The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
EVENING STORY
Dawn
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

I am capabl of loving any man, but
YOU have not the right to ask me to
give up my friends. 1t is far better
that we consider ourselves free.
Harry Darlington looked back nat
Dawn. with deep pain in his eyes. A
pain that was perhaps mixed with
too great darkness of Jealousy He
looked all that a man should be in his
khaki uniform and he was sailing
away to fight for Americas liberty.
He glanced about the cool, home
like studio that was Dawn's home and
realized that when he was in the
trenches fighting his sweetheart would
be entertaining other menVthat she
would be sitting down at the little
table dining tete-a-tete over a Dawn
cooked chicken or a rarebit and giving
her smiles and her rare glances to
some one else.
you know, DEAR" he replied, try
ing to persuade her to his viewpoint.
sit is not only jealousy-and Lord
knows I am that-but it is just COM
mon sense I'm talking. Here you
will be while I am away and tho
you may be collaborating on stories
| and working your brain to tatters with
Diclxy Vane or Ralph Reed, you are
still Dawn Conner and therefore, will
| be tempting both yourself and the
other fellow. You can't help flirting"
he added.
Dawn blushed but her eyes were
steady and enve1oped Captain Barring
ton with a glance that should have
| told him that she was true as steel
with all her flirting.
I'm sorry she said, ''but women
| have gone far past the time when they
| friends for the one man whom they
marry. My writing is as great part
| of my life as marrying will ever be
| my men friends with whom collabor-
ate and work in this studio are dear
| and sincere friends and another big
part of my life and happiness. If you
| cannot be generous enough to let me
| have my life and fulfill my ambitions
| just as you do your own, then, dear
i've must not marry
But. DAWN love you-I--'
'.And I love you" she said unstead-
fly. 'but have ever. asked1y to stop
having your lovely stenographers in
your private room for dictation-"
THAT is in business" he put in
| quickly.
..And SO is mine business Dawn
| stated, "but even if my men friends
were not working with me, I should
still expect to be here and entertain
| ing them in my studio. I want to be
| trusted by the man who loves me suf-
| ficiently to let me lead my life accord
ing to my own nature" She very
gently slipped the ring from her en-
| philosophy in love and marriage she
said with swift, if unsteady, little
laugh.
| Darlington gazed long and earnest
| ly at Dawn as he took the ring from
her extended hand. Her beautiful
satiny arm was white as the lilies and
her shoulders nodded for the sheer
1 beauty of art.
harrington took her in his arms
you don't love me, Dawn he told
her sadly; you are perhaps not capa-
/ BILE of loving"
IT can't be the slave of love, If that
Is what you mean" Dawn told him,
and she put her lovely arms up about
| his neck and held him close to her.
.P1eases try to remember, dear, that
love you more than any other women
ever will, but my men friends would
be a constant source of unhappiness to
you and in the end to me-
II II am sorry I have disappointed
II you, Dawn. Life would. have been a
very beautiful experience with you at
my side. There will never be another
woman either in my heart or at my
i hearthstone"
/ When he had gone Dawn gave way
to tears, but after that she braced up,
began to readjust her life and tried
not to think of the void that Barring
tons going had left.
She was neither the clinging vine
variety of womanhood nor yet the in
dependent masculine type. Dawn was
merely a very good specimenSof femi-
nine beauty and brains com ined. She
loved Captain Darlington as a weaker
nature could never hope toelove There
were both depths and breadth to her
! affections and complete trust
Dawn continued her writing and she
made no change in her manner of liy-
: irg. When Dicky Vane came UP ant
: / their work carried them into the moor
! or evening hours, Dawn's chatting dish
was brought out and savory meals
[ prepared Then the typewriter clicked
while rabbit stewed. Dawn and hel
collaborators turned out much tina
was worth while in the literary world
II on rare occasions Dawn wa
brought face to face with the natur,
of man under trying circumstances
she blamed herself and not the man
Dawn was a flirt and she knew Their,
2 was more than a little ground for Bar
! rington's fears On the whole, sh,
knew, however that her own way o.
1 reasoning had been right-her own
' philosophy best suited to her success
] and happiness.
t-She did not fight attractions in Other
!, men. Dawn knew that to live on tn
surface of love affairs tended to max
her great void less deep. She MISE.
Barrfngtcn's love, and she never for
moment thought seriously of her man.
flirtations.
But in way her big captain hat
| been right. Life told her that sh
! could easily have succumbed had sh
been less true to some nearer love
Darlington. along with other mer
, could perhaps not appreciate that sh
I vas not like other women in love
4 Dawn loved love. but she also love
s her wor. She was generous and big
hearted and unse1fish, and wante
: others to be the same.
= The months flew past. Daw
reached wonderful heights of fame i
l. her writing and found a very Ievt
sense of contcntnent and happiness
i She had many friends and many VIII
| would have been more than friend
She began to dress exquisite1y. TIL
beautiful arms and shoulders wer
even more lovely when set off by beau
tifu1 gowns.
Il Then suddenly. Dawn knew ths
Captain Darlington had been brougf