The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-13
EVENING STORY
"When You're Hungry"
nv INES MACDONALD.

s.For heavens sake" said Avis Ran
some's Aunt Martha caustieally, If.
you're going to marry him--v by
marry him and have IL over with!
The startled Miss Ransome pushed
the telephone into which she had just
been talking back on the table and
gazed out of the window absently.
don't know that / do want to marry
him." she answered.
We'll, If you don't know now, you
never will know. YOU make me just
q little tired. You keep a perfectly
nice young man dangling year after
year hoping against hope until some
one else comes along to- whom you
take q sudden and inconsistent no
tion-and the first thing Martin Gar
land knows he's had throw down
that will touch all the rest of his life.
with just a shade OF disappointment
if not actual bitterness. 1t isn't fair
it isn't square. If you love him-why.
say so and marry him. If YOU don't.
at least be frank about it and give
him chance to love somebody else
before he dies of old age and watch
full waiting"
Perplexity was written large in and
about the eyes OF Avis Ransome.
But how do you know, Aunt Mar
Itha-how de you know when you love
man and want to marry him?"
'How do you know when you're
| hungry" snapped that good lady.
'Why-why you feel It'll" exclaimed
her niece.
Exactly! YOU feel it," said Aunt
Martha significantly.
So after five minutes of serio us
consideration the conscientious Avis
reached for the telephone and called
up Martin Garland.
ooh, Mart" she began hurriedly, II
think I've changed my mind don't
think we'd better meet this afternoon
nor any afternOon-ever any more.
I've been talking to Aunt Martha
and--and I've come to the conclusion
that 1t isn't fair to you, Mart. And
want to be fair"
But, Avis came his quiet voice
~ understand all of that. Youneedn't
| worry your head about it at ali. 1 car
stand tits better than nothing, YOU
know"
! NO." she said decisively, ait ism
right. And in all fairness toto botf
of us it should be ended right here
4 Garland's mind was quick on thu
trigger, and he Immediately caught the
idea that the thing which he had fear
ed had come. There was some on,
Else. So long as there was no on,
else he had hoped. But Garland wa!
good loser and uneonseiuusly Their,
slipped into his voice a note of pleas
ant friendliness that was almost i'm
|
Perhaps you are right, Avis" h.
said.
But Avis Ransofne arose from tn,
phone with little uneasy feeling tina
he had accepted the situation littl,
too readily. Ten days passed and thi
feeling grew into certainty. for sh
had expected him to make some effor
to come back But she hadn't hear,
a word from him. Then some on
told her he had gone to New York, an,
all at once she felt like an aban
doned child. She missed him; sh
+ missed him more than she would ad
! init even to herself. And her aun
. watched her and smiled to herself
+ SERVES her right thought tina
: right
Three months of this went by. TIL
fourth month Jagged dreadfully, an
Avis Ransome was the most restfes
young woman in Dayton. Then on
i day came q letter from a girl frien
who had married a rich young broke
II in New Yerk-a jolly, deviI-naay
care, nice broker. who had never pur
sued chorus girls along the Grea
! White way-and had always loved hi
|, own little wife from the very first tim
he ret eyes on her. And the lette
: included press notice of Martin Gar
| lands new play which was soon to b
produced, starring the wefl-know
t Neala- Travers-also the letter suggest
ed eagerly that Avis come to Ne
York for a visit, incidentally they coul
I, see Mart's new play-she and her hns
band were great first-nighters. ST.
r didn't mention that she was curious I
know how things stood between Ma
Il and Avis. but she was.
8 And SO 1t happened that Avis wa
enc OF the enthusiastic audience Hhie
d applauded the Young playwright wi
d stood before the curtain after IL
third act. hand in~hand with Neal
:; Travers. the lovely star And ths
:" night she went home with her friend