The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-19
Eoening Story
Steering for Heaven.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

son as they stood beneath the amber
light in her fathers spacious hail.
This is good-by, John" she said
quietly.
so serious? I am Coming tomorrow
to take you skating and
mo you are not" Muriers voice
was firm. II am not going to the
Faulkners' skating tea, nor to Maud
Guthrie's Pomeranium breakfast nor
to Jimmy Rogers's jazz swimming
party. 1 am going to steer my bark
| toward heaven-when l leave you to-
night She smiled softly while an
expression quite misunderstood by
Gibson filled her eyes.
Where is this place called heaven
is it on the Long Island route ?"
ut may be on the Long Island
map and it may not be-" said Muriel
II don't know. But 1 do know it is
not to be found at the Faulkners' nor
the Guthries' nor any place within
my present vision" Muriel turned
away her eyes. There was a wistful
something in the depths of them that
she thought John had better not see.
We had a jolly time at Dicks to-
night. The wine was not bad, consid
ering our dryness, the music glorious
and you-you were there in your fra
GRANGE and beauty" Gibson's voice
had softened. What more does
man want
Nothing more, apparently" said
Muriel. and the wistfulness had
turned into something a bit hopeless.
but a woman does. At least" she
corrected, IT want more. 1 want
bit of heaven and I am going to find
it, Her voice had become vibrant.
The haunting emptiness of life as she
had found it cleaned thru MurieFs
tones. II hate every silly, vapid, mean
ingless hour spent as Jour friends
spend them - wasting golden hours
compar ring Pomeranium noses. dis
cussing latest degeneracies. drinking
loathsome mixtures while vulgar sing
ers and more vulgarly undressed dane
ers try to arouse our jaded emotions"
You've always enjoyed"
mo. 1 have hated it all. There is
not one soul in our entire ultra-smart
set that I would walk across the
avenue to chat with except you. I
suppose way down in the depths, I'M
explored tho thay be, of you there is
something that appeals to me, at least
that part of me which is about to steer
for heaven. otherwise 1 would not have
told you this She extended a warm,
firm hand. 'I have not mentioned it
to any one else
Gibson drew her hand against his
side and spoke rapidly.
+ .'Muriel, don't leave me. You know
I love you-have loved you for many
months. Forget this silly idea of
heaven and marry me. I'll take you
anywhere you like-Italy, Arabia,
Japanl I fancy We'll be taking the
opposite route to heaven if we go to
any of those places just TOW. but.
well-anything so long as you are
mine"
Muriel shook her head.
You will take me everywhere ex-
cept to the one place 1 want to go. I
must go, John. I will lose either my
mind or my soul unless I turn sharply
and steer away for heaven. I want
to find place where men and women
love one another because of the soul
within them. where character and
nobility and simplicity of nature count
| am sick of being loved because my
ankle is slim or my eyes alluring or
my clothes fantastic" Muriel paused
a moment while a real disgust inflated
her delicate nostrils Then Gibson, his
heart in his eyes. watched a dream fit
into the face of the only girl he could
ever love with all his fine strength.
There must be a country where
lovers can walk on road that winds
under the moonlight like a silver rib
bon and where birds sing in ieafy
trees and where the pungent odor of
balsam filters the air. We dash past
all wonders in our motors intent on
getting 10 some inn. while the lobster
is still on the GRILL
She. struggled breathIess1y, for Glib
son had jerked her swiftly into his
arms and was laughing softly, If un-
steadily, at her flaming cheeks. He
pressed his lips to her rebellious,
wistful mouth. She was molten gold
in his arms
See, dear, I can take you by one
route--to that place you're looking for
Come, Just trust me to land you safely
in heaven"
But Muriel had regained command
She was a bit white, but her smile was
knocking.
1T isn't temporary heaven I'm
steering for, nor one reached and sus-
tanned by electric wires.''
She nodded, turned, and left Glib
son.
Hs was torn between disappoint-
ment, passion and keen apprecia-
ton of Muriel's tersely expressed COM
prehension of his route to heaven.
with shrug of his shoulders he
picked up his walking stick and hat,
nt a cigarette, assumed a nonchalant
carriage and walked out into the
night. His mouth was rather splen-
o1dly set and his eyes contained a
speculative expression that promised
well for the appearance of a second
pllgrlm on that road toward heaven
summer days had passed and gone
and cooler October dawned on the
countryside.
Muriel and her claauffeurs~a fine,
Swapping English girl, who during the
war had driven an ambulance under
the W. a a c.. were stopping for the
night on a bit of the Long Island road.
The iInprovised caravan in which
they had driven and lived during the
summer was costly wedged in a small
nook that Jutted out over the harbor
at Cold Spring.
Muriel sprang lightly down onto the
soft turf and then a few yards be-
yond to the sandy beach. There was
buoyancy in her movements, a bril-
lance in her eyes and a song in her
heart None of these had been a part
of NMuriel when she began her trip
toward heaven in the early spring.
Aren't we happy, Enid 3" she
called I the girl who was even then
hauling ont the oh I,a =