The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-02
EDening Story
Otherwise Jessica.
BY II. LOUIS RAYBoLD,

certainly needeG secretary. Here
she had been waiting and waiting for
a reply to the long letter she had
sent her aunt, and now had come this
brief note addressed to the head of
some vocational bureau asking said
head to 'sPlease secure me. as soon as
possible, an efficient secretary, not
too prepossessing in appearance
Jessica had spent her life in a tiny
western town with her invalid father.
Released by his death from years of
tedious if affectionate devotion. she
had followed his last wishes and writ
ten. to his sister in New York, from
| whom he had not heard in many years.
A note requesting a secretary Eff
cient = but not progressing. That
was an old requirement, unused Jes-
sica. Aunt Louisa had no sons and
for that matter, no husband whose
elderly inclination to go questing
for youth might be encoura ged. Jes-
sica's eyes wandered idly to the mir
ror. Would her aunt consider her too
prepossessing to fill the bill?
| Startled at the idea which occurred
| to her, she jumped up. ran to the
dresser and leaned toward the mirror,
undoing with rapid finger her gold
tinted. softly curling hair. Drawing
it back tightly. she twisted it into an
| incorporating knot at the nape of
/ her neck. Then pulled up about her
| throat the collar she was wearing,
| drew down the corner of her mouth.
fdAAN SdESh at TIC L II OO-f StaC
/ cried, "and what's more. I'll do it!''
ID Two weeks later Aunt Louisa, a
| vigorously intellectual woman, sat in
heR library interviewing a simply
gowned, sober-eyed young woman
who had presented herself as appli-
cant for the secretaryship.
THE only trouble said the aunt.
lis that when yeu smile-well. you
show possibilities. To be quite frank.
\ my dear young lady, 1 am thru with
| fra Cfix-a ri
my ward, the son of an old friend,
and altho an estimable young man. I
may say that he has an eye for beauty.
Ny last secretary was one of those
they say. and-but you understand
what I am getting at
Jessica felt her cheeks grow warm.
So she was being warned not to flirt
with this estimable young man with
the philandering disposition. Flirt
| less than the dust" beneath her feeti
Never before had Jessiea been so
happy as she was in the days that fol-
| lowed.
! Then home came Slade fremont.
And if Aunt Louisa had seen possibili-
! ties in Jessica, no less did Slade.
Il say, Miss Boardman, why don't
you wear your hair more-more
fluffy or somethin9?" he asked the
second morning of his arrival.
! please do not be personal, Mr.. Ire
mont said Jessica, colby. And, as
has happened before in the history of
| this DID, old world, such treatment was
quite the most effective weapon the
/ cold Miss Deborah Boardman" could
have used had she wished to bring
/ him to her feet. For the first time in
! his young life Slade was hard hit.
! The afternoon that Slade announced
j his intention of running on to Boston
for a day or two, her aunt also de-
! cided to visit a friend who had a
model farm in the country. Jessiea,
left in charge of the house. yielded
to a sudden within to forget for a. mo-
| ment that she was the very plain De-
| borah Boardman.
Going to her room. she took out
her one frilly, feminine gown. and
| laid it on the bed. Then. her eyes
sparkling, she did up her hair, not as
she had worn it in the old days. but
/ in the latest, most daring coiffure she
had observed in the fashionable city.
All, this animated woman with the
smiling lips, the soft threat rising
from the lace fichu-this was not the
unprepossess sDeberah-nor yet the
old Jessica! This was a quite new
person, touched with the magic wand
of lovei
Jessica ran lightly down the stairs
and out into the garden. For. this
| afternoon, she was the daughter of the
| house. She stopped to sniff a gor-
4
unlike herself, had just burst into
| blossom. She drank in the permeating
! fragrance. lifted her head. and looked
straight into the eyes Of Slade Ire
mont
II beg your pardon-why. Miss
Boardman-yeui" The leek of sur
prise on SHADES face became one of
puzzled, but happy bewilderment-
You wonderful, wonderful girl. 1 got
as far as the station and came back
to tell you I loved yeu. And 1 adore
Jessiea' eyes filled with happy love
"My darling" said slade. MY dar-
lins Deborah.'
"otherwise Jessica,'' Interrupted
voice dryly.
"You." cried slade.
Just me-" said Aunt Louisa. 81
came home for something | had for
gotten. I found mere than 1 expected
waltz She lifted a hand to ward
off Jessica's rushing explanations
But net more than I hoped. My
ward has given me several uneasy mo-
ments-yes. you have. Slade-and
when you, Jessica. wrote to me, 1t oc.
CURED to me that you might be Just
the wife for my ward. But how to tell
| if you were? So 1 tried that little ruse
of apparently mixed letters. Thought
/ 1 to myself, if the girl Is worth any
/ thing and clever, she'll see the chance
get light on her real self Didn't you
ever wonder why YOU didn't hear
again. or why the position wasn't filled
before you camel"
Yes" murmured Jessica, ss.of
| course but
| Exact continued her aunt.
"Also. I wanted Slade to see you I'M
der the least favorable circumstances
| If. then. he fell in love, would be
sure it wasn't just pretty face, althe
yours is. pretty enough" she concluded,
+ gracfous1y.
Il can't thank yeu enough. began
/ Jessica, but her aunt. perhaps not IN
aware of her irrepressible wards hint
1 ing glance ard gestures toward the
1 house, moved slowly away.
i "Jessicai" C-ied Slade. holding out
4 both arms Now what do you say