The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-20
EVENING STORY
Grizelda's Wild Oats.
BY JANE OSBORN

Down there IN the tropical loneli-
ness of a Panama engineering camp
| Bob Lamar had seen the picture OF
Helen Ferrel and it had seemed to
him as + all the loneliness that the
word woman could possess for him
| was indicated in those calm. level
eyes, that oval cheek. the firm, well
| moulded mouth and the small femi-
nine chin. Helens brother. Gregory |
Ferret, had shown him the picture |
and when he saw that the picture APP |
parently meant more to Bob than to |
himself he gave it to him. sure that
| Bob would be entirely worthy OF the I
gift. Not great deal passed between |
the young engineers regarding the
picture, but when they parted at the
end of their work there together it |
was agreed that as soon as Bob could
return to the northern state where
the Ferrels made their home. Greg |
DRY would Introduce them. And hav-
ing arrived home before Bob, Gregory
Ferret did not lose any time in in
virtues that made Bob Lamar the
finest fellow in the world"
He's the kind of fellow that can go
. thru the world without a single
, scratch he said one day in his sis
ter's hearing. Hes the most mnscu-
, line man 1 ever knew" he continued.
: for the benefit of Helen, but l don't
believe he ever sowed a wild oat in
his life. Some girl will be lucky to
marry him-that is, of course If he
ever takes the notion to marry"
Helen registered her interest in the
character so glowingly painted by her
brother by blushing ever SO slightly
and looking more intently than ever
at her knitting. But Grizelda. IS
: year-old child of the family. tossed
, her brown locks and said something
that sounded like "poo-poo."
Just cause a man never Rows auy
1 wild oats doesn't mean he's the finest
fellow in the world" she announced.
You are pretty nice and guess you
I sowed some, Greg. 1 guess there are
some people that just can't help being
foolish enough once in a WHILE" and
Z Grizelda might have gone on with her
theory of wild oat sowing had she not
been cut short by a reproving, "Grizel-
da, why do you say such awful
e things?" from the elder sister.
e month later Bob Lamar had re-
: turned to civilization in general and to
{ the section Of civilization in which the
/. Ferrels had their being in particular.
Thru few brief letters exchanged
should visit the Ferrels on a certain
| week end in June and, tho nothing
was said to indicate that Bob's visit
| was designed especially that he might
seemed to make preparations with
that end in view. That is. all the fam
: lily but Grizelda.
When Gregory met Bob at the sta
&c ton of the town where the Ferrels
,. lived there was something grave and
e serious in the face of Gregory that i'm
mediately solicited an inquiry from
,e Bob.
Has anything gone wrong?" Bob
asked. "Helen isn't ill-or-or any
l. thing?" Her name had not been men
toned since his arrival, five minutes
before.
, why, no, Helen is not ILL., But to
tell you the truth. you have come at
rather trying time. I'm afraid you
will feel the depression of it-you see,
= my sister. Grize1da-"
e "Oh. the little girl with the brown
t. ringlets."
It you saw" Gregory said. but she's
a grown up since then. She's eighteen
II and the ringlets were brown"
S. well. what color are they now?''
laughed Bob.
is That's the terrible thing" said
l. Gregory. still very PRACTICALLY. 81
d didn't think I'd tell you. but I sup
8 pose had better. They-the ringlets
d are-I hardly know how to tell you
20 But Grizelda had her hair bleached
4 Yesterday she was a brunette, and
now she is as golden-haired as per-
l. oxide show girl"
n Bob. in spite Of Gregory's tragic :; air
laughed outright We'll it'll all come
Eyes, but in the meantime-in the
months that pass before that! What
II will people say? Imagine daughter
~, of Theosophus Ferret, churcn warden
y, and president of the board of educa.
|. ton, with peroxide hair. OF course
~ no one must know. OF course. father
= was frightfuIly enraged about it
~ Grizelda tried to explain and ne
- stormed at her at first and then when
he asked her about it she was sullen
an ANYTHING IT hap
pened last night-she came home that
IN way before dinner, and shes been In
her room ever since. We didn't wan'
nj to have the servants see. OF course
10 we'll have to send her away some
~ where-Nll it comes in brown. We
haven't decided just where she'll go
a II there were only converts now al
there used to be where girls could sc
he she'll just have to go to some out-of-
the-way farm. 1t will take about ST,
months, I suppose. And we dom
MT know what we'll tell people. It's
~ very ugly business. Bob.
ne Bob was no longer inclined to laugh
On He looked as sad as Gregory. but hi.
SIS eyes were softer. Poor little kid" ht
ut murmured, but Gregory did not heal
1t.
please don't let any CT the family
- know I told you abou.. this" he said
- And, Bob, please don't think tina
Helen is at all that sort of girl. Heller
= and Grizelda are as different as two
IN sisters could be-she has absolutely M
ct ma tience with the child.'
Perhaps 1t was because or In spit
list of all effort on the part CT the Ferrel
to act as il the dreadful thing tina
had happened had not happened. A
any rate the meeting of Helen Ferre
and Bob Lamar was not quite wha
any one concerned had expected /
would be. To be sure. Halen hat
changed almost none since the pictur'
. that Bob had treasured had beer
to. taken. She was the same Helen am
a Bob was the same Bob. but there wa
W. no quick look of understanding be
fl tween them that was part of the meet
ing as every one had planned 1t. Per