The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-03
Eoening Story
Unsealed Proposals.
BY MARTHA M'CULLOCH-
WILLIAMS.

shut Risley began, scanning his
stepcousin Anne-Maria critically from
beneath lifted fingers. She laughed
softly before answering plaintively:
] But, you see. Ansell, it SO rarely is
shut I'm sure to spoil the picture.''
/ ~ on nee sn't-car.t be much hard
ship to keep silent an hour or so,' Ris-
ley retorted. Anne Maria made face
at him.
Suppose you try it," she said.
pose me, tell me exactly for how
long; then, in the language of today,
go to It. A mighty fair proposition.
Are you gamer"
| Certainly" Anseu flung back IN
fact. you couldn't please me better. A
talky model spoils inspiration" as he
spoke flourishing an old sheathed
sword and a tattered battleflag. You
know all about these" he went on.
TRY to put yourself in the spirit of
those who used them-fill your soul
with the Joy of victory-IH do the
rest
Risley, you see, had temperament.
Anne Maria translated it conceit He
| had come to Hillover, the Elton place,
a tanned shadow of himself, a month
back. from journey around the
world.
It was thus he had elected to come
home, after service abroad. At first
he had been too weary for anything
but sleep, food and rest. Together
they had brought him back to him
the nth power in its sense of its de-
servings The deservings included
Anne Maria-she was lively, healthy,
reasonably good-tempered - besides
she would be rich when she came to
twenty-One. Only a year ahead. Her
stepmother, his aunt, had exhorted
him to make sure of her before that
time. She had planned the marriage
ever since she came into the family,
seven years back. Even SO early An
col had oh 0Pnf-WhiCh
is sight draft upon the bank of Fate
for substantial endowment.
= He was working upon a picture for
a prize competition-not that he cared
for the money; what was a mere thou
sand dollars ?-but the acclaim of win
ming would be worth while, withal
sweet incense to his swollen vanity.
He had already washed in his back
ground-luckily Hillover commanded
. a noble prospect, full of enchanting
distances, with a tree. lightning
scathed, a winding, narrow stream. a
tall gray bluff, in the foreground.
Clear grass at the bluff foot would
serve admirably for the standing fig
ure, leaning lightly upon the sword,
and gently lingering the tattered flag.
He had hoped for another model
Madamoiselie Yvonne, the exotic,
brought back by Susan Glover of the
Red Cross service to help civilize this
Grass America, had failed him at the
last minute. What she lacked of
equaling him in temperament she
more than made UP in thrift. When
| artless Susan had let her know that
: Ansell had to choose betwixt Anne
Maria and working for a living. she
had. instantly decided to waste no
more time nor smiles on him.
Hence his captious hurnor; or
course he had not been seriously
! had a way so taking she had gone
rather to his head. When he had
7 posed her substitute to his mind
: Anne-Maria said suddenly: There
l must be a forfeit-whats to gain or
2 lose by speaking out of time ?"
"Oh. anything" Ansen said almost
l fretfulIy. Whatever you like. If
only you'll be quiet now" busying
= himself with his palette as he spoke.
t "Of course if need to mention small
E changes, on account of changing light
!, that is not to count"
She nodded comprehension, the
f ghost of an impish smile playing
4 about her lips. Look serious, in
. it. Again she nodded, but banished the
smile to her eyes. In Its place there
shone from her countenance a sweet
sunny peace-she had been the least
bit harried these last ten days.
She loved her stepmother fairly well
moreover the habit of obedience
was strong in her. And mamma had
all but said outright, she Fcould not
Y die happy without seeing Anne-MarIa
safely settled in life-also that unless
v she married Ansell the shock of dis
j appointment and grief would surely
t bring on a heart-spasm fatal to An
sells aunt.
= A year earlier tht would have
s clinched matters-Anne-Ma would
o have gone5 lamb to the matrimonial
= slaughter. But Jim Eldridge had sud
{ denly dawned~on the horizon. Thai
e complicated matters, Jim was mascu-
line to the point of saturation, chiv-
= alrous, humble before womanhood
engaging. He would have courte6
iAnne-Marie right off the reel i
mamma had not interviewed, telling
K him her stepdaughter was betrothet
Il to the wandering soldier-artist-haC
loved him for years, and would nexel
6 love anybody else
IS Therefore the good lady had be
d sought Jim to be kind to Armchair;
r and kinder to himself, by keeping
1t although of loving her out of hi
n mind. See the complication? 1t wa!
1t quite beyond poor Jim to think al
elderly Christian lady could ie-evel
? for the accomplishment of her owl
o darling purpose.
l. He had accepted the role of broth
d erly friend with what grace he nigh
= to the sorrowful bewilderment o
nne-Maria-who recognized in hin
1.-THE male of her species" but dareC
| not admit it even to herself.
| She started ever SO slightly whel
| half an hour later Jim came up tn
| hill. calling a gay greeting to them
! Ansell waved him away imperiously
then finding him stock-still and star
inE, burst out with a stamp of tn
foot. go backl Don't you see "
d are not to be interrupted ?"
"Jim, you've saved my life!" Anne
Maria cried joyously, holding out he
left hand to him. The right wa
e numb from clutching the sword.
whats up?" Jim demanded, pos
II sessing himself of the other hand. st
1t a game or an endurance contest, O
what2"
:; II think It is the game of my sal