The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-21
EVENING STORY
Sunk in the Pacific.
BY r. RAY BAKER.

By X. RA BAhER-
If INA Richardson had been less
quick-tempered she would have
missed being the heroine of story
that starts in San Francisco and ends
in the South Pacific.
She regretted it five minutes after
she uttered the words that sent Ar
thur Westridge away from her home,
and she would have called after him
and pleaded with him to return If he
had not walked SO swiftly down the
street and if she had been able to
thrust her pride into the background.
While she hesitated he disappeared
from view.
He'll never come back" she told
herself, and she went to her room and
shut herself in. When friend called
the next morning to take her motor
ing, Inza had a severe headache and
could not see her.
1t all started over Notwithstanding
when the results were considered. Ar
thur was kept busy late one evening
at the office of the transpacific ship
office where he worked, and was half
an hour behind time when he called
to take INA to the theater. That was
bad enough, INA thought but when
it developed that he had failed to get
tickets and she had to wait in the foy-
er while he stood in line before the
box office. she felt that the limit had
| been reached.
When he had bought the tickets she
made him tear them up and take her
straight hom& where a warm verbal
| battle, in which he took no part. oc-
Cured. 1t terminated when she took
/ the engagement ring from her finger
and hapded it to him with the words:
Don't ever show up here again.
| The idea of humiliating me as you
did this evening! 1t shows how much
you care for me. Goodbye"
Arthur went, because he had a tenn
per of his own and was afraid he
| would unleash it if he remained. He
| felt she was unreasonable, because he
| had told her he was detained by bust
ness, but he complied with her wishes,
or what she stated to be her wishes,
| and left her.
A week passed and INA heard moth
| ing from Arthur. By this time she
was worrying. Her love for him could
4 not be questioned, but there was her
pride to consider. When that week
terminated, however. with silence on
the part of her erstwhile fiance, she
| crushed her pride ruthlessly under her
heel and called up the office where he
| worked. 1t took a lot of bravery for
/ her to ask for that number. but she
did it
''Mr. westridge is not employed here
any more" she was told over the wire
| He resigned his office position a
week ago and took a berth as sailor
Oh the steamer John Richard, which
started the next day for Australia
INA was aghast at this intelligence
! why" she faltered, why did he dc
that?"
| She knew very well why he did it
because she knew Arthur. However
she listened to the reply:z
Said he was tired of being cooped
up in an office, and wanted to get out
in the air and see some real life and
some foreign country"
4 Then real cloud of despair settled
over the Richardson residence. INA
lost her usually healthy appetite an6
altho she had no flesh to spare she
became as thin as fence RAIL-" as
/ her father put it. She held no one tC
blame but herself but that did not as
suage the pain in her heart.
II INA watched the mail carrier every
taaysfrom the time he came into sigh
around the corner until he either pass
ed the Richardson home or mounted
the porch; and he never found it nee
/ essary to use the mail box. INA re-
| ceived what he had to offer, and al
ways there was a feeling of deep dis
appointment gripping her when she
entered the house
| The big crash came a month later
the crash that crumbIed her spirit anC
into the chasm thru which flowed the
| river of sorrow. It was a headlin,
that stared up at her from news
, paper:
Steamer Richard Sinks in Storm
| All Aboard Lost"
1t happened in the South Seas, 81
, the story went. The British steame
Thurston answered the Richards wire
less S. o. s., and arrived on the seen.
just in time to see the distressed yes
sci go beneath the waves, That par
of the ocean was searched as diligentl,
as possible with the storm in progress
but not survivor could be found
INA broke down completely and tn,
doctor warned that severe illness wa
ahead for her unless she experienced
. a radical change. Her father Offered
to finance a voyage to Europe, blu