The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-12
EVENING STORY
A Boys Love.
BY BERTHA R. MDONALD

Barbara Salter was not a coward,
but when she read in the morning pa
per that desperate gang of thieves had
been infesting the neishboring towns
and might be headed for Jonesboro.
she felt an uncomfortable sinking of
heart. DR.. Salter had gone to the
medical convention in a distant city
with no premonition that his mother
less daughter would be left alone by
scheming servants. who saw chance
at hand for an extra holiday; yet,
when he found he would be detained
a day or two longer than he had ex-
pected, he wired his office assistant,
Richard Gilbert, to that effect and
added a request that he look after
Barbara during his absence.
Twill l." exclaimed the assistant;
will T."
Richard. too, had read of the near
ness of the thieves. He wished he
might defy convention and stay at the
salter home until the doctor returned,
but he suspected he might have to
defy other things than convention,
were he to suggest such proceeding.
He had long loved Barbara with
mans first strong love, but somehow
Babara always contrived to accept his
overtures as coming from a boy-not
a man-and treated them accordingly.
Therefore he welcomed any commits
sion which included his superior Of
ficer's daughterf hoping thus to be re-
ceived more seriously, and lost no
time in hurrying to the Salter home.
Hello there, Dicky boy!" greeted
Barbara cheerily. 81 suppose you feel
very, important now that dads away"
Not particularly, but your father
did wire me an important commission
after you, and as 1 read about the
burglar scare in the paper 1 thought
I'd come"
What could you-a mere boy
do?" interrupted Barbara, laughing
heartily. They'll make mincemeat of
the two of U.S."
Barbara, dear, I'm not boy any
more. I'm a man and I've got a
heart full of love for-for a woman
for you. Won't you be serious and
listen to me for just a moment3'
mo, I won't; and 1 won't have any
boy making love to me so early in the
morning. either. Don't talk nom
sense, Dicky."
But -Dicky was hurt more deeply
than usual because he had counted on
the wire from DR.. Salter as the open
ing wedge for which he had long
been waiting.
IF there's nothing I san do for
you, III go along. I've a good many
calls to make, now that your father
is away"
"W-e-l-l-you might come over and
spend the evening, if you promise not
to talk nonsense and to go home the
moment I tell you to-"
mo, thank you. If you want to
boss anybody around, call on some of
your men friends!"
Good old Dieky! She. watched him
walking proudly down the street and
her laughing eyes softened Dicky
was beginning to look awfully grown
up in his smart tweed suit-she was
forced to admit it. That afternoon
she met Dollie Phenton.
''Oh. hello, Bah, Dick Gilbert call
ed on grandmother this morning. We
thought she'd fuss because it wasn't
your father; but Dick quite won the
old lady's heart. She declared he'd
make a wonderful husband for some
nice girl, and do you know, Bah, I've
a great mind to set cap for him
myself"
Barbara's heart gave an unfamiliar
twinge as Dollie ratified on, but she
answered in as bantering a tone as
she could muster.
'.Dollie-how silly-he's only a
boy!"
Boy nothing! He's older than
After leaving Dollie the thought
came that she would miss Dick terri
bly, if any other girls should happen
to appropriate him. There were many
things he had done for her ever since
which he couldn't or wouldn't do
should she belong to another She
wished she hadn't laughed at him
wished he were going to spend the
evening with her. Next a sense of
loneliness crept over her and a tear
or two found it's way down her pretty
cheek
She read very late that night, and
when she finally crept into bed slept
but fitfully. 1t was in the wee small
L.,
her from light slumber and she sat
up in bed, every sense instantly alert.
From a porch below came a confused
sound. which to Barbara meant but
one thing-the burglars had struck
Jonesboro.
She sat staring straight before her
in the dark, drew her filmY. lingerie
closer about her and desperately
awaited her impending doom. But
nothing happened. The night wind
sighed softly thru the naples,
cricket chirped internationally, and
after what seemed a lifetime of sus-
pense, a cock signaled the approach
of morning.
With the numbing fear still upon
her she got up and dressed, crept
cautiously downstairs, opened the
front door very gingerly-just a crack
at first, and then exclaimed with a
breath of relief.
"Dickyi"
GOod morning, fair lady. You see
-er-I just couldn't help thinking of
you out here all alone in this big
place, and 1 thought neither you or
Mother Grundy could possibly object
if I camped here on the porch, so
T.
Richard Gilbert. Do you mean to
tell me you've been sitting on this
porch all night without a wink of
Sleep"
"Y-e-s-er-except when was
pussyfooting around trying to keep
awake. Wouldn't be much good, you
know, if I went to sleep. 1 knocked
over one of the porch chairs a couple
of hours ago. Thought sure I'd have
all the neighbors out"
''Dicky, dear, 1 don't know of a sim
gle man but you who would have Civ