The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-26
EVENING STORY
~Amy Nair Says
BY JOAN MARSH.

his own satisfaction whether it was |
because Ruth Claridge was such an
unusually pretty girl or because she |
was such an amazingly clever illustra-
tor that he was so completely fasci- |
mated by her, and that before she>had |
been on the list of regular contribu- |
tors to the small magazine of which |
he was editor for two weeks he had |
found pretext to take her to luncheon
, two or three times and once to the the |
alter. Perhaps it was neither her ciev- |
erness nor her prettiness entirely; but
mingled with them her delightful
naiyete and lack of sophistication. + or
tho Ruth had quite obviously ''ar-
rived in her work she had in the year
that she had lived in the big grimy
! city, lost very little of the refreshing
eahdor and childlike enthusiasm that
characterized her as a county bred
! girl. Surely she must have known
that she was very pretty-a girl likeeI
Ruth could not have lived alone in the
city SO long without having been rath-
| er wearied with reminders of the IA
yet when Julius had, rather lamely
| as he thought later, told her she was
the prettiest girl he had ever known.
she opened her perfectly frank blue
eyes WIDE and said: Il am glad you
| told me so. I like to be thought pref
ty and 1 am glad that you think So"
! BESIDES Ruth never flirted. And Ju-
| nus was just at the old-young age
when he had convinced himself that
|
she was in large measure still a
| mystery to him and he was doubly
pleased when she asked him to come
TO supper" in her small apartment
where Julius had been informed she
/ shared quarters with that eminently
successful novelist, Amy Nair. Julius
was relieved to know that Amy was
| not to be present The supper was
set for o'clock SO that both he and
Ruth might dispose of their days oc-
| he
The apartment proved to be just
well furnished studio" the details
and fine points of which-the careful
elimination of every accessory or orna-
beautiful and the exquisite subordi-
nation of tones to the decorative
scheme of the whole interior-was
rather lost on Julius. But there was
| an air of repose and seclusion about
the large room-apparently the living
room, eating-room and work-room
combined-that put julius in a pleas
ant frame of mind. Ruth responded~to
| his ring and explained that the ''old
nanny who kept house for her and
Amy Nair had prepared the spread
and then departed.
II thought we could be cozier If we
were all alone in the place. Amy won't
| be bacl. till all hours"
Then as she led him into the studio
he got his first glimpse of her dress
1t was like nothing he had even seen
| before-surely most unlike the street
dress that he had seen her wear
He could not object to it on the score
of immodesty for the soft folds OF
Il fabric chung high at the throat and
| well down on her wrists. But-could
it really be possible ?-the ample folds
of the skirt somehow fell down to her
feet in two divisions and were caugnt
at both ankles in a neat metalllc ank-
/ LET Even that was not .immodest-
rather more modest Julius had 10 ao
NIT. than the street costume OF most
young women 49, Y.
Ruth saw his scrutiny. on, my
dtess." she said. isn't the color love-
1 ". It's real batik-from Ceylon. Amy
Nair got it for me. 1 am glad you
like it-Amy Nair says
i But I'm not quite sure do, SIAM
mered julius. and then as Ruth stood
off and piyoted on her oriental slipper
for his full inspection he honestly ao-
| mitted that it was extremely Decoih-
ing-"only hardly conventional
There was supper, and after supper
Ruth carried off the supper tray ana
brought back the coffee in a Turkish
brass outfit that even Julius was con-
noisseur enough to admire. FROM tll e
folds of her remarkable house gown
Ruth drew out a little metal cigarette
box and opening it deity with one
hand she held it out to her guest
There are several other sorts IN
the large jar on the table, she salu,
| sPQrG0nAlIY. i
Julius tried to conceal his surprise.
He had never even wondered whether
or not Ruth smoked Other girls with
whom he was associated in his edit
ing did, but even they had never re
ceiyed him alone in their own apart
ments and then proffered complete
assortment of cigarettes He felt the
suspicion of a frown Involuntary
come over his forehead but he fought
it back.
CHANGED into their heads-more as
julius had talked with some keeniy
alert clean-minded young boy OF MS
acquaintance: and as they taxed run 7It
smoked nonchalantly-not in the least
languidly At ten Julius rose to go.
Somewhere in the back OF ms mlno
he recalled that be had read that al
tho women who live alone may re-
ceiye callers unchaperoned, those call
ers mus. never remain after ten. Ruth
urged him to stay-still as young
boy would have done when he mad
not had enough conversation, rather
than as a young woman wishing stu
further to try her charms on a. man
whom she knows to be her admirer.
Julius was reluctant. Don't you
think I'd better" he said. Il mean
wouldn't it be the conventional thing
to do? If you had let the NANNY
stay in then we might have prolonged
the party-bnt, you are all alone
Ruth shot back glance of indigna-
ton but more of disappointment. she
told him she did not think the speech
was worthy of him and Julius admit
ted that he had been rather clumsy.
Amy Nair says that no really
iemancipated people give those foclish
conventions a thought and she says
that it is people who invent them and
who see evil in smoking and unusual
i but beautiful costumes who are really
the immoral people. And she says
that it is our duty-really our duty
to show people that morality and de-
cency don't depend on few stupid and
antiouated conventions. Amy Nair is
as virtuous as my own mother and yet
she does things every day that would
make people like you condemn her"
Julius tried to make some stand for