The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-15
EVENING STORY
White Chimne1s.
BY DORA JONES.

Winifred had wired Baltimore as
soon as she reached New York. II
she fingered. some OF Leslie's friends
were certain to recognize her and tell
him, but she knew of one safe hiding
place.
Take Bel Air bungalow, Harley
Manor. Deep River. Three months"
Her agent there would understand.
she knew, and ask no questions. She
took the night train down, and reach
ed Deep River about Z. It was a run
Of four miles to the shore of the
Chesapeake. and there lay her hide
away. AS she drove along the mar
row. winding shore road. the first
glimpse Of it's white chimneys above
the willows brought a sob of relief to
her thoat. 1t had been their honey
moon home, two years before. and
already she longed to break the tie
that bound her to Leslie Forbes.
A fire had been laid in the living
room. She knelt before the blazing
knots and spread her fingers to the
deed, an if Eph and me had jus
a known yo' was comm, we'd had all
de comforts FOR yo' Miss Winnie"
Aunt Dinorah watched her solicitous-
ly. her head on one side, as she sensed
the trouble in every detected line of
the slender figure. "Ain't but a day
since 70 was here, and Mister
Forbes"
Before Winifred realized the break
in her nerves. she was crying on the
old colored woman's ample shoulder,
and being petted as il she had been
ten instead OF twenty-five. After she
had been helped into an easy negligee.
and given breakfast out on the porch
overlooking the broad blue water of
the bay, she tried to think Of her next
step.
If it had been anything definite, any
real facts that she could hold to
against him! But there was nothing
except the suspicion in her own mind
and Leslie's own manner. That-and,
OF couse, she knew he had been en-
gagged to Mrs. Pomeroy four or five
years before.
She had thrown him over to marry
Cutler on account of money. rumor
said. and now she was a widow and
wealthy, she had engaged Leslie as
her lawyer to settle the estate. That
meant she was at liberty to consult
with him at any time, to call him to
her side at any hour, to renew all of
the old intimacy, and hide her interest
in him under the guise of their BUSH
ness relations.
Leslie had laughed at winifred's
little hints against it. and had gone
on in his steady. businesslike way
Then had come the mysterious pack
age for him by special messenger one
morning, and he had not opened it.
II was from her, Winifred knew,
and as it lay at his elbow on the
breakfast table, she had waited for
him to tell her the contents, but he
had kept silence. Only the unusual
sternness in his eyes and around his
mouth, and the way he locked the
g7r-rs~ tn r.
cious. Were they old love letters? Or
was it even something more personal.
some gift that Fay Pomeroy had dared
to send him to worry her, perhaps?
Finally, after a week OF estrange-
ment. he had demanded to know the
cause OF her manner toward him, and
Winifred had told him-told him
eagerly, longing for his quick assur-
ance and love, but Leslie had closed
his lips and told her absolutely moth
ing.
ut is not my secret" was all he
said. and Winifred needed only the
telephone message that came for him
later to believe all she feared. The
maid brought it to her. Mrs. Pomeroy
was I'll and must see Mr.. Forbes at
once about the old trouble. Winifred
had given the message to him herself
over the office wire. and had waited.
Leslie's tone was clear and concise.
Il won't be home for dinner, dear,
possibly not until midnight"
She had left on the evening train,
without n word for him. with all of
the unreasoning. heart-breaking
misery and reckTessness possible, and
now the peace of White Chimneys en-
flooded her. She fell asleep in the
porch hammock, her amber silk negli-
gee cast aside for a little spot suit of
pongee, her hair rumpled like a tired
youngsters around her face.
1t was here that Leslie found her
Worn from a sleepless night he came
up the porch steps slowly and stood
over her. his hands folded behind him,
his gray eyes full of yearning ana re-
lief. Behind him ambled old Eph, his
garden hat held between his hands
anXiously. and Aunt Dinah shouted at
him indignantly from the back of the
house.
Amt got no sense. nevah did have,
nevah 'spect yo' will have, ole man.
Don't you know dey's maxim up?">
But Winifred's eyes held no well
find him there. Silently, unforgiv-
insly she listened to his explanation
of how he had found her 1t all
seemed 20 simple. and she had
thought she had covered her flight
Just tracing her to New York, he had
had located her at the Bellicent
There he had found she had sent the
telegram to Baltimore and had fol-
lowed to White Chimneys.
Now tell me the exact meaning of
this nonsense" He drew a porch
chair close beside her and waited
gravely. I'm thankful you came
here, anyway"
She bit her lip. He simply wanted
to call up the old memories of their
happiness there and trade on her love
for him And now she told herself
she did not love him NOT even Nth
him sitting there and gazing at her
steadfastly.
Il wanted to give you back your