The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-12
EVENING STORY
Laura RelentS.
BY INES MACDONALD.

you don't make love to them they
think you're slow-and If you do make
love to them they think you're easy.
Darn their Merchandising souls."
And he kicked out of his clothes saw
agely.
A mile or so away, at exactly the
same instant. Laura Lee sat before
her dressing table and studied her
charming person in the mirror Men
to herself "They either make violent
love to you or act as tho you were go
ing to marry them against their will"
She smiled as she Struggled down into
bed. But he's a nice thing-even
if he was afraid 1 was going to bite
him." And this might have been the
end Of it all If it hadn't been for what
happened afterward.
1t must have been two months later
that Cole entered a subway train one
afternoon and there discovered pref
ty girl who smiled and nodded to him.
Cole stood before her and she moved
over for him to sit beside her. They
shouted at each other in friendly
fashion for ten minutes before reach
ing her station, and it never occurred
to him that this was the charming
Laura whom he had met at the Hamp-
tons nearly two months before. For a
girl looks different in street clothes
with a hat pulled down over her eyes.
Cole wasn't, entirely ass enough to
think that this young woman was
flirting with him, but he did think
she had mistaken him for some one
else-and he was nothing loath. But
when she had left the car she turned
UP her pretty nose in disgust. II don't
believe he remembered me at all. He
just thought 1 was flirting with him
conceited thing."
And that is the reason why she
looked straight thru and far beyond
him when She saw him a. few weeks
Strangely enough when he saw her in
a bathing suit he Immediately con-
Heeted her with the girl at the Hamp-
tons and also with the one he had
talked to in the subway-so he re-
fused to be ignored and approached
her.
Surely you haven't forgotten me?"
he smiled. I'VE met at the Hamp-
tons. you know. and not long ago we
talked a few minutes in the subway"
Il may have met you at the Hamp-
tons-they are very dear friends of
mine-but as for seeing you in the
subway haven't ridden on the sub
way for at least six, MONTHS she said
calmly, looking straight into his eyes.
Peach of girl" thought Cole as
he strolled down the beach. But oh,
how she hates my picture!''
He attempted to overcome this
prejudice the day he met her on the
avenue. You surely remember me
this time" he smiled. Il am Stephen
Cole, who first met you at the Hamp-
tons, afterward thought 1 talked to
you in the subway and last week GER
tain1y tried to converse with you at
the beach Why be enemies," he said
enga gingly. in answer to her hostile
look, when we could SO easily be
friends 3"
why be either" she asked lightly
with an Indifferent lift of her brows,
when it's SO much less arduous to
remain acquaintance?
Inc bright CLEAN of humor waned
IN mis- eyes and grim gentleness set
tied about his mouth and was appar-
ent in the tone of his voice
I'm sorry" he murmured. RI had
begun to wish for much more than
that
And as he passed on with an easv
grace Laura Lee had the feeling that
she had been bested in the encounter
and was little ashamed of her
childish attitude in it However. n
few nights latep when he informally
romped in on the Hamptons he found
to his chagrin that Laura Lee was
there also. And she, in order to
make up for her rudeness of their
last meeting, was decidedly cordial,
or course 1 know Stephen Cole"
she remarked as they were being in
troduced. We've met dozens of
times-haven't we?" she smiled up at
him.
Yes, indeed" he smiled gravely,
nuf his nandclasp was entirely irnper-
sonal and he would have left in a very
few minutes had not the Hamptons
protested strenuously.
PLEASE don't go yet" coaxed Laura
Lee. IF you'll wait little while you
can walk home with me-
So Stephen Cole stayed and walk ID
at her side along the starlit street
she conversed brightly and sought to
retrieve herself in his eyes. Soon they
reached her door,
You handled yourself admirably,
| he said soberly. mot to let the Hame-
tons know how my coming spoiled
your evening. I'm sorry, Miss Lee
Good night"
| The red glow of her spirits suddenly
died. His departure was faultlessly
| courteous but SO decisively definite
| that he was gone before she could
deny the thing that his words had i'm
piled.
Just why she cried that night. Laura
Lee herself could not have explained;
but cry she did, and she moped around
all the next day. half the time waver-
ing between the telephone and her
writing desk: but she neither phoned
/ nor wrote Stephen Cole, and several
days passed before she saw Mrs
| Hampton again.
| "And how is Stephen Cole?" she
eventually asked, innocently.
| "Oh. my dear-we're just 80 glad.'
| exclaimed Mrs. Hampton. Harvey
| telephoned the hospital this morning
| Stephens regained consciousness and
the doctor thinks his recovery is GER
tafn-but he's almost sure to be a lit
tie lame at first, poor boy
Hospital conscious lame %
murmured Laura Lee. Tell me-" she
| begged with stricken eyes, what has
| happened to him o"
why. I thought you knew! The
night he was over at our house he
was run down by an automobile on the
way home-after he left you, it mus,
have been-and he wasn't found till
early the next morning. If 1t hadn',
| been for his wonderful physioue and