The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-06
,Eoepfw Story
Prieked by Pin.

win the war.
on board the same steamer was a
icaptain of infantry who had been
! wounded severity in the leg and for
/ that reason was one Of the first to get
! invaded home when the battle line
guns became silent. The captain
walked with limp which would al
ways be with him, but it didn't detract
from silis good looks or eharmins per
! sonaIfty.
/ The captain and Leone carried on
an outrageous filtration. Perhaps it
was a reaction from the serious bust
| ness that had just been finished; per-
[ haps, they would have flirted- anyhow.
BE that as it may, flirt they did, He
was only twenty-five and she twentys
kone-
Every morning on the voyage they
met Son deck and spent the greater
I part of the day together. He made
love. nefs or less: Violently, and she
permitted it. OF course, he was only
/ fooling, she thought; and so was she,
was what she told herself.
! The last night ct sea the moon was
| full, ana their talk waxed more sem
! Nmental than. usual 1t became time
for both to retire, and he pleaded that
she tell him her real name. Yes, it
I mad been an outrageous Irritation
1 the kind where you don't tell your
real name.
NO. there's no use," she said.
| Wen never see each other again.
:
! business, but I'll admit it's been lots
/ Of fun. But now we must go our
/ separate ways and forget about each
other"
Just minute. he begged. Won't
you give me some little keepsake
! somethingThy which 70 remember this
very pleasant joufney2' -
| She laughed. and from her waist
detached aAstiny. gold -pin.and handed
it to him. She had broken the clasp
/ on it only that morning and hads
| pricked herself rather painfully. She
mad intended throwing it away, be-
cause it was now useless but had~ab-'
sent-nindedly fastened it to her waist.
The captain took the pin and at
/ tached it 10 the under side OF his coat
"Good-night," he said. and there
was a yearning look in his eyes. '"I
think you are cruel to leave me like
| this-but somehow, some day, with
the aid of this keepsake, III trace you.
| AndsWhen do"
Leone went to her berth and smiled
as she .drifted off to sleep. She was
young and sfEivolous, in addition to be+'
ing exceedingly attractive.
| During the year and a half that ems
sued, Leone became less frivolous and
| less young 7altho not less attra cave
OF course, she did not take on age or
| sedateness, but her character -deVel-
oped a great deal in those eighteen
months.
Sometimes Leone's thoughts roved
back to the Journey across the Allan
tic and the handsome captain who had
| flirted with her; and she began to
wish she had not f1irted, that she had
allowed herself and him to be more
my opportunity came and I passed
it up" she told herself. II have eome
to believe he was the right man. But
he's probably married now. or per-
/ 49, Il 4 W.T. eJar,
have given my name and address and
! learned his" ~ 4es-
And thus her thoughts were run
ming as the roadster sped over the
highway from Jackson to Oak Lake.
/ The Jarvis home. was in Jackson and
Oak Lake was a small summer resort
where they had a cottage and where
her sister James wedding to a returned
war hero was to take place this very
! day. Mr.. and Mrs. Jarvis were there
and Leone was hurrying to be there.
The wedding was scheduled for three
! in the afternoon and it was two as she
approached the halfway point where
new resort was springing into exist
ence- She had an hour to travel the
thirty miles remaining before her, and
| it ought to be easy.
! Leones thoughts were Of the flirt-
! ing captain as she approached a house
that was being erected beside the
road
This was the house that Fred Rich
ards had a contract to build. He had
been a builder all his life following
in the footsteps of his father, and
when he laid aside his khaki he went
into Business on his own account; and
some whim of fate sent him to Ken
nelworth county.
Fred was anxious over the contract
He was behind on his schedule, due
to a scarcity of carpenters. So he
donned an apron and went at driving
nails in earnest.
on the day of Jane Jarvis's wedding
Fred hung cut of q window in the
upper story of the new house and
| adjusted some oId-fashiened shutters
sisted shoN1d be an ornament of his
abode. 40
It was an awkward position Fred
was forced to put himself in in order
I to perform the task. and perhaps that
was the reason he lost his balance and
nearly fell when he pulled a hammer
from pocket and the prongs caught
in his clothes. He managed to regain
his equilibrium, but in the struggle he
had detached a small trinket he had
been wearing. This trinket. IN falling,
somehow managed to receive consid-
cradle propelltng force.
/ Just as Leone Jarvis's roadster
passed the house she heard an omin-
Gus kissing, followed by a thump,
thump, thump.
| The feeling Of vexation developed
into anger when she discovered bent
nail clinging to the flat tire. She be-
came furious when she considered the
position it placed her in She would
be late to her sisters wedding; for she
/ had no spare tire and it would take
some time TO repair the damage.
Those carpenters are to blame"
she ragged, as she heard several ham,
mers pounding in the new house be-
side the road. They ought to help
\ me-"
She strobe toward the house and
aecested the first man she, saw. He
was leaning out Of a second story win
I dow adjusting = green shutter. - -
II have a puneture-and you're to
nail you left on the road, and I'm
stranded and in a horrible hurry. too.
What are. you going to do about it?
- !, -.