The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-15
Eoening Story
tRescue the Perishing."
BY NJ. MocULLoUeH-wILL1Al

BY NJ. MoCULLOUGH-WIL
Olive eyed the new hat poised upon
her cliHched hand with something of
delicate disfaver. 1t had seemed ader-
able in the shop, and quite wonderful
ly becoming. She had not taken into
account the carefully shaded lighting,
tho fiattering quality of the big mir
rer, nor the psychological effect of
the salesWemanss assurance, not that
the hat suited her but that she was
the rare person exactly suited to the
hat. All the long miles home she had
sat in a glow of gratified vanity-al-
ways she had wanted to be different
somehow from the others. In the
hard sunlight of the morning after, the
glow had been ruthlessly slain. The
hat was revealed a hat, nothing more,
except that it looked stilted, even top
heavy. perched upon her mass of flax
en- braids.
But she would never never admit
it. Too good sport-besides her
faith was: IF you make a bad bar
gain stick the closer to it" Jen and
'RiahSue, her elders, had been al
ways chopping and changing-clothes
beaux, even churches in big revival
years. Olive had no patience with
that sort of thing. Spiritually she was
ehangeling in the solid, prosperous
family that could have been SO happy
if only she had ever found a way to
her first sweetheart without taking the
trouble to break off her third engage
nient; 'Riah-SGe had changed creeds
about the same way-as for dad, al
belt a stanch Methodist he was never
sure what his politics were until noon
of election day. Thus nanny and
Olive were the steadfast minority.
Real mulish once they took no
ton said their family. Possibly the
mulishness was a throw back to the
nj nj mn VI fo w n ha n
f1outed his college-bred sons belief
in a round earth, rolling about a
rounder sun.
That has, however, little to do with
the case of the hat 'Riah-Sue from
the bed called drowsily: Want to
swap 'Livy for my blue straw? I
haven't worn it much"
"A whole month--and most every
day." Olive interjected. Besides, my
hat is a heap finer,
"But-you don't like it-own up
now" 'Riah-Sue retorted sliding out
of bed. In half a minute she had
perched upon olives head the blue
| straw, also set upon her own tumbled
| taWny locks the array of golden tans
barely touched with blue and dark red
that certainly became her wonderfully.
Olive looked at herself in the mirror,
then at her sister, rosily blinking;
looked away. swallowed hard once,
then flung up her hand, saying tense
/ ly: Have it your way-but l hate
swapping things"
with a smile of contented malice.
Olive ran away from her. but with a
flush that was as betraying as it was
becoming. angrily glad of the way out
that had been found for her.
| She did not see the blue hat again
| for a fortnight miserable fortnight,
tho eram-full of gay goings on. The
Graysons next neighbors, comforta bly,
rich and jolly, were doing everything
possible for their young kinfolk up
from Texas, who dubbed over with
| high spirits even as their oil wells
dubbed over with riches. The five
of them had come up in two big cars,
handsome but not extensively over
equipped. The uniformed chauffeur
was indeed almost the sole piece of
ostentation, since each of the three
| Graysens and the two Millers knew
more about his job than he did, and
| dearly loved doing it. But it's tony,
to have him - Lisbeth Miller explained
! frankly. "Grandad's ordered us, Put
on all the dog there is-and then
some We like to mind him-all ex-
| cept Billy Grayson. Old sobersides ]
walked the thousand miles up hare
| than come in even an airship.''
Notwithstanding the soberness Billy
had taken olives heart by storm in
I their earnest encounter. Naturally
| being what she was she had been
high and distant with him, fearing to
! betray her enthrallment. Gallant to
everything feminine, he yet played no
| favorites. That did not please 'Riah-
Sue in the least-rather it spurred her
| impulse of universal conquest into
making almost open assault on his af-
fections. She did it so gayly. with
such touches of dainty malice as made
it the more effective. Billy Crst
| blushed and ran away, then listened
| then laughed eontentedly. even agree
ing to take an extra passenger back
to Texas but reserving some liberty OF
| choice.
Olive looked on, smiling stubborn
| ly, but with a heart like lead. II
| helped little to have young George
! Miller her shadow. proposing is often