The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-18
Eoening Story
A Voice on the Mountain Top.
BY H. LOUIS RAYBOLD.

BY H. LOUIS RAYBOLD.
Louise Salisbury sat little apart
from the merry crowd who were gath
cred on the roomy veranda of the
Stafford cabin this first evening of
Peggy Staffords house party
She was wondering just how she, a
sober, serious music teacher, had the
good luck to be included in this hap
py-go-lucky. carefree party. OF course,
she had always known Peggy STAFF
ford. And now Peggy had invited her
to Glen Mountain cabin for the whole
month of Julyi
Louise made up her mind to throw
aside her habitual gravity and for the
next few weeks initiate the light
heartedness of the other girls, who
were never serious two minutes in
succession, bandying jokes about their
clothes, their allowances, their love
affairs-often all in the same breath.
Acting on this determination, she rose
and pulled her low chair nearer to the
group of girls.
At that instant from somewhere on
| the mountain above, voice, resonant
as if projected thru a megaphone,
called down, Hello. everybody"
THE Turner's have come" cried
Peggy. They have the cabin above.
Moved by a sudden impulse, quite
possibly the result of her recent
thoughts. Louise picked up the mega
/ phone lying on the veranda railing.
"Hark, hear a voice,
/ Way up on the mountain top, tip-top.
Descending down Notwithstanding
down below"
she sang in her rich contralto voice.
The girls clapped and from above
came an applauding Bravo! Bravo!
Encorei" But Louise, blushing, shook
her head. She had unwittingly over
heard an aside spoken to Peggy by
her aunt, who was acting as chaperon
t"I suppose now the Turner's have
come, my duties will begin in earnest.
she had said mischievously, and Peg
gy had answered quickly, Hush
auntie, nobody knows yet"
| Next morning. just as the girls were
finishing breakfast, a cheerful whistle
sounded from the veranda and a tall
figure doomed in the doorway.
Top of the morning!" and Louise
thought to herself that never before
had she seen personified the very
spirit of the out-of-doors. Tall, sun
Drowned, radiating health and opti-
mis1n, Bob Turner was certainly a
youth to captivate any maiden. Lucky
Peggy, she thought. Money! pi-
wonderful mountain cabin-and now
Bob Turner! To some people came
| everything.
Peggy was leading him in by the
hand and introducing him to the 9TH
ers. Betty Laurel, Kit Angel. Virginia
Wales, Sally Tucker and Louise Sails
bury. AS Louise shyly advanced a
slim hand, Bob held it for second in
his so this is the one who serenaded
me last night" he said.
How odd! How did you know
a babble of voices cried out the very
thought in Louise's mind.
But Bob shook his head and re-
fused to answer. I'm here merely a:
messenger boy" he announced. Moth
er and the girls want you to come III
I this evening for moonlight dance or
| the veranda. So long,"
| That evening was to Louise the mos
| wonderful time of her life-and the
most miserable. It's wonder lay il
| Bob's singing her out for dance after
! dance and begging her to sit with hin
! on the top veranda step when the little
homemade cakes and fruity puncl
were served. Its misery consisted IL
her fancy that Peggy's eyes followed
her reproachfully. and in her own re
| man who flirted with one girl when HI
was engaged to another.
Long she lay awake while the coo
night breeze, laden with the fragran
sweetness of the pines, swept in thru
the window. tanning her hot cheeks.
Her last waking thought was one o
determination to avoid Bob Turner iii
the future. Peggy should have NJ
cause to regret giving her this won
! derful month.
/ Louise. with a singleness of pur
pose, carried out her plans. Wher
Bob called she was busy writing let
ters''
Then.fa few days before the break
up of the house party. Louise had al
adventure which resulted very unex
pectedly-to Louise. She had beer
trying not to feel envious as she heart
the other girls telling their plans.
Desperately she left the others a
last and wandered down an overgrowl