The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-11
EoeningStory
Happy-Go-Lucky Roberta.

her sewing glasses at her niece who |
was executing a new dance step be- |
tween her rocker and the kitchen |
range.
land I'll never settle down until |
I get married." flashed Roberta, be |
cause then I'll sure enough have toi"
ITS all very well to scorn my ad-
vice." said Aunt Julia severely. But
this going here, there and everywhere,
first with one, then with another,
doesn't get you anywhere. It's going
steadily with one that does it,
But Roberta was not impressed.
Marriage. as endured by her two older
sisters, held no such alluring charms
as to make her crazy to try it. At
the same time that Aunt Julia was
speaking her mind to her niece, Bren-
tons elderly practitioner was putting
his hand on his successors shoulder
and telling him a few things that
would be OF advantage to him as he
took up the work the older man was
laying down.
'.At first, the place will doubtless
strike you as 9 dead little hole" he
said, 'but remember, things aren't
always what they SEEM and I assure
you there's good opportunity for
the right man to build up a practice.
Brenton's coming town.
Thanks, DOCTOR" said young Doug
And with his first patient, who
happened to be Aunt Julia, the new
doctor made especially good.
Roberta did not meet the much
talked-of Doctor Campbell until sew
eral weeks after his arrival. But long
before she saw him she heard his
praises sung. TN fact she said to
herself one afternoon as he drove by
the window and reused Aunt Julia to
flights of oratory in his behalf, I'm
getting a bit fed up with that man."
And then one night he came to sup
=, Cd no
invitation the more readily because he
had recently caught a glimpse of
decidedly good-looking girl at Miss
Julia's.
Aunt Julia certainly prided herself
on the doctors acceptance. and she
and Roberta's mother plotted to do
themselves proud in the way of fried
chicken and snowy biscuits and dam
som plum jam and Lady Baltimore
cake.
Roberta hung around and watched
the preparations with amusement. So
much fuss over a man young enough
to be their son. She hoped he was
worth it. 81 suppose I can start the
victrola going after supper and we
can dance" she suggested hopefully.
Both her mother and aunt turned
to look at her. Dance they ques-
toned in unison. you forget the doc
tor is a man. said Aunt Julia gently,
you ever want to win the attentions of
a really worthwhile person, Roberta,
you want to be less flighty. But I'm
not sure it's in you: childl' she fin
ished, with a sigh. Roberta regarded
her thoughtfully. Then she dimpled.
Her aunts words had the effect OF a
challenge.
Exactly five minutes before supper
time the guest arrived. Supper was
served on the dot. But Roberta was
ten minutes late. And her entrance
lost none of its effectiveness thereby.
Her mother paused in the act of pour
| ing the doctors cup of tea-her aunt
broke off abruptly in the midst of a
flow Of conversation. What had hap
ipened to Roberta
In place of the curly mop of hair
customarily adjoining her weil-shaped
head, she wore a couture so sleek and
demure as to have become a Puritan
maiden. Her plainest dress had been
shorn of its fancy collar and turned
in at the throat Her very expression.
as she slipped into her chair, was of
! the butter-wouldn't -melt- in her-mouth
variety. And thruout the meal her
conversation was limited to yes and
| mo" and IF you please" quite a con-
trast to her usual lively, interested
comments on things in general. After
supper she gave her mother and aunt
no chance to rebuke her by accom-
panying them to the kitchen as they
cleared the table. but seated herself il
the living room>and made a great pre-
tense of doing something with Aunt
Julia's knitting needles.
| Out in the kitchen her aunt and
mother doing the dishes discussed her
queer ways and hurried their work
that the doctor might not be left toe
long to his own devices.
| But the doctor was not exactly
4 2 vrya1 hi - ~,
that there was a mistake somewhere.
| suddenly across his mind flashed, APP
pareEtly irrelevantly, the words of the
old doctor: Things aren't always what
they seem!' The words of the dog
gere1 hummed in his brain.
| Turning to Roberta: do you enjoy
dancing?" he asked suddenly.
| Enjoy dancing? Dancing?" ac-
cented Roberta. Then, politely: do
lyou?"
81 should say So" said the doctor
II can't tell you how I've missed it,
81 didn't suppose a grave parsonage
like a doctor ever did anything sc
frivolous as dance" commented Ro-
lberta primly.
TRY me and see," said the man,
smiling and nodding at the victrola IN
1.-The corner.
For a moment Roberta hesitated
She had intended to carry her bluff
thru, just to prove she could. But the
doctors glance was too inviting. With
a toss of her knitting into work basket,
she jumped up. put on a record and
pushed the lever.
Music?" said Robertas mother, as
she put away the last plate.
| That fox trot2" said Aunt Julia
hanging up her dish towel. Together
they peeked in thru the door. What
they saw was Roberta in the arms OF
their caller whirling about in such
close quarters as to invite bumps and
bangs from chair legs and table cor
ners, but evidently obliyious to the
fact.
| The two women tiptoed back to the
kitchen He likes herr" said one "Shs
Hikes him," said the other. And, you
KNOW" continued her mother, 81 was
SO provoked when she came In with
that rig on. Here you and I had gone
to all the work of showing her what g
lreai man was like, and hoping he'd
take to her a little. But I guess it's al