The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-18
EVENING STORY
Second Choice
BY *. RAY BAKER.

eyes, and went behind the counter to
prepare for the big rush Of bargain,
| the mammoth yellow tag sale at
Miller Brothers dry goods store"
| Whats the excitement" inquired
Tillie Edmonds offering a stick of
| gum which proved acceptable.
Cant tell you.' demurred Sadie,
as she stripped the wrapping off the
gum and placed the delicacy in her
mouth. Its a secret, but-gee! I'm
| happy
| Tillie scowled. She felt like re-
| claiming the gum, but it was too late.
Sadies was chewing it recklessly.
| "Oh, an right; keep it to yourself
snorted Tillie and proceeded to turn
her back on the other girl and display
unusual energy in busting some bolts
| of muslin.
| But Sadie couldn't keep it. I'll tell
you,' she said, If you promise not to
tell any one else; and Tillie turned
with the scowl still on her forehead
but her ears wide open. 'Tm-I'm
| engaged to one of the finest young
men in the world"
| Titles face was radiant with smiles.
| She seized both of the others hands
and pumped them up and down for a
| full minute while she showered con-
| CALCULATIONS on her.
Good. Finer she beamed. when
| you going to leave US, and what's the
gentleman's name? Is it that one
saw you walking with in Central Park.
feeding the squirrels, couple of
weeks ago ?"
| The light of happiness in sadie's
eyes lost some of its brilIiancy, altho
| it was by no means dispelled.l
Mo- she said, somewhat less en-
! Enthusiastically, hes not the one, altho
| he asked me only last Sunday. That's
| Mr. Piper, but he's not the one I'm
| going to marry, a1tho l have to con-
| Tess 1 like him an awful lot. My flu
| ture husbands name is Jasper Jewels
and he's got just loads of money and
drives a motor car and-everything."
| Title shifted
I'm kinda sorry,' she said.
liked that Mr.. Piper real well, what
little 1 saw of him, and l get suspicious
of these fellows who have lots of
! money. How do you know he's rich
and owns automobile ?''
well, I've ridden in the car with
him. declared Sadie land as for his
being rich-why, he told me SO him
self, and you ought to see the clothes
he wears. He's spick and span, al
ways 1 tell you. Mr.. Piper. as l said,
| is nice and has been very good to me,
and if it hadn't been that Mr.. Jewels
bodied up
Then the bargain hunters began to
arrive. and there was no time TO talk
or think matrimony for the rest of the
day. About the time the 5 o'clock
whistles were blowing a blonde young
man, CARRIED in a blue and white
tstriped suit of a cut and shade that
bordered on the radical entered the
white goods department and Sadie in
troduced him as her intended" He
had an easy grace of manner and a
winning smile that quite captivated the
tsaleSgirls-all exceut Tillie, who SIM
ply said, .'How'y'do. glad to know
you" and continued showing bolts of
cloth back on the shelves.
! Sadie chung to his arm as they left
the store and entered a big green tour
ing car that stood at the curb. Those
, few salesgirls who were able to Scram-
Bile to the window did so and stood
agape as the machine whirled away.
After having dinner at a restaurant,
Sadie and Mr.. Jewels took a ride in
Brooklyn before going~to the theater.
While on the ride. Sadie was presented
; with a ring containing a dazzling white
set. Then, just in time to see the be-
, ginning of the performance, they drove
up to the theater.
i The play was a good one. 1t had
enjoyed long run al the theater and
still was drawing big houses. But Sa-
dies enjoyment of it, was considera bly,
| interfered with by her conscience.
which was awakened by the presence
, of a young man seated across the aisle,
three rows down. The young man
bad dark brown hair and wore rather
plain but neat clothes. Evidently he
was in the company of two others, who
|
be seen conversing with them fire.
quent1y,
Mr..Piper' unused Sadie "How in
the world can he afford to come to
this show? He works somewhere in
: factory in Brooklyn. I forget just
where he said"
| Her conscience was bothering her
: because of the treatment she was ac-
r cording her own heart Size knew that
she really cared more for Mr.. Piper
: than for her present escort, and she
also realized that it was the lure OF
wealth that had caused her to. accept
Jewels's offer Of marriage.
I Her acquaintance with Mr.. Piper
: dated six months back, 20 one day in
> late summer. when she was canoeing
with two girl chums on Otsego lake
None of the three knew anything
about the management of canoe, and
2 they nearly paid dearly for their rash
' adventure on the water. They were
t about half u mile from shore when the
canoe overturned. and if it had not
been for Robert Piper. who. with two
other young men, padded up at the
right moment. it is unlikely that any
of the girls would have escaped with
her life. Robert at once began beine
attentive to Sadie and the affair had
!. | become quite serious when she met
Jasper Jewels one night at a dance.
II Just how the alarm started was
| never ascertained, but as the curtain
| descended at the close of the second
| act the cry of fire spread thru th-
| audience. 1t WIS taken up from tho
! orchestra seats and the boxes to the
] balconies and galleries. and without
stopping to learn the extent of he
| danger or if any existed, the greater
J, part of the audience went II.to a panic
( and those who did try to MART air
: | their composure We're carried off then
r feet by the frenzieI mob. which swept
: in the fury of terror toward the exits
e Startled like the rest, but SO dared
;. that she scarcely knew which way to
: | turn, Sadie sprang to her feet. reach
ing out an arm to clutch her male
escort. Bit he had fle1 up the aisle
!. | Helpless. the girl stood there, buffeteo