The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
SIMPLY
4UMAN
BY Jessie Ethel Sherwin


copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
"Wild and perverse," proclaimed
Rev, Willis Gascoyne. II must decline
to interfere. The girl is willful, her
relatives Indifferent. What l might say
to her would only antagonize her and
do no good"
81 think you misjudge her." spoke
Bliss Warden warm-heartedly. "She
is n child of nature, simply human"
The speaker turned away rather I'M
tremendously, while the other
shrugged his shoulders delicately and
resumed the pairing of his well-kept fin
ger nails. The latter never mingled in
common and unpleasant affairs outside
OF his ecclesiastical functions. Why
should he? Was not his sole duty
owing to his devoted flock?
What would become of the charity
circle, the Ladies' Aid society, the lawn
entertainments, if he wasted his efforts
on the outside community?
1t was all about a girl, a mere waif
on the ocean of life, Leila Trask. She
was the neglected drudge of the Mer-
rils, a wretched family living at the
edge of the town. Neither toll nor de-
privation, however, could beat to earth
the CHEEKY, dauntless spirit of the lone
ly one. She romped with the little ones
whenever free from duty and made
them love her. She rode the widest
horses in the district, tanned them for
their owners. A hoyden who had neve
known n kiss or q caress, she loved ma
ture and the laughing ways of life and
was content.
Bliss Warden was a city lawyer,
come down to Summerdale to visit
friends and incidentally continue his
wooing of proud, aristocratic Marcia
Burrell, heiress, beauty and social
queen. The day previous he had seen
Leila Trask meet a man in the woods.
He knew the man at a glance. He
had impaired his history to Rev. Will
lis Gascoyne. Che latter betokened
interest in the story, but none in the
girl.
"A bright young spirit, with a soul
clear as crystal" ruminated Warden.
"Surely, if 1 am a real man 1 will not
grudge the time and effort to save her
ITOm tne WlleS OF II Vlllaln.
So, he sought Leila Trask. He found
her digging potatoes in the little patch
back of the mere howell in which she
lived. He nodded to her in a friendly
way She smiled back r~adiantly.
"Can I speak with you for a few
minutes?" he asked, and she moved to
where he stood, looking up into his
eyes trustingly.
"You are Mr.. Warden" she said.
"Little Ned Billings told me how you
waded into the creek to i've his toy
sailboat. You are a good man and you
are going to marry Miss Burrell. Oh!
how happy she must be, and how lucky
to have all those beautiful gowns and
Jewels"
Her artless innocence appealed to
Bliss Warden more strongly than ever.
81 am going to call you Leila" he
said, because I see you are my friend.
Leila, will you trust me as a brother in
a matter close to your interest, believ-
ing that I seek only to save you from
trouble?"
She nodded her head, but staring
wonderingly at his earnest, friendly
face.
81 saw you with a man near here
yesterday. Is he a loverf"
She flushed up instantly. The rose
bud lips bore a momentary r~esentful
expression. Then she lowered her eyes
In confusion.
"He says he wants to be my beau"
she fluttered. "And I never had one,
like other girls, and-and he says he
can get me work in the city so I can
have fine dresses and a beautiful room,
and he will marry me-"
az am very sorry to make you feel
grieved Leila" said Warden, "but this
man is a villain. Twice in the city
courts he has been sentenced to prison,
the last time for bigamy."
The girl swayed as If from a stun
ming shock. She could not doubt the
words spoken. She burst into tears
with the passionate outbreak.
eff you know how I long for some
one to speak kind TO me, to think of
me, to love me, you would know how
hungry my heart isl Oh! 1 don't want
to see him again, If he is as you say,
but oh l must love somebody, some
thing. Oh why am 1 not like other
girls-so poor, S o lonely, so despised!"
Warden quieted the distracted spirit
with gentle words. Then he went his
way TO the village. Within the hour
the treacherouS e~x-convict was ordered
to leave the town within t~wenty-four
hours, or the city authorities would be
notified. He skunk away like the cur
he was.
Perhaps Leila was more subdued and
serious after that. The revelation con-
corning the man she did not love, but