The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-01
EVENING STORY
A Spring Meeting.
BY HILDA NORRIS.

-
spring Saturday. Most OF the otnel
girls from Sally's office were planning
gala excursions of some sort. shopping
for new summer clothes. rowing IN tne
park or going to the movies with Jonn
or Gerald. Some of them. carefully |
powdered and with their hair
ranged modestly to conceal the ears
stepped out to meet young men at tne
doorway, tall young men IN Ana
short young mon in spring su
Jackies in tight-fitting blue. Oniy
sally set forth alone and with notnIns
planned for the afternoons ENJOY
ment. She ate a solitary luncn on q
high stool in a neighboring restaurane
and wandered atmlessly down ene
crowded street of shops, feelne moie
lonesome and blue with every step.
It had been SO different the week
before. Then she. too. had met ne.
soldier; she, too. had looked ioI"ar9
to a happy afternoon. Ana II mao
been happy. the most periect 9sy . .he
had ever spent in her life He-the
soldier-being one whom she had met
very properly thru q friend In the OF
fice-had taken her out several umes
before. But on this particular Satur
day he had seemed to Sally SO iar SUI
perior to any other men that sne nao
ever known, that she came home ra-
diant, and had dreamed OF him all the
days since
And then some one had told her
about him. 1t seemed that ne WASH
just plain John Strong. He was the
John Strong, son of the millionaire
whose gray stone palace crowned the
top of one of the city's beautiful hills.
! He had once been reported engaged TO
Evelyn Carey, the bankers daughter
and rumor had it that even now he
was counting the daughter of the gov
| Of he What could
he have for plain. poor little Sally
Graham? If he thought she was that
| kind of girl! So Sally concluded that
she would simply have to. put him out
of her mind and resolve never to see
| him again.
| This, however, was easier said than
DONE He had not called her up that
Saturday, so there had been no occa-
sion for putting her resolve into Icy
tones. OF course he had probably for
COTTON her by this time. doubtless he
was with the governors daughter
Sally tried not to think about it. but
somehow she couldn't help 1t. Days
make little impression on memories
that it would take years to forget
However, there was something in
the spring sunshine that made one feel
| just a little bit happy, somehow. in
spite Of oneself. So Sally decided that
since she had to be alone. 1t would be
better to be alone out doors. One
couldn't think things over on a busy
! street. SO she boarded a street car and
/ rode to the edge Of town. to strike off
briskly down a country road.
Country roads in spring time are
| more delectable than the most gor-
| geous of stage scenery or the most be-
| witching of shops. There is some
thing about a spring-time road that
i seems to declare that it is a setting for
| happiness. for youth, Tor hope and
| health and radiance. Sally felt vague
| 1v that she wasn't r11avinU her RI
! She ought to be singing. or dancing
along. or dreaming wonderful things.
but then. she ought to have some one
with her, too. However the country
, worked its magic spell about her in
spite at herself, and before she had
walked more than a half hour or SO
her spirits rose in spite of themselves.
Its funny SO few people are out
here on day like this." she said to
herself. II should think everyone
would be, and especially people with
care. haven't met a SOUL
But as she spoke there was the
sound of motor in the distance. and
Sally stepped aside to wait until it had
passed. 1t was a big gray car. and in
it there was a girl. alone. Sally looked
at her a little wistfully. She was a
pretty. well-dressed girl. Her bright
Ieyes met Sally's with something like
ing faint trail of dust.
Il suppose the governors daughter
looks like that" Sally thought
The afternoon went all too swiftly
Sally walked and walked. following
the lure of the winding road that al
ways had some surprise waiting for
| her around the very next turn. But at
last it was time to start back. and she
1 found that she was unexpectedly very
tired. she had come farther than she
thought. 1t was getting a little chilly,
TOO. as the sun sank lower and the
country seemed very silent and lonely
Sally walked briskly, telling herself
that she wasn't tired, but there were
still some miles back to town. and she
i suddenly felt utterly fatigued She sat
| down by the road to rest.
And then. once more there came the
sound of motor. It was the big gray
car with the pretty girl in 1t again.
She care on smoothly and swiftly.
Sally felt an envious pang Of admira
ton at her approach. And quite unex-
pectedly the big car stopped.
4 Aren't you going back to town %
the girl called to Sally Don't you
Almost before she knew it Sally was
seated beside her. spinning swiftly
ever the road that she had walked.
4 They chatted amiably Of the
of walking. The strange girl was
amazingly friendly. Sally felt little
shy at first, but-no shyness could re-
frain from melting before the frank
simplicity of the others manner She
was utterly charming, with the sort of
frank, sincere manner that reminded
Sally SO much of John Strong. or
course the girl belonged to his kind OF
people. No wonder he should love a
girl like that The wonder was that
he had ever seen anything attractive
about Sally. in her plain little suit
with her shy, unsophisticated manner.
At least 80 Sally thought The girl
with the car. however. thought quite
otherwise, She thought that she had
never seen eyes SO big and gray and
sweet as Sa1ly's nor heard such a
charmingly soft voice. BY the time
they reached town they were good