The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-13
EDening Story
The World Is Small.

tiensi'
Gregory smiled contentedly. I'm
the happiest man on EARTH" he said.
And you marry your dream girl
after ALL" was Fenton's parting shot
as he boarded his train.
My dream girl" unused Gregory as
we drove slowly home. II had almost
forgotten her-I wonder if I ought to
tell Ethel about her ?-she might not
understand and then I want no tiny
cloud to mar our perfect happiness"
But that evening before he retired
Gregory dug out an cid letter case
and took from 1t a pink chiffon veil
and glittering slipper buckle. Scents
OF orris wrenched him out of the
present and into the piercingly sweet
joy of one night in his fledgling days.
The pink veil had been twisted
about her fair hair, and the odd buckle
of pearls and brilliants he had found
in his cart must have dropped from
her little satin slipper. That was his
share of her=all he had.
He did not even know her name,
yet it had seemed he had been waiting
for her all the impressienable days of
his youth, and she came and went out
of his life like a beautiful dream.
He buried his face in the pink veil
land again lived the mad moment of
the spectacular fire at the summer re-
sort-the frantic girl who had be-
seeched him to take her away from
the burning hotel where she had been
dancing with the gay throng, of his
ready compliance and the slipping
away of the high-powered car thru the
midnight darkness, with the. glare of
the fire behind and the sobbing girl
beside him.
The ride had soothed her hysteria,
they had talked like old friends, and
after a while he left her at a large
house where distracted relatives
thanked him effusively and invited
him within. He had declined.
For the first time in his young life
he loved, and he wanted to go away
land think about it. He never saw her
again and had never been able to To-
cate the house where he had left her.
The veil and the buckle he had treas
ured for years-until he met Ethel
then he locked them away and forgot
| all about them.
Tonight he would burn them-but
| this resolution was dashed bw a tele-
| phone ca1l-hurried consultations and
such WEAKNESS that obliterated it from
| his memory. The letter case and the
mementoes were packed in his trunk
| journey.
The waning of the honeymoon found
them motoring along the eastern coast
| resorts.
There's a place called Harmony !"
suggested Ethel one morning as she
studied the road map. Let US go
there, dear
Every. we'll" agreed Gregory, but
he marveled at an unkind fate which
had prompted Ethel to select that
summer resort, where he had met the
dream girl. His lovely wife flushed
delicately and her blue eyes were rem
| iniseent. would you mind going
there, Gregg" she asked. There is
something 1 must show you-and tell
tyou.'
s"Horrible confessions-Mrs. Blue
heard % jibed Gregory, putting his
farm around her.
t"Herrid enough" pouted Ethel.
ITS about the man-who- came before
yeu!p
he saw me coming" remarked Greg
cry with complacence. Some of those
youngsters who used to hang around
you, dear, are running yeti"
"Sueh goose as I married" sighed
Ethel, but there was a cloud on her
fair face and a troubled look in her
sweet eyes which worried Gregory
He wondered if Ethel was concealine
anything from him, and from that tiny
doubt came burning jealousy.
They were both unhappy
Have you ever been here, Greg
ory?" asked Ethel as they neared Har-
+meny.
'Once-iong ago..
She smiled brightly and spoke about
the season-it was early but there
were crowds of people on the board
walk and about the hotels and cot
tages. There is the new hotel-at
least call it new. The old one burned
when we last stopped near here.
was at the hotel hop that night"
1.-THE night it burned % he asked in
credulously.
She nodded, and her cheeks burned
"She knows!" thought Gregory
"the world is SMALL" Then he said
aloud: Tell me about those days
before you knew me-
She turned her face away. 81 must
u tell yeu this evening, Gregory-that il
why / asked you to come=-there is
something I have to say to you"
VERY we'll, de-net let me forget,
he agreed, but his heart felt cold an6
isiek. Somehow she has found cut
that I have treasured the pink veil
wonder whatever became of it
meant to-burn it. Perhaps Fenten ha:
babbled about my dream girl, con-
found garruleus man, anyhow"
Dinner was eaten in silence and ir
silence they entered the elevator to &c
to their rooms.
| When the door was closed he faced
her with smiling lips and heavy heart
I'Weu," he asked, and as he asked il
he wished he had never seen or heard
lof his dream girl" He had no love
for anyone save his young wife, and
this shadow of one nights >nadness
might hover over him and shut out
the sun of happiness forever.
"Ceme here, Gregory" said his wife
in a cold, little voice.
I'm a moment, dear he said goine
to his own trunk in the corner He
searched it thoroly and was relieved
ito find the old letter case. With this
in his hand he came back to the
theaFth-rug and sat down beside her
She was playing with the contents Of
her jewel box; suddenly something
fell to the floor and Gregory picked il
up-a slipper buckle of pearls and
brilliants.
This" he asked dazedly.
"Oh, Gregory, Iisten-I have beer
lsuch foolish romantic GOOSE viii
not be happy until you know-but
love only you in a moment she
was telling him a story-the story OF