The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-10
El'ening Story
Only a Summer Girl.
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD.

as a fitting end to our little affair."
but cousin Sally has begged me to
take her to the last hop at the inn.
With regrets,
ROBERT WHITNEY
Mazda, sitting on the floor before a
half-filied trunk, crumpled the paper in
her hand and gazed with unseeing eyes
at the chaos around her. What did it
mean? He knew she had been ex-
pectipg him. Hadn't he practically
taken it for granted that he should see
her almost every night for the last
three weeks? And he had signed his
name so formally-Robert Whitney.
instead of the familiar Bob"
Maida's blue eyes overflowed and
she buried her face in her arms on
the nearest support, which happened
to be a pile of freshly ironed clothes.
Partially filled packing boxes. bare
bookshelves and forlorn-loolxing couch
denuded of its cover 1nd pillows bore
witness that this was Maida's last night
at the beach. Tomorrow morning she
and her mother would lock up the
door of the little cottage, hand the key
to the owner and take the trolley back
to the city for the winter.
1t was true that except for an all too
brief two weeks in August, she had
had to go back and forth to the city
every day.
But MAZDA had come to the beach
prepared to play dangerous game,
old as the hills and fraught with mis-
chief to the players.
The fact that Maida's busy fingers
were tapping busily at the keys of her
typewriter had never prevented her lit
tie shell-like ears, half submerged tho
they were in waves of sunny hair, from
absorbing the gossip which circulated
among the girls of the office. She
knew that such a one had been EN-
gagged for the summer" that so and SO
had had an "affair"-in short, that
filtration in which both knew that
nothing serious was intended was
legitimate part of every summer out
ing.
And MAZDA, who had nineteen unso-
phisticated affairless summers already
to her credit, decided that for once she
would do as the other girls. Fortify-
ing her resolution, she even made
public her intentions to the others,
who jollied her and begged her to
compare notes with them.
A few days after Mrs. Deering and
Mazda were installed in "Seaview
cottage. the boy next door invited
MAZDA to the weekly hop at the hotel.
And there she met Bob Whitney
tall. Drowned, athletic, lively, every
thing to make him an ideal figure in
a summer girls eyes.
MAZDA, bit excited by the swing
ing music and gay company had chat
ted and laughed and danced in u way
to arouse any mans interest. There
had followed a call on ,Bob's part, an
invitation to MAZDA and her mother to
go sailing, and bids to other festtvt-
ties which make up the life of tram
sient summer colony.
Not that he allowed himself to be-
exclusive nTODerty. other
girls were sometimes the recipients of
mis- attentions, and recently he had
been going about a bit with his pretty
second cousin, Sally Winters. who hap
pened to be a stenographer in the OF
flee adjoining the city attorneys.
With Sally's ADVENT, Mazda had been
forced to admit to herself that tragedy
had come of her meant-to-be-inno-
cent plan-not tragedy to Bob, but to
herself. For Mazda had fallen in love
with her victim, madly in love, and,
she told herself, quite hopelessly.
| SO this evening of the day his note
had come she sat huddled in the
couch hammock on the dark porch
The one companion in whose company
she had enjoyed these pleasures was
basking in the favor of another girl,
utterly unmindful of her loneliness.
Bob had beaten her at her own game
But wasn't that familiar step on
the boardwalk which ran behind the
cottages? MAZDA sat up quickly. She
would like. after all, TO say goodby in
friendly fashion, even If everything
was at an end.
The step drew nearer and as 1t ap-
preached Maida's heart beat CORE
spondingly faster. 1t was Bob.
"All alone?" he called gayly, as she
rose to meet Didn't know but I'd
have to sit out the gang if l wanted
TO say goodby."
IT thought you were going to the
dance with Sally" returned Mazda
for the life of her unable to keep a
note of GOODNESS from creeping into
her voice.
We'll. yes" admitted Bob, Il was.
but she got a bid from a handsomer
man, and to tell the truth 1 was glad
to tell her to go with him. Sally and
1 are first-rate pals. but-well, L
don't ina CINE, now that you're going,
that you are interest any more.
he said, meaningly.
MAZDA stood leaning against the
porch railing. her hands plunged in
her sweater pockets.
DO you think you would care to
stroll to the rock?'' Bob asked. in
more certain manner than he felt
She hesitated, then decided that
she would see the game thru no matter
what it cost her not to let him sus-
pect ''All right she answered, list
lessly.
A few minutes later and they were
seated on a huge bowider at the base
of which beat the restless sea High
up was riding delicate siivery moon.
The silence. which had been I'M
broken during the short walk. was
ended suddenly by Bob. who spoke in
a strange voice. From the words
which followed the girl shrank-
shranlz until her face grew pale in the
moonlight and her eyes looked wan
and tired.
You summer girls are maddening."
he said low and bitterly. You're not
the only one. But you are the first
one who has affected me Oh, 1 know
I've no business to talk to you like
this, but perhaps il l do it may save
some other fellow from the torments
I've suffered ever since Sally told me-"
Told you what ?" asked Mazda.
That one day when she was in your
! office for minute she overheard
you telling the girls how you were go