The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-21
EueningStor
A Leap Year Episode.
BY WILL T. AMES.

All q QSuCS VI d piCkIey turned away
from the chill negation of general de-
livery window A to D and almost
bumped into Louisine Trask. There
was, not one among the hundreds of
thousands of persons in the roaring
town whom Battersby would not rath-
er have met. That was because he
had been steadily, consistently. Loyalty
in love with her for eight years-and
because of his present plight.
In sheer panic Battersby stood stock
STILL involuntarily holding his breath,
hoping that the girl would not see him.
OF course, she did.
Len! What in the world, Away
over here on the other side of the
country. Why, I-we-weren't even
sure that you were back!' Miss Trask,
ignoring the press of traffic in the big
postoffice lobby, was plainly deter
mined to make this meeting every
thing that Battersby dreaded. why
don't you say something? Why don't
you act surprised to see me? Aren't
you glad, Len?"
If there is one good thing that the
war taught to more men that it did
any other it is to despise lie. Bat
tersby had served in regiment where
a liar was the only mucker. He grew
very red. but he looked Louise Trask
in the eye and told the truth.
mo, Lou, I'm not surprised and I'm
not glad"
Leonard" There was genuine pain
in the girls one word. But Battersby
stubbornly stuck to his unwelcome job.
I'm not surprised, because I saw
you a week ago. going into the Mac
Larin, and found out that you were
staying there with your father. And
I'm not glad because I hoped l
shouldn't see you again till things
were very different with me from
what they are"
you have a very peculiar idea of an
American girls point of view, Leonard
Battersby," responded Miss Trask,
with considerable spirit. zone would
think you had just come from France
of being a native!"
Battersby laughed shortly. "On the
contrary. it is the European viewpoint
of such things that has disguised me.
The frank fortune hunting by men
over there, with the woman a sec
ondary consideration, is the one thing
1 couldn't stand. It clinched my de-
termination to keep out of your life
until-or unless-I could make mon
ey enough to justify me in seeking
you out again; money enough, mean
from the doughboy's point of view"
The girl bit her lips. And I sup
pose you expect that I am going to
act the. part of a pawn in your game
of stiff-necked pride!" she exclaimed
DO you think have none of my own,
ana lI1dI SHALL always DC ooAAeAAA6
when you have made the ridiculous
fortune you are trying to conjure out
Of the air-and never will?"
81 have no right to hope So" said
Battersby. 81 have never asked it,
you know"
was a trace of tears in her voice-''I
shall do so no more. Now that have
learned, by accident that you returned
safely from the war: and are as stub
born and as-selfish-as ever, we will
make this good-by.' She gave him her
hand for an instant and was gone.
Late that afternoon arrived the
letter which Battersby had been so
anxiously waiting. 1t came in the
nick of time, for tomorrow he had
determined to take a Job as rail-
road brakeman, the best he could get,
tho he had been a captain of engi-
neers. Williamson sent him certi-
fled check for preliminary expenses
and promised to come west himself in
two weeks. \ year from that day the
All Sea Lumber and Navigation COM
pany was a going concern. with vast
stretches of cumberland facing the
Pacific. mills, shops and a great dis
tributing depot on the Atlantic sea-
board. all made possible by the vision
and engineering Acumen of Leonard
Battersby and the faith of the mil
lionnaire who had been his colonel
over there.
AS Battersby. on a flying visit to
the eastern depot, was passing thru
the big offices he stopped stock still
his eyes riveted on the figure of
girl. q typist. bent over her work.
Battersby rubbed his eyes, came
nearer, made sure that he was right.
Louise"
Miss Louise Trask, daughter of
man who had habitually made while
he slept the daily income of a hun
d,1I r~A r.
countenance from her machine.
How do you do, Captain Battersby?"
she said, easily as If the meeting were
logical and natural as their first one,
now so long ago. at the Junior prom.
1t was not until he had the story of
John Trask's physical and financial
collapse from the great adventurers
daughter that Battersby fully realized
how completely out of the world he
had lived for the past year, out there
in the timberlands and on the water
powers, among the shipyards and on
railroad trains. how utterly absorbed
he had been in carving a place for
himself in the realm of big business.
To learn that Louise. the unattaina-
BILE, whom his pride and poverty had
denied to him and for whom, after all,
every atom of his great effort was be-
ing made-that by a Quirk of fortune
she had been suddenly landed on a
burly and fortune striving unneces-
sary, it came to Battersby as shock.
But he was glad he had succeeded.
glad he could give her something Of
the ease end luxury she had always
known. 1t was on the third and last
evening of his stay in the east that he
told her SO. And no shadow of doubt
as to her feeling toward him troubled
his soul. They had always understood
each other perfectly.
But you forget, Leonard" said the
girl, that when you were poor and I
was rich. you stood upon the ground
that that very condition rendered our
marriage impossible. Now the condi-
tions are reversed. Have you forgot
ten that this is the year 1920-and
that the number is Invisible by four?
I claim your manly perogativei'
I'm afraid I don't understand"
IT claim the right that you claimed
to withhold happiness from us both.
This year it is l who must take the
iy,f4 seA 10 a T