The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-29
LET TIERS OF
TWO WOMEN
when to Administer a Shock.
By ZOE BECKLEY.

When to Administer Shock.
Still at the Strange Hotel, Monday.
My Kate:
After I wrote you my last letter,
something wild seemed to seize upon
me. 1t was as il I had drunk of some
strange, subtle winei 1 felt myself
suddenly the heroine of a wild adven-
tude- I resolved to play it thru. come
what might If l won the peace and
happiness I crave, well and good, and
l would be grateful to whatever gods
there be! I lose, never mind, 1 will
turn my back upon the past and dare
the future to down me!
A woman can do nothing unless she
is dressed for her part! The spirit of
this strange desert town pervaded me
and ! longed for the outer trappings
that should harmonic me with it, and
with the mood that had taken possess
sion of me- Kate, / ran across from
the hotel to a shop where the Mojave
Indians sell their curious wares.
With an inward thrill that the stolid
clerk had no suspicion of, 1 picked
and chose from his stock of embroid-
cred and beadwork, certain bits of
adornment that / knew would give me
a totally unfamiliar yet attractive
exteriori
Among the odd pieces, marked
down." found {. cotton blouse printed
in curious Indian dyes and so shaped
that with few touches here and there
bought at an exclusive Fifth avenue
shop. Then 1 hunted out a beautiful
beaded girdle and a couple of queer
hand-wrought silver bracelets set with
turquoise matrix.
1 hurried back to my room and be-
fore my mirror tried different ways
of doing my hair-ways that would
be foreign to me, yet pretty and with
a dash of coQuetry. I don't know
what possessed me, Kits, but did
cited tinge of red to my cheeks. And
for wild hour, I rehearsed before
that mirror a hundred destinations
title tricks that would suggest
changed Maize, a Maizie primed for
anything, hopeful of everything ten
sourcefu1 A Maize aggressive rather
than defensive. In short, a new and
I nope Gold help me!) an interest.
ing Maizie
Somehow I lived thru the hours
until the transcontinental train was
due.
Then. (and Kate, I swear to you it
was as IL some power outside myself
upheld and spurred me on! I flung
on a widebrimmed white felt hat that
1 had found at a miraculous bargain
in the Indian shop, and for a mo-
ment held my breath as I heard the
roar and rattle of the overland limit,
ed and the stir upon the station SO
close Donedtn my WINDOWS
Down 1 rushed.
I believe the first man off the train
was Curtis Flinging a desperate
fragment of prayer from my soul
outward - upward - somewhere -
everywhere Il flew toward him,
hands outstreched
His face was set in a stiff half
smile. like selfconscious school boy
about to recite something his whole
future depended upon. He saw me,
tried to, keep his old habitual .unre-
sponsiveness of manner, was shaken
out of himself by surprise at my
changed air and outfit, hesitated an
instant, then abruptly dropped his
bag and his reserve-his character
istic, lifelong, observation-disclosures re-
-serve-and swept me into his arms.
Kate-Oh, Katei
TELEGRAM from MAY BOND to
KATE DANSKOI:
All is we'll darling. Am out of Pur-
gatory. Heaven is good. Am writ
ing details.