The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-04
EVENING STORY
Clark, Alias Clark.
(By Dorothy Douglas. }


editors and just moment before she
had failed to get a seat for the farce
she wanted to see.
Not seat in the house." the box
| office man informed her.
| Nine was disappointed. She glanced
| thru the casts of characters of several
| theaters as she passed them to see if
| she could find out whether there was
anything else worth spending a dollar
! on. Nina never paid more for seat.
| Stories didn't sell fast enough for the
| luxury of orchestra seats.
OH she calculated softly, Il won
| der if this is the Mr.. Clark 1 crossed
| on the Lymric WITH" She was glanc-
! ing thru the cast of characters for "A
Night and a Day" posted in front of
! the Triangle theater and noticed the
| name of A. G. Clark. I'm sure he
must be Calvin Clark. Isn't that
lucky. I shall write and ask him to
| tea in the studio
for the Saturday matinee and felt
slightly less discouraged. She had
been quite attracted by Calvin clark
| during the voyage across the ocean.
He was a young English actor coming
to America to fill his first engage
ment when Nina had met him. They
had kept up an infrequent exchange
of letters until during the last years
when the habit had just broken itself
| off for sheer neglect.
When she returned to her studio
Nina wrote a short note to Mr.. Clark
| asking him to tea for the following
Sunday. She touched lightly on the
voyage upon which they had met,
thinking that perhaps during his trav-
els he had forgotten her.
| She waited impatiently for matinee
| time on Saturday. Nina was over
fond of the theater, considering her
limited allowance for amusernents.
| When A G. Clark made his appear
|
Calvin Clark whom she knew but enc
compellingly different.
"Oh! And I've invited him to tea.
Isn't that perfectly awful?"
Nina found herself smiling slyly in
spite of the tremendous error she mad
made. A. G Clark was decidedly good
| to look at and his personality was
pleasantly magnetic.
| Now while Nina realized that she
had plenty of time to send a MESA ge
| to this Mr.. Clark before Sunday morn
ing she recognized no terrific sin in
not doing so.
IT might just as we'll keep up the
b1uff-until after l have met him"
she told herself. He need not know
| have seen "A Day and a Night nor
that have discovered my error"
| On Sunday afternoon Nina dressed
a trifle more becomingly than she
knew she would for Calvin Clark.
Whether it was because she want ed
|
| surprised BECAUSE she liked Kim
better than Calvin Clark Nina was not
quite sure.
Whatever the motive in her brain
she was assuredly lovely vision in
| the sand-colored, smock-like dress
with her tawny hair cooled loosely in
the nape of her white neck.
Her heart fluttered a trifle deSper-
ately when she knew A. C. Clark had
| dropped the copper knocker of her
door.
| If Nina was embarrassed with her
| guilty conscience she did not show it,
| The good looking young actor Gid,
| however, glance a bit nervously into
Ni1,a's brown eyes when she opened
/ the door for him.
! Her start of surprise was well as
| Sumed.
.Oh-h!" she bluffed naturally, you
are not MY Mr.. Clark. I am so sorry ;"
she said and cast a wonderful glance
into the actors eyes.
| I'm sorry, too-very sorry" laugh
ed A. G. Clark. II just came up
to tell you that I'm not YOUR Mr.
Clark, he added, by way of prolong
ing the interview. He remained stand
ing near the door hoping, however.
that he would not have to go right
away. He suddenly wished he were
a strategist that he might devise a
maneuver that would hold him in this
deli~htfully honey studio beside this
lWOnQer10fly lovely girl.
| L have the kettle boiling and Eng
lish crumpets-all ready for tea Nina
So boldly while inwardly she quaked
at her own temerity. land no one to
eat them" With that she sent an
other glance into Clark's eyes.
IF that's an invitation" laughed
Clark, Il accept happily. I have
been desperately lonesome for some
one just like you" He colored as he
realized how flattering his speech
seemed. Il mean,' he added quickly
that we actors don't often meet
honey girls He had put down his
hat and walking stick and Nina mo-
toned him to a coy seat beside her
little tea wagon. You are mighty
good not to turn me out in the cold"
Nina looked across the steaming tea
kettle and smiled. He had been so
cry frank with her. why should
not confess. too?" she questioned her
self. ut would make him far hap
pier to know he is not the only guilty
ole"
You know" she said with bril-
liant color flaming into her cheeks,
| that I found out in plenty of time
to have le- you know-that you were
not MY Mr.. Clark. Il saw the farce
Yesterday and could have sent mes
sage"
She cast down her long lashes and
thereby missed Clark's quick smile
He was. however, delightfully."- boyish
| in his enthusiasm over her confession.
81 say" he laughed. you're a little
bit of all right as the Britons says.
Most girls would have biuffed this
thing OUT He held out friendly
hand and Nina put her own in it.
| And most men would have bluffed
it out, too. You could so easily have
thought you had met me- and all
that old game" she told him
! While consuming tea and toasted
crumpets the young actor and Nina
found much in common to interest
them. She even told him of her dis
couragenent regarding some of her
stories.
Lately they seem to lack pep" she
said, and a worried little line sianted
| between the brown eyes
If you let me look them over" he