The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-09
EVENING STORY
The Composite Girl.
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

drought Inc story Win ncf OW n
name at the top in large letters under
the title had been illustrated as she
had feared by Julian Fletcher. and
Julian Fletcher had managed to spoil
| the last half dozen or of her con-
tributions to-the National"
/Other people raved about his work,
and did not stop to insist upon the
fact, as did the author, that an Illus
tration should stick to the context.
When girl is said to come down a
stairway in a Queenly gown of velvet
and spangles, it is maddening to see
in the illustration debonair lass
tripping lightly down the steps, in a
frothy creation of juvenile rufffes and
a sash. Also when one describes a
heroine as having raven locks and
dark, soulful eyes, it is the veriest
| heresy to have her reproduced in
picture with rather fluffy hair of an,
indiscriminate yellow and eyes of gray
with an unmistakable sense of humor
| that compelled one who gazed to smile
| back in answering sympathy.
Just now the lady represented in
| the picture was supposed to be a
naughty person who prided herself on
! her knowledge of clothes. Also >she
1 was supposed to be alighting from her
limousine and drawing back in startled
| one person in the world she was try
l ing to avoid.
1 But instead of Mortified haughtiffess,
| the artist had sketched in an express
sion of rather glorified naughtiness.
4 There again was the expression that
rather refused to take life seriously.
If" said Katherine, that man.
wants to be buffoon. how does it
4 come he's engaged to spoif perfectly
| serious stories? I'm going to write to
| the editor and tell him that il he
| wants any more stuff of mine he's got
to hunt another illustrator"
4 She looked again into the eyes OF
1 the girl who was intended to be SOUL
4 full In spite of herself she smiled
| back. Then happening to look up into
her own mirror, she was startled. Her
| own eyes looking back at her from
| the glass were the exact counterpart
4 of those On the page. And her hair.
1 wavy, and caught back loosely from
Ter face, with it's part on one side.
/ was exactly like that of the girl in
another picture. and another. and
] studied them, long and carefully.
/ Then she took another inventory of
! herself.
/ her cheeks, and her breath came hard.
The pictures in the maeazine were of
! her. there wasn't a doubt of 1t. And
4 now it came back to her gradually
that she had heard people say they
had noticed a resemblance. And the
! certainly hers. and the rather youth
/ full knockabout suit of the Limousine
lady who was supposed to know how
4 to dress, was a replica. Of her own
blue j.rsey. And the hat!
4 Katherine grew thoughtful. What
4 Vengeance could she wreak upon
i, Lillian Fletcher who. evidently know
ing her by sight, had had his own
Il little joke at her expense. But alas
Y evenN while planning vengeance, the
= tr,a ~
Limousine lady. rather lacked the
a alardne.s5 essential to real vendetta.
Il She tossed back her head finally
Il having reached at least partial de-
u cision, that is, in order to settle her
account with one artist she must make
4 up the difference she had had with
: another. jerry Page, her. erstwhile
II enemy, would now be essential. to the
fiifillment of her scheme and she
must make up with him right away
II Poor Jerry! After all it was too bat
the way she~ha treated him. She
never dreamed she'd miss him 81
much, until he had ceased to come
Z In the old days he had way of Civ
ing three quick knocks and stiesint
pa 5sword. Who goes there?"
81 If she was busy. she'd call out
Kate" And he would softly clos,
the door and vanish. -
But If she called out huskily. 81
great big bear!" he would letNthe res
:, of himself in. his pockets cracklini
suspiciously with parcels from the Gel
!, icatessen across the street.
Then Katherine would lay c1otl
. and they would have lunch together
: Sometimes when he had sold pictur
and she had sold g. story. they woul'
go to dinner at a big hotel and to
theater to celebrate.
Il + Lately. however. Katherine had sol,
so many stories that she needed n
longer to live on the same street a
the delicatessen. And having sol
her answer to Jerry's knock had NOR
and more seldom been "A great hi
l bear" But then she didn't have t
depend on packages for her meals an
| more. She had her own maid in nea
black and white to announce -uuietl
that dinner was served Jerry came
| few times at her invitation, out h
J didn't seem to be himself. Finally h
blamed her for not caring for hi
u friendship and they had quarrele
lie after discussing it.
But now she needed Jerry and sh
= smiled rather wistfully as she nut O
sc her hat and coat for a visit back t
Iy the old street.
d She knocked timidly at the studi
:. door. and Jerry himself in his old We
ID vet coat opened it. .-- y
s. With his hand on his heart, he e,
ecuted most profound bow. Faith
ID said he. slowly Strengthening, ITS
beautiful dream I'm having. I peyt
he meant to go to Sleep"
v She came in smiling. well. wal
10 up, Jerry. I don't want to talk to
r. Isomnambulist. I've come on bushes
ID and you'll have to be very wiz
c. awake"
AT your service. milady. Won
you sit down? It isn't often I ha,
such distinguished company"
She laughed. Say. Jerry. before
ask you to do something for me,
want to tell you. I'm sorry for ever
y thing. I see things differently no,
No doubt did act rather arbitraril
U.s. but it never occurred to me until al
erward that you would think INV pro
X perity had gone to my head. I didr
mean to say those things, Jerry. Fo
ng give me, will you?"
Its an honor to have a srieyant