anne herself did not know which
one she like the best.
She liked them both as each APP
pealed to a different side of her with
equal force. There were two sides to
Anne as there are to most American
girls-the dreamy. aesthetic, poetica1
side which is every woman'S by nature,
the mystic, highly Imaginative strain
that inclines to, the superstitiouS and
explains their love of cats and the
wholesome. hearty. frank, sunny side,
independent and reliant, contemptu-
Gus of the covert, fond of athletics.
and-bulldogs.
1t was impossible for her to make
up her mind which of the two men
| she cared for most. they were so ut
terly unlike. Gerson de Palma, dark
and Spanish looking, altho he boosted
| of ancestors in every American war,
was the last word in culture. Graceful
nd sinewy, he wore his clothes like
Beau Brummel, had studied manners
from Chesterfield's hand book, and-a
had learned TO make love from Apollo
! himself Moreover he had had excel
lent teachers in art and music as we'll
as all the "ologieS." What more could
a man be to be perfect? Anne would
look into his dark pleading eyes and
| feel herself carried along irresistibly
on a current of eloquence and passion.
| Then just in time she would think of
Jerry and sigh uncertainty
Jerry Tilford was the name of the
other. He appealed to Annes indie
pendent side-the side that liked ath-
letics and bulldogs Moreover Jerry
had a bulldog snub-nosed brindle
named Prince-which Jerry referred
| to him as ''who') looked villainous
but wept real tears. sat on chair
at the table, and scared the l. : out
of the park babies by kissing them
dog fashion whenever he got chance.
Jerry was rather thickly set up--his
tailor wept over the way his coats
hiked up his back. His fingers were
stubby and short and his eyes were
gray and about as languorous as two
electric headlights. He smoked black
cigars, affected tan shoes, loved soft
hats. and Prince-and Anne. AS for
music, he knew not an opus" from a
tomato and grieved Anne's soul by
sending her comic opera records for
her VictroIa and insisting on playing
them when he was tnere. But Anne
bore the records bravely as they We're
generally accompanied by boxes of
flowers or candy. Jerry was good at
that. Gerson was not so good. Books
of poetry were more in his line-only
he generally lent Anne his own.
One day Anne had a headache n
bad one, the kind where you're afraid
you won't die-the kind where not
only your head aches but every other,
organ too is crying out against exist
ence. Anne's mother answered two
telephone calls with the news of
Anne's 1ndisposition, which imnedi-
ately brought two, notes by special
messengers. Gerson wrote-"HoW [
long to socthe your poor tormented
brow. Jerry's envelope was bulkier,
having an enclosure. You've been
eating too much candy, Annie girl,
ard it's all my fault. I'm sending you
two grains of calomel-take it in eight
doses and then tell your mother to
give you tablespoonful of castor oil.
ii know what sick headache is, you
poor child
Anne was angry-then took the
medicine and got better. She an
swered Jerry's note instead of Ger
sons.
But Gerson got in his inning when
he gave her the cat 1t was beauti-
full creature with long silky fur, a tail
like a fox's brush, and deep blue eyes.
Jerry was compelled to admit, even
with chills chasing up and down his
spine as they always did in a feline
; presence that it certainly was beauty
: for a cat. But he hated it and
Prince hated it-and Prince had to
stay at home now on girl nights, and
as he dreamed of the creature that
had usurped his place on the porch
mat his nose twitched and he yelped
uneasily as he visualiZed in his sleep
e the CORY joy at the end of long
chase.
1 But Jerry had to go away and leave
his fences unguarded-oil wells near
Tulsa claimed him for two weeks, and
he went with trepidation. Dear knew
what would happen! He stocked up
his lady love with more flowers and
candy extracted a promise that she
would answer his letters and departed
on a Pullman, leavi. & Prince to San
suki his Jap, to be aired, Jared, and
cared for generally.
Sansuki was busy all day so he and
Prince walked at highland one night
they went past Anne's
Now Prince was not accustomed to
passing that lawn without turning in,
so in spite of the Japs whistling he
q persisted in making a friendly call.
There were low voices behind the
I vines on the porch, one of which he
knew, and wagging his stump of
tail he trotted up the steps. Then
stopping suddenly he drew back and
8 growled in ferocious resentment, for
r there on his particular straw mat lay
4 | the hated cat.
! He let out a wild, indignant bark
/ and plunged madly at his enemy,
which flew. a silver-gray streak. out
into the darkness and up a poplar
a "Prince-oh. Prince. come .herei"
: called Anne. BAD doggie. Prince.
here Prince"
The bulldog still barked at his in
visible enemy. but 1t was now paeon
of victory. The undesirable one had
fled. and that was all he wanted.
Prince, come here"
This time he hardened. And re-
Numbering the mat, now his for the
taking, he catapulted back to the
porch and up the steps. Now. Prince
was excited. or he would never have
done what he did: he forgot himself
: completely, and kept or going, vault
: ing right into Anne's lap, a full sixty
/ pounds of canininity.
( Anne screamed with surprise. and
Prince dropped to the floor. Then
. De Palma, who an instant before had