The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-06
Eoening Story
Snap Judgments.
BY S. LOUIS RAYBOLD.


manner OF their Kind They decided
he was too quiet to be any fun. and
Cynthia Merrill, who knew thru a
friend of her cousins aunt that he
came from Burtonville. put it down
to the fact that he was from the coun-
try.
Wher they quizzed him he told them
that there were as many as 500 people
in his home town-when they were all
at home, that is. He, for instance,
now made the census one less. All of
which the girls took with a grain of
salt. However. he was grave, he was
taciturn and he was mo dresser"
Cynthia Merrill was his feminine
opposite. Chicness and daintiness
summed up her clothes, summer and
winter. Leonard Toasted his eyes on
her daily thru the grill of his incLos-
ure as she sat at her typewriter in the
adjacent room. He was by no means
sure she would be at all desirable.
These Independent business girls" he
said to himself as he sat late one
night, chasing an elusive dime which
kept his books from balancing, ARE all
right for man whose income is
steadily increasing. They take it as
a matter of course that the whole of
a mans salary is theirs to spend upon
their backs, but for me, who will
never amass a fortune-nothing do
ing"
-
amazed at any one SO insignificant as
John Leonard daring to think of her
in terms of q future partner, much
less refusing herl Cynthia had plans
in her pretty head-several of them.
For one thing, some day she wanted
to travel. She didn't care how. she
laughingly told the girls. mot if l have
to ride the bumpers!"
AS summer days approached the
buzz of conversation busted itself with
the annual outing down the river,
at which the directors of the bank
and the members of the Office force
mingled on terms of eeasy sociablllty.
There Would be a baseball game, the
men against the, girls, three-legged
race and other sports. The clambake
at noon would be supplemented by
picnic lunch at supper, for which the
girls provided the ''eats."
On the appointed day seven auto
mobiles carried the merry crowd TO
its destination. Cynthia, trinity shod
and aIIuring in a sport skirt of soft
silk, her dainty blouse open at the
neck (for a good "burn'D, wearing
what appeared to Leonard's masculine
ewes as an imported Paris outing hat,
was easily the most popular OF the
girls. Leonard, sitting on the beach,
his knees hunched under his chin.
watched her exchanging airy persl-
Hage with young Greaves. the presi-
QSflI 5 SON.
After the huge clambake there were
maps on the sand and strolls over the
rocks. Then came a swim In the
water, and it was time to draw part
ners for supper. The custom of the
outings had always been to draw lots,
the men partaking of the company
and basket lunch of the girls they
won.
And Cynthia fell to Leonard, I'm
seen by him she made little face for
the benefit of the other girls. Yet
she really wasn't quite as sorry as she
pretended. In some ways this silent
man interested her
Sitting apart their backs against
great boulder on the sand, Cynthla
opened her basket. Wrapped in folds
of spotless napkins was a lunch such
as to gladden. the heart of any man.
delicious sandwiches. a little jar of
pickles, sections of flaky pie and
rich melt-in-your mouth chocolate
cake.
Not much conversation at first
passed between them Cynthla was
busy observing slyly that Leonard's
eyes were really fine, widely set and
sincere. IF only he were more-wen,
sophisticated
This is wonderful cake, Miss Mer-
rilI" he plimented, wondering as
he did so where such stuff could be
bought nowadays or if she had a
mother who cooked it for her.
I'm glad you like it, nurmured
Cynthia. "Here-have another piece''
eff 1 could have had a piece of this
cake when I was held UP without food
once in Alaska" =
He didn't have chance to finish
"Alaskar' exclaimed Cynthia. Have
you been in Alaska -
why. yes" Leoncrd. and added
carelessly. Il stopped there on my way
back from Hawaii"
II,
ment. This country fellow from Bur-
tonvillei II guess you have travelled
she said.
well, 7 guess have, some he re-
turned modestly- II had an uncle who
was captain of New Bedford whaler.
He took me with him a number of
times and sort of got the fever
You've never been around the
Horn" asked Cynthia hopefully.
IAN of three times he laughed
Around the Horn three times, Moth
ing could impress the girl more. That
was enough. Unconsciously she
sighed.
'You don't mean to say that a girl
like you is interested in that sort of
thingH' he said in SURPRISE.
well. rather" she said emphat-
ically. = Then, shifting the subject from
herself to him: But tell me- what
are You doing cooped up in a little
cage at the bank ?"
Well,,I got word that my only rela-
tive. an aunt, had died in Burtonville,
where 1 was born and there was some
little difficulty in settling up the es-
tate. I was the only heir, and when it
is finally fixed up, shall have-well,
enough to let me wander about the
world a bit more before I die. Until
then-well, l had to do something or
starve; therefore, my cage, as You
call it." and he smiled
Cynthia looked very soft and young
sitting with her feet folded up under
her, her eyes on him dreamfly.
Do you know, said he impulsive1y,
i don't know that shall ever marry,
but when I find a girl who likes the
place I've picked out for a honeymoon,
a little clearing on the Peace river in
Canada, where the stiffness. of the
wilderness is only broken by the sound
OF the rapids above-weT maybe 1
Will. then I SlInnnGa fh1r yy1acr III