The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-01
EVENING. STORY
The Pink Sheet.

BY Il. RAY BAKER.
One means of wrestling a living from
the world that Eleahor Ferguson alb
horred above all others was prize
fighting She had never witnessed
any pugilist.c bouts. but she had
heard enol1gh concerning them to
form a cone susion that they were bru-
tai and savage and that no one who
possessed the least vest.ge Of self-re-
spect could bring himself to engage in
such an encounter.
Consequently, when she found the
man she raost admired gazing up at
her serene:y from pink sporting page
with the cognomen kid Gleason"
stretched above his head the feeling
of disappointment-of we'll nigh de-
spair-that swept over her may Wen
be understood.
Eleanor cane across the pink sheet
while rumaging in the attic for some
long household utensil that
she suddenly felt the need of in prep
aration for the party at which her en-
gagement was to be announced. The
sheet had been used to wrap some
thing in and she came across it quite
| by accident.
ITO announce my engagement" The
phrase had lost its pleasant sound.
Now it seemed more like the knelling
of a church bell at a funeral. And
the PINK SlJeel was 10 Uldno lOT IL all.
If only she had estayed away from the
| attic she would have continued in
happy frame of mind, she thought.
| On the other hand. it would have been
much worse to have become the bride
| of the man and then have the knowl-
| edge of his means of livelihood sud
denly thrust upon her-whep it was
J too late.
| "A prizefighter" she walled, and
she seated herself cross-legged on the
I -1r,l H. Il ~
arms and wept. Anything but a
I prizef;ghter! Why, he must be the
most brutal of brutal beings. He can't
possess the slightest shred of human
kindness or sympathy. They never
, do All they think of is knocking peo-
pie senseless and collecting money for
it. Sometimes they kill their oppo-
nents. He's savage, that's what he
| is. He told me he clerked in a store,
but he was afraid to tell the truth.
lust for blood the principal part of his
makeup"
Eleanor's lack of definite Knowledge
was easily explainable by the fact that
he lived in Jackson, which was sixty
miles from her home city Of Kala-
| mazoo. He came over every Saturday
night to spend the week end, and she
saw nothing. of him. on the fntsrven-
ing days.
When he had casually remarked
that he clerked in a store she had
taken it for granted he was telling
the truth. At that time she could con-
ceive of nc reason for his falsifying,
but now STE could comprehend his
evident reluctance to discuss bis work.
THAT settles it," she fumed as she
left the attic with the pink sheet in
her hand. There won't be any an
nouncement party. Hes coming over
tonight, as usual, and I'll meet him at
the station as If nothing had happened.
IN he L. to-. -
I'll confront him with the evidence
of his perfidy."
I So when. Albert Gleason stepped off
the interurban car he was greeted with
smiles from the girl of his choice for
she concealed her disgust or abhor-
4 renee. or whatever her new. feeling for
him might be termed, and apparently
was as glad as ever to see him.
To tell the truth. she experienced
some difficulty in keeping that re-
pugnance uppermost in her mind; for
Albert was exceedingly good to look
upon. Broad of shoulder with arm
muscles that clothing could not con-
ceal and with red. healthy cheeks and
head of, luXuriant, tousled, yellow
hair and deep blue eyes ard clean.
ing specimen, one that would show off
well in evening dress, at an. engage
ment party for instance.
But-and her forehead furrowed
| INTO IL IroWH IN spite OF heFSelf-he
also had the build AMI loise of a
prizefighter. if she was any judge OF
prizefighters. which she wasn't; but
she had hIT opinion of how they ought
to look, ard Albert filled the bill.
They took a car for the Ferguson
residence.
: His last trip up This way" Eleanor
said to herself, firmly, as she accepted
a seat fro Il a gallant old gentleman
who was about ready to get of, and
T Albert located strap that was not
: in use.
Most of the passengers had hungry
look. 1t was nearlJ o'clock and they
| were hound home for tie cv ming