The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-14
EVENING STORY
A Springtime Thaw.
BY ANNA REDFERN


westerner. One could have guessed
that fact by his air of reserve-a re-
fined, courteous, but nevertheless
clearly obvious Lam sufficient-for- my
self manner The manner, however,
was not of Bills own choosing; rather
was it product of environment.
Moreover, it was a source of deep
grievance to him, for try as hard as
he might he could not make friends,
with a reserve as impenetrable as the
Rock of Gibraltar rising between
himself and every one he met. Even
the glad spontaneity of a merry west
ern city, where frieadliness was the
rule, rather then the reverse, seemed
not to melt the ice. ! How could his
new-found acquaintance divine for
themselves that within his six feet of
bulk of calm, blond nonchalance lay
a desire fol adventure as keen as that
of some 12-year-old devotee of Nick
Carter's; or that the wistful look
showing forth every now and then
from his deep brown eyes betokened
only the strong desire that some
where, sooner or later, some one
would notice him and really like him
in spite of himself. No wonder he
moped. and no wonder Aunt Della
stood at her wits end to entertain
him. She had fed him to the fatten
ing point; she had introduced him in
turn to every one she knew; she had
waited on him more tenderly than
his own mother would have done, and
still he looked bored.
Il think, Auntie,'' he said after the
| first week of agony, that 1 shall have
to be starting for home. Father can
scacely run the shop without me
much as would like to stay he add
ed as polite afterthought.
There was no doubt that Bill was
fnl- Az
pounds suffers proportionately more
than does feet, 100 pounds, even
Bill had no heart to answer Blue to
the bottom of his No. 8 boots, he paced
gloomily around Aunt Della's sunny,
comfortable living room, impatiently
pumping against knick-knacks and
chairs. Fourteen times without
stopping he paced. On the fifteenth
round he stopped by the long French
window with jerk. He pulled aside
ing himself erect in the soft spring
sunshine he drank in the pleasing
sight thru eyes and nose and mouth.
The morning was clear and fair and
l radiant; the clouds were white, soft
and fleecy; the lawns were lush and
green with young grass; the trees were
newly in leaf. But a fairer sight than
all this caught and held his attention
In a neighboring yard, scarcely two
| rods away, there flashed a maiden
graceful and dainty as those of some
| wood nymph.
With few deft movements she
drew up the sagging white-string net
| and fastened it taut across the tennis
| court. She tried out her balls and
rackets with a bubbling, boy-like ex-
Infancy, as if the tonic of springtime
| had found affinity with her feet
| "Yough," gasped Bill. and "Yough!"
oh, auntie, who's the young lady
| next door,"
Aunt Della carefully set her pie
crust in the yellow mixing bowl, wiped
| her hands and came at her young
nephew's excited call.
That's no young lady," she cor
rected. THAT is Irene Roberts. WHY.
I've known that child ever since she
| was born
How long is that, auntie?" Bill
persisted.
We'll, now, let me see. 1t must be
| twenty years or thereabouts' Bill
raised his. eyebrows quizzically. but
Aunt Della ratified on. Yes, and Just
as you see her now she's always been
Humping, running. playing tennis,
riding horseback. She's a regular
| To Aunt Della Irene was lust the
same madcap little girl that she had
| always known from childhood up Not
| SO to Bill! He stood by the window
and watched his lively young neigh
she is flame and action he unused
as her red-brown bobbed curls flashed
| in the sunshine. Altogether he APP
proved of her-of her trim white flan-
mel dress and high-cut russell boots. of
her well knit. graceful figure swaying
| in the sheer delight of motion, and her
frank boyish activity. So much did he
approve that the wistful look came
| back into his deep brown eyes. and the
homeslck feeling formed hard lump
1 hi
| That she had no companion in her
| game seemed not to bother Irene at
ALL. Back and forth she scintillated.
her tennis ball now on one side of the
net. now on the other
Suddenly she threw down her ball
and started toward Bills point of OBJ
servance. "Auntie Bascom,' she
called, Pm coming in to see you
| Bills experience of twenty-five years
did not include instruction in chain
lightning action. OF course, he want
| ed to meet the girl. For what else
had he been planning during the last
| fifteen minutes but for this. However
! this was sudden action. AS Irene
called he hastily drew back from the
window and began measuring with his
eyes the distance from his window to
| the kitchen where Aunt Della kept
busily at work. In the open he could
have covered it with three leaps, but
| here there was furniture to intervene
| Too, Irene had seen him at her first
glance. There seemed no graceful
way of escape. So Bill threw back the
| long French window and stood brave
| ly waiting for events to happen.
Irene. this is my nephew, Bill Shell
don, from the east" called Auntie
| Bascom from the other room.
Bill gravely acknowledged the intro
! duction with a bow. striving meantime
to down the rising reserve which was
always intensified by meeting with a
| stranger.
! I'm pleased to meet you" Irene's
| full throated voice rang out pleasantly
as she extended her firm white hand
and raised her blue. blue eyes to his.
| She waited for no reserve to melt. In
| fact. she neither felt more noticed any