The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-19
EVENING STORY
Interesting Engagement,

Major Cecil Spencer, v. c.. did not
open his morning paper until his nurse
behind her. He disliked fumbIng
with one hand and dragging sympathy |
from observing eyes. His other arm
was pinioned close to his side with
| many bandages. However. the young
officer smiled, for there were others !
in the big London hospital suffering |
| far greater damage than he.
Nevertheless it was a bit awkward
unfolding the sheets of the Daily
Glass; and it was some time before !
| the wounded hero got as far as the
center section with its array of photo
graphs
Suddenly his blue eyes became steely
with wrath. Two spots of flame leaped
into the clear pallor of his cheeks.
| His own photograph was looking
| back at him from the very middle of
! the .'Daily Glass" and as a heading
! above in bold type were the words,
the usual lines SO frequent in the Eng
| lish papers about a marriage having
been arranged between so-and-so and
| thus and-thus. The photograph of a
lovely girl was coupled with his own,
but Major Spencer was far too in
| censed at the stupidity of the press to
cast so much as a glance at the fem
mime victim of the mistake.
/ His wrath was rising to a wonder
full height when a troop of fellow off,
GERS, bandaged as to feet, arms, eyes
or head, came in with loud congratu-
lations, each CARRYING copy OF the
Daily Glass" The young V. c. took
the unmerciful chatting good-natured-
ly and tried to explain that it was an
error.
In consequence OF the mistake. an
room Of the Daily Glass" whirlpool,
atmospherically, OF various emotions.
Major Spencer was the first to arrive.
The expression in his eyes was hinty.
He was rejecting on the score and
more of kilograms and messages of
congratulations that had flooded his
hospital room following the announce
ment of the engagement with which
the paper had credited him.
The two other occupants of the
! waiting room were a. young officer in
the flying corps and his fiancee. They
were chatting pleasantly and had not
observed Major Spencer nor connected
him in any way with the error OF
printing over their own photographs.
Instead of the couple being announced
as engaged the girl, Mildred Carter.
was given the distinction of having
been decorated by the king of the Bel
wounded under heavy fire. while the
young Captain Royce was given the
honor of the v. C. and recovering from
severe wounds.
The door swung open to admit
fourth warrior. Her complaint against
the Daily Glass" was, however. of
the smiling variety.
1t is not difficult to recognize the
American girl in London. This fourth
conner into the office had the charm
ing independence of manner. the eyes
aglow with interest in life and the
smile seemingly ever poised on red
lips and ready to offer itself in greet
ing. The uniform of the Red Cross
nurse was wonderfully attractive as
Beth Davis wore it.
She SAT down in the AnIV remaining
chair and with American frankness of
glance, took inventory of her COM
panions. Naturally it was the major
whom she first observed. Her quick
eyes sent sympathy for the four
wounds indicated by the tiny gold bits
of braid on his cuff and the blue band
on his arm. Her eyes then travelled
to the pale face and a quick glance Of
recognition sprang into them. She
knew that Major Spencer was in the
waiting room for the same purpose
that she herself was thereto correct
the error over his photograph.
She then glanced at the other two
persons and she soon guessed the en-
no blue band and no tiny gold braids
and the girl had no uniform on, SO
most certainly they were the engaged
couple whose headlines had in error
been put over the photographs of
Major Spencer and herself.
Beth Davis looked directly into Mil
dred Carriers eyes and the two girls
smiled. Miss Carter. too, had recog
nized the feature of the Red Cross
nurse as having appeared in the morn
ing paper.
"Our photographs seem to have
been all mixed up" said Beth Davis
with soft laugh. and with a view to
arousing the wrath-bound major, she
raised her voice trifle. 81 have been
most frightIully annoyed by it,
Mildred led &c 81,
to have been published as merely en-
gagged when you have been winning all
sorts of honors," she said. in some
feminine way divining the others pur-
pose in regard to the young major
ut isn't losing my laurels that I
mind" Beth told her, "but I have been
swamped by kilograms and notes of
congratulation and there will be heaps
more from America. 1 am engaged
already to one French and one Ameri-
can officer, SO you may imagine how
swiftly I had to contradict this stupid
.. error Of the papers"
She laughed again with a curiously
thrilling happiness that had cheered
many wounded soldier.
Mildred Carter laughed too. and
Capt Royce Joined in. MY words"
he said. you do believe in a number
| of strings
TT is only self-preservation." said
Beth. You officers are so faithless
when we are out of your sight that
, want to be sure of one in case the
other finds greater happiness else
where
Beth's quick glance and perhaps her
j intuition told her that the wrath in
Major Spencer's blue eyes was grudg-
/ ingly giving way to curiosity. This
small success inspired her to still fur
ther victory and she sent a steady, ir-
r1tatingly amused glance into his face
) but not before a brilliant spot had
, come to the pale cheeks
This appalling fickleness of heart
is apparently completely balanced by
: your wonderful steadiness of nerve
laughed Captain Royce. with keen ad-
miration topping the amusement in his