The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-14
JUST A GIRL
By JANE PHELPS
NOT FOR A YEAR.
CHAPTER IS.

| 1 had. written to Kenneth several
times, and of course he had also writ
/ ten to me just as often. One day
mother was in the hall when the but
/ Ter handed me one of Kenneth's let
I tiers,
Bring it to my room. zena." she
said quietly.
1 followed meekly Mother had a
certain way with her. No matter how
quietly she spoke, 1 never argued with
her.
Read your letter, then let me see
| it." Even when annoyed, mother
never did an uhladylike thing. I
opened and read the short note-it
was little more. Kenneth had been
busy on the ranch until time for the
mail to leave and had ridden miles to
post the note, all he had time to write.
| For once 1 was glad he had not writ
ten much, and gave it to mother with
a good deal of assurance. She surely
could find nothing ct which to cavil
in that short epistle.
Have you been writing him? This
note sounds as IL you had been corr
responding regularly"
| letters"
Have YOU those he r.s written
you?''
Yes"
Bring them to me-"
1 went to my room and took from
their hiding place a small bundle of
Letters tied with blue ribbon. It
never entered my mind to undo them,
to hold any back. Mother was my
mother. and SO had perfect right to
see them.
I gave her the packet without
speaking. She had a queer express
| sion when she united the ribbon, al
most as if she wanted to laugh, but
would not allow herself to.
! She read them all carefully. 1 was
ls-rTV he idr1tf clrf -f, oil
L watched her closely, but her face
told me nothing. When she had fin
Usher. she said:
IT would rather you destroyed these
letters, Zena-" She bad given them
| back to me. But whatever you do,
forbid you to write any more"
oh, but mother"
mo, Zena, I-shaI not change my
mind, so it won't do any good to ar
que"
want US to correspond any more.
mayn't II" My voice trembled. and
could scarcely see mother for the tears
in my eyes.
Write him just few words if that
will please you. Tell him that for a
! him again." I wondered why mother
had said that. Later I knew. When
dad came in, 1 heard her telling him
all about those foolish letters" and
tndL she HdQ IOEDlQQen me TO write
any more for year. ''By that time
she will have forgotten there is such
place." she had said.
He seemed rather a nice chap.
Mary" dad said, but you know I
never interfere so 1 won't this time
It's probably nothing but a boy and
girl affair anyway"
Later spoke of Kenneth to dad.
Mother doesn't want me to- CORE
spond with him. 1 told dad as
| perched on his knee.
what mother wants usually goes
doesn't it2" He smiled and pinched
my cheek.
"Yes-but dad, I didn't see what
harm it did. 1 don't now. Here's the
| letter he wrote after told HIM what
mother said" I took from my pock-
ct a letter and handed it to him. Ken
meth had written:
Dear Zena: Your mother may
| be right, aitho it is hard to see just
why. A year soon passes. AS 1 un-
derstand, that is the limit of the
embargo. 1 shall keep SO busy try
ing to be more worthy of her good
opinion that the year will pass
quickly; aHho minutes will drag
like hours because of my longing
our little talks by mail more than
you will ever know. They have,
each one, been events in my other
wise lonely ranch life. For it is
lonely. in spite of my love for it.
1t will be more so now that 1 no
longer have your letters coming. It
was something that marked the
days they arrived as out of the or
binary. Remember me to your ia
Their and mother. year from to-
day you will receive my next letter.
Yours always
"KENNETH LAWRENCE"
at like that chapl What he says
about spending the year in such a
way as to win your mothers good
opinion shows the right spirit" father
said as he returned my letter.
nrr Zearan a. ut IInr "a /