The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-14
EVENING STORY
The Imp of the Arrows.
BY DORA NOLAN.

on the cover Then he sat and gazed
about the little room, which looked
bare indeed stripped of his few per-
sonal belongings. 1t occurred to him
just then to wonder exactly how many
hours of study and serious thought he
had spent in that small block of at
mosphere inclosed within four walls;
twelve feet square OF floor space and
ditto of ceiling.
In the midst of his musing some
perverse imp, whom Cameron, profess
sor of psychology tho he was, did not
recognize, delved down into the depths
of Rodgers orderly mind and dragged
into light some lines of verse. The
young professors lips, entirely ION
their own as 1t were, repeated them
aloud:
Even as n child who on the seashore sits.
Taking unchallenged all each bright wave
So let me play awhile with life and time,
Not thinking of the mystery of things"
Two facts concerning these lines
chung to the roots of them in their
rude upheaval: That they were by
modern poet, and that they had APP
peared some time before in a ma ga
zine. The name of the magazine and
the rest of the poem, if any, refused
to be unearthed.
But there were many things to be
attended to before the start on the
morrow; so the methodical professor
put from his mind the truant verse
and for the moment his thoughts
dwelt, instead, on the course OF study
planned for the summer vacation.
But the mischievous imp was not
to be gainsaid. He dangled the lines
in front of the professors minds eye
insistently all that day. On the way
to the station the wheels of the car
beat them out: the railroad train took
up the refrain. Then Rodger Cam
eron did a foolish thing-or perhaps
it was a wise one. He compromised
with the imp; and you know the old
saying about him who makes compro-
misesi Travelling fifty miles out of his
way to spend one whole day at shore
resort comprised Rodgers.
That is why we find him number
fifteen in a queue of hundred-odd
that stretched from the entrance to
the lighthouses far back into the bis
tering sunlight. He wondered why he
had come.
A short man in gray suit and cap
bursting with a sense of his own inn
portance and outraged dignity, stood
mediately behind Rodger. I'm
tired of standing here" he called out
in tone loud enough to reach the
perspiring man who was doing out
bathhouse keys as rapidly-or as slow
ly-as they were returned. I'D like a
house, please "Im'-an impressive
pause-''Mr. Geer."
You may be Mr.. Rockerfellow
Vanderastor for all the difference it
makes herei" threw back the red
faced dispenser of the precious bits
of brass. You take your turn or you
take nothing!
The gray-suited man stepped out of
the line and stalked away to the frank
diversion of the crowd. Cameron
glanced around. A girl had advanced
into the majestic persons place; a
girl whose face was concealed from
Rodger by a wide brimmed white hat.
The professor turned back: then
thought occurred to him. 1t wouldn't
be any more than decent! So he
addressed the brim of the white hat:
Wont you let me get your key along
with mine? Then you can sit in the
shade"
That's very kind of you" spoke
ripping voice. and the de-briInmed
hat tilted back little so that Rodger
caught a glimpse of mischievous black
eyes.
Rodger watched the girl walk over
to the pavilion and sit down on
bench. He kept on watching her.
Every time he moved UP a step she
glanced over at him and smiled. 1t
was n winning smile. Rodger was
number five In the line now-and
wished he were number fifty! An
other smile. Only three more smiles
coming now-possibly an extra one
when he should give her her key.
Why. he was actually glad he had
come!
The end came too soon. The red
I faced man anded Cameron two keys.
| The girl stepped up and took one of
them from him. pressing n quarter
into his hand. With murmured words
of thanks and a mischievous look is
If she would like to say something
more, she vanished toward the group
of houses set aside for women
~ 1a%a Dor eynr- Grar 0aI-fOr1
sat disconsolately on the beach. Wave
after wave, bright and sparkling in the
morning sun. spilled its foam flocked
crest at his feet.
Taking unchallenged all eac L
bright wave brings" The lines ran
mockingly. without his glasses he
couldn't recognize his own mother ten
! feet away. How could he ever expect.
I then. to find the girl of the ripply voice
and the smile? She might have been
| any one of the numerous women he
| had met and passed on his way out
| to the raft and back; she might be
smiling at him from som ewhere abe ut
right now. Fool that he was to ruin
his eyes by midnight study. Happy
/ laughter and bantering voices mingled
with the splash of waves. What did
| he know about playing?
! A higher wave than usual deposit
ed something animate at his feet. The
something STOOD erect ana shook IL
self, Towse- fashion, a feminine hand
to a coquettish little red cap. There
was a pulling CT abbreviated skirts
! into pface-the1 a voice, ripping with
| laughter.
Not very dignified approach.
That wave caught me mapping. Glori-
Gus, isn't it? Makes one glad to be
alive. May 1 sit down here? Really.
Professor Cameron. I'm not so bold as
! Observation-Disclosures