The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-01
EVENING STORY
The Guilty One.
BIZ IzoLA FORESTER.

The morris chair was deep and
broad, with mahogany frame and
heavy leather cushions. 1t was the
favorite seat of two in the house of
Evans, Henrietta, the little gray mar
moset, and Mr.. Huntly Evans, her
master Standing by the west part of
the upper bay window it overlooked the
expanse of park and reservoir, and
caught the sunset glow nightly.
Sometimes Jacqueline, Huntly's sis
ter used to wish she might forget the
look in their eyes as they stared out
att the park, just like prisoners who
catch glimpse of fair fields and hills
from behind the bars. 1t had been
that way ever since Huntly had come
up from Buenos Aires and 1.-The spe-
cialist had told him there was little
hope of his recovery from the noun
tain fever. And, since then, each day
he had visibly grown weaker, and
Henrietta had seemed in her dumb,
piteous way, to sense the change.
She would perch on the back of the
chair, just above his shoulder, and
watch his face with her strange, brill
| liant, anxious eyes, as if she under
| stood his trouble. And he, abstract
| edly, would sometimes stroke the silk
en- fur of the little marmoset, as if
| he. roo, found comfort in her sympa-
! thy.
| JacqueIine frankly did not like her,
any more than she liked her mistress,
the gay Senorita Alvarez. They had
met her first on Huntly's trip up to
| the Alvarez mines in Ecuador, and had
| been lavishly entertained at her faith
| er's estate there.
Her name is Sigma" Huntly had
/ f0I1 hn-- h.af iob oF ictt
81 never dreamt girls could look like
her, Jack. did you?''
| Shes TOO exotic, like one of those
| flaming mountain flowers" Jacqueline
| had demurred. Don't be SO suscep-
| tible to just beauty, Hunt
| But he had loved Sigma and had
risked all before he had known her a
! fortnight. And in return she had
| laughed at him, told him she would
never marry an American and had
| given him Henrietta to solace him
Then had come the long spell of fever
| and the trip back home.
"Of course" the specialist told
Jacqueline, you must know he has
/ some trouble preying on his mind II
we could lift that and give him spur
toward health, a will to live, as it were
he would probably get back to the
| normal"
She had not answered. He had
written to Sigma often. and not wore
| had come back in reply. The mail was
! placed on the little teakwood stand in
! the lower hall. She always saw it first
after the maid had laid it there. And
never was there one from Ecuador
Henrietta seemed to know why she
watched for one. She would follow
| her down stairs and -inger while she
| glanced over the letters, sometimes
| springing up beside er on the stand
i and eyeing them eagerly. But the
| ia ma Ged without word and HuntlN
| grew gradually worse, until there
! came the wireless brief out of the
| blue, as it were.
| Arrive Monday. SIGMA"
| She dared not give it to him at once
The shock might hurt him, but grad
ually she broke the news, while Hen
| rietta perched on the chair back ano
/. almost seem, d to understand her mis-
tress was coming north to them
! But it's so absurd when L haven't
heard from her" Huntly protested
brokenly. 'She must have written"
wait until she comes and then see
| warned his sister, tenderly.
| 1t was little past ten when
| Senorita Alvarez arrived. Her father
wag with her, too. slender and dappeI
and somewhat bored. as JacQueline re-
membered the little silver magnate
| Sigma cast her sables from her on q
| stand III the lower hail, and stood like
some glowing goddess of the south
, smiling down on ner IOsleSS
You see I have 4.ept my word,
she exclaimed. us he better. Jack
I could not wait. I made my father
bring me to him. He as received all
my letters?''
| mot a single one" protested
Jacqueline. reproachfully, and ther
there came q leaping gray form like E
shadow past her. into Signals arms
chattering. paving, burrowiDg affec
| tionate1y.
"Ah, precious. how are you?'
laughed Sigma. delightedly. See how
she knows me? She loves the perfume
of the jasmine I always have abou
me. Seer"
But Jacqueline was leading the wa,
I upstairs to Huntly's room. knowing
we'll she brought to him a speedy cure
He stood up from the morris chair Il
greet them, his eyes fairly devourint
the sight of the girl he loved, whel
Henrietta slipped from her arms AM