The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-26
EVENING STORY
How Joseph Met Florence.
(By ]. H. LeRoy.)

young man. As a boy he had been
known at baseball to dispute the de-
cision of an umpire in his favor.
Even the ordinary social lies were
repellant to him. He never travelled
in class superior to that for which
he had taken his ticket. He never
did anything which was not extreme
ly careful and conspicuously honest
With such character there was only
one thing that the young man could
ultimately become.
Shortly after he became a reviewer
of fiction for the Sun it happened that
he met Florence. Florence was a
jolly Southern girl, and had at COM
paratively early age been left an or
phan. AS her education was defec-
tive and as she did not like children,
there was only one thing that Flor
ence could become.
1t was shortly after Florence had
become a governess that she and Jo-
seph met. Her face was wholesome
and practical rather than beautiful.
For some weeks he never told her his
love. Then one afternoon he took her
to hear an oratorio- 1t may nave
been the effect of the music or of the
/ tea and toast at the Eastman Cafe
afterward, or of the long ride to Bal
timore over the Washington Pike.
The fact remains that when they
elm bed into the touring car he called
| her Miss Bordeaux, and when they
parted at the end of the journey he
called her Florence. He treasured the
oratorio program and met her fire.
quently. One night there was an air
of mystery about her
Shortly" she said, you will see
me IN new ligIt t, Joseph"
Il would not have you different,
said Joseph. This was quite the right
thing to say, and he had seen it in
book
East side of Mount Vernon bridge.
about 6 morrow" seiC Florence.
Right" said Joseph He would
then have kissed her, but refrained
from the publicity which would have
! The next morning there was brought
to his room large parcel of novels
from. the Sun. He groaned, because
they meant work. and even. the read
ing of novels is not pleasant If you
paid for t. He would have groan-
! ed still n ore if the books had not
come, because that would have meant
no work. ard want of work would
have mad Sunday romantic possibili-
ties more remote. AS it was. they had
arranged to be married next year in
the sweet springtime. Quite quietly.
| Bride in brown cloth. Honeymoon of
8 ven days at Annapolis
He tore his mind away from ro-
nance in real life an settled down to
! romancela las it is written and the very
first volume that he picked up was
entitled MY Love of Bygone Days"
by Florence Bordeaux This, then,
was the new light in which Florence
was to appear. She had written
novel and he W. to review it.
He wonde ed If sthe editor of the
Sun would stand an entire column
| about an unknown genius Joseph all
| most regretted that he had discovered
| three unknown geniuses the week be-
FIRE it was likely to spoil the market.
| He noticed the name of the publish
| ers with regret. Florence would have
! done better to have consulted him.
| Then he read the book, and buried his
face in his hands, for that novel by
| Florence Bordeaux was about the most
| putrid thing in fiction that had pol
! luted his chambers for the last
| eighteen months. 1t was wrong every
where; it was wrong all thru There
! is no worse thing on earth than bad
| historical novel, and this was a very
bad historical novel.
| Here, then, was conflict between
love and duty. Duty was scratched
and love walked in. By the evening
| he had written a column hailing Flor
| ence Bordeaux as the greatest genius
! that the century had yet seen. But his
heart was broken. For once he had
| not been conscientious. He could not
live with that stain upon his soul. So
he determined to meet Florence on
Mount Vernon bridge. take one long,
! last farewell, then send off the review
and then leave town and his growing
reputation as a literary critic forever.
Florence was little late for her
appointment and looked very pleased
with herself
Well he said why did you not
confide in me? Why did you not tell
me you had written a book? Possibly
my practical judgment might"
! What on earth are you talking
about? I have not written any book
! 1 shouldn't be so silly"
Then someone else with your name
has"
HAS she? What cheek" She still
laughed at Joseph. somewhat inquir-
! ingly!s He had an uneasy sense that
she was expecting him to say. some
thing and that he was not saying it,
Well" he said. what did you
mean, then. by saying you were going
! to appear in a new light?''
If you happen to be blind" she
answered rather snappishIy. Il can't
| give you new eyes,!
Don't be cross. dear. Let's see
It's the same jacket you always wear,
and the same skirt
/ "Oh, don't bother. I've got myehair
done differently. and I've got a new
! hat. 1 don't want to talk about it II
| you take no interest in my appearance
i there's TO more to be said
The rest of his interview with Flor
ence was far more pleasant But Jo-
sephs column review of the novel by
( her namesake was reduced to two lines
on the subject of literary rubbish.
J And he was still conscientious
( Copyright. 1917. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)