The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-08
EVENING STORY
ChaperOning.
y HILDA MORRIS.


Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)
Ann Douglas looked up from her
knitting with a face of utter amaze
ment. Her 1S-year-o1d niece, Milly,
sat balanced on the veranda rail
yellow frock.
why Milly!" exclaimed Ann. II
don't see how can chaperone. I'm
not old enough"
"Old enoughl Why Aunt Ann, you
must be twenty-four if you are a day
Good gracious, 1 guess you're old
enough"
Ann clicked her needles thought
fully.
81 don't know what people would
think" she murmured. "Of course
every one here in Edgedale thinks I'm
older than L am. I've lived so quietly
since we came"
Goodness yes" Milly agreed.
"Any one would think you were at
least thirty-five. People with smooth
dark hair like yours are awfully in
definite looking, and you're terribly
dignified. You will chaperone the
dance, won't you, Aunt Amp
1t would have been hard to with
stand the coaxing tone of Mi1ly's
voice, even If there had not been a
sudden swift tug of desire at her own
heart. Quite unexpectedly Ann had a
feeling that she wanted to go to that
dance, wanted to see young people
who were enjoying themselves, care
free, dancing, laughing.
Yes, I'll be chaperone,' she heard
herself saying.
Later, when Ann faced herself in
the mirror she wondered if it were
true, what Milly had said. Did she
look thirty-five? Her dark hair folded
smoothly about her oval face. and she
was tall enough to look dignified, and
1I<<-~ 81
of her mouth, and a twinkle in her
long eyes which, tho not often
called upon to act during the quiet
days alone with her book-1oving
| father was surprisingly bewitching
| when it did appear.
ct won't look thirty-five!" she told
herself suddenly, vehemently.
And thereupon she did & surprising
ly indiscreet thing for. chaperone to
do. She took from her closet pink
gown, ruffled and frivolous as tho it
| had belonged to MillX herself. AIMS
aunt bad sent the gown to her the
wear before. but it had never been
worn, for Ann did not share in the
young society of Edgedale. She had
lived there two years, and during the
| first of them she wore mourning for
| her mother Later she lived quietly
thru habit perhaps, perhaps because
| she was a little shy. Or was it pos
sible that they thought her thirty
I'VE, CneSe gay young pcOpl0 WHO Speu
| by in their cars, waved to her with
their tennis-rackets, invited her now
and then to a staid afternoon tea
Well. if they did she would show
| them Her pulses beat high that
| night as she fiuffed the dark hair
about her temples and called to Milly
| to fasten the pink gown. Its color
Ii Mt a flush to her smooth cheeks, and
Milly on the threshold, stopped short
with amazement.
|
look! But isn't that gown little bit
] young-for a chaperone?
/ "Oh, no, Kitty Barton wears pink
and she's older than L.
colder than you? Why Aunt Ann.
she can't be! You do look sweet
wouldn't think you were a day over
| thirty
| Milly's escort was a youth of her
own age. Peter Barnes. He paid scant
her courteously in comforta BILE
rocker on the ''side-lines'' where she
| could watch the children dance They
were only children, Of course. and as
Ann watched them she felt suddenly
old. unutterably old and settled. Mrs.
| Carberry, mother of a pretty girl in
red chiffon who was flirting outra-
! geous1y, had come to share AIMS du-
4 ties of chaperone, and her talk of can
ming, sewing and housekeeping,
! QrOneQ OIl III <aIlf ear tlkc the urge
of youth. After all she had been
foolish to feel as young as the pink
gown; there was nothing left for her
| but drab days. silent and apart
who is that man over there with
my daughter" Mrs. Carberry asked
abruptly The tall one with the
black hair?"
| 81 don't know, I'm sure"
Ann cast a diS;nterested look in the
| direction if May Carberry. The man
I
deed very tall, he was looking down at