The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-24
Eoening Story
SyIvia's Island.
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.


BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.
Goodbye, Sylvia; be good" they
called to her as the train glided
smoothly out of the station.
Sylvia. leaning far out of the win
dow, blew a last kiss. waved a last
merry wave before she settled back
into her seat in the train.
1t was vacation time. The girls had
all come down to the Grand Eentral to
see her off. Sylvia thought with a.
warm glow at her heart of their mes
sages, their happy last words.
She could picture them all so clearly.
Dot was going up TO cottage by the
lake to spend her summer; Anna was
going for a whole month to stay with
7 her RIGA relatives on Long Island, and
Elsie was going to lounge AZ home
They three comprised the primary
department of the Elmhurst School
for Girls, and now that the middle of
June had come-the long-looked-for
vacation-they were off~'to freedom
and life as Elsie put it.
Il guess my fairy godmother was
mapping when l was bornN Sylvia
thought to herself. for now that vaca-
ton had come and she found herself
without enough money saved to last
thru the summer. she must SO on
teaching.
Still the Worths may not be so
bad" she thought. but a little wistful
smile curved her lips and she looked
down at her gloved hands in>her lap,
wondering why fate had reserved for
her the task of tutoring all. summer.
Still I'm rather lucky in way"
/ Sylvia philosophical. I'm getting my
vacation and, tho my tutoring will Just
pay my expenses, at least am ear /
ing my living"
She settled back and closed her eyes
YEARLY. for now that the hurry and
rush of the last few days of school
were over she found herself very
tired
She found after a week at the camp
on Mink Island that the Worths were
very nice people indeed. She had to
tutor all the morning and She gave
part of every afternoon to amusing the
twins and somehow she had grown in
the habit of telling a last story before
bed time to Betty and~Ben.
But there was time in between when
Sylvia stole down to the boat landing
and pushed out the canoe while she
chose the fight paddles and pushed
herself far out from the shore. Thsn
she felt as tho she were free, as tho
this world of blue water and the bright
dome of the sky above her and some
island reckoning to be explored were
kof The Three Musketeers" in the
stern and paddle smoothly until she
came to the particular island of her
delight, that showed a tufted shade
in the glistening sapphire of the
water
Then lying under the trees on the
rough shore. she would forget herself
in hairbreadth escapes or fall to
dreaming of charming castles across
the sea.
It was on one of these excursions
that she had brought the unopened
letter that had come that morning
from Dot. Now opening it and scan
ming it with eager eyes, she gave a
little shout of 10Y, Dot is engaged!
How wonderful"
For the next few weeks Sylvia found
no time for dreaming, for the Worths
were having company and every min
ute of every day Sylvia must spend
with the children. Sometimes at night
she would slip into her bed too tired
to do anything but fall dreamlessly
asleep.
And then the secopd letter came
Elsie was going to be married in the
autumn. Somehow Sylvia felt cold
pang of loneliness tear at her heart.
And there was a certain young cap
tain that Anna knew
That's enough I believe I'm actu-
ally getting Jealous" Sylvia said aloud
to a jay that jeered at her from the
shore. She pushed out with swift,
sure strokes for her favorite island.
bly, shore and then lifting her head
she saw a spiral of smoke emerging
from the trees.
She ran along. falling once in her
rush, and stoppedA painting, before
fire over which a young man was lean
ing.
Her island! Her sole possession
Her one loop to freedom,
Il think this is simply outrageous"
Sylvia said, her cheeks flushing with
sudden anger.
The young man lifted a smiling
face: q beg your pardon
What are you doing on my island ~
Sylvia demanded
That's just what I would like to
know-Fhat are you doing on my
island ?" the man in the rough suit
answered, brushing some twigs from
his knees and standing up.
II discovered it first, and ] do
think.
Sylvia was suddenly aware of two
laughing blue eyes that studied her
ment "Of course, I)don't wish to be
rude" he said, but since you find
yourself trespassing and feel that you
are in the way
But Sylvia aid stopped down and
held up her copy OF THE Three Mus
keteers." which she had missed for
the last week.
rs that yours? I never knew girls
read that kind of thing,'
Sylvia had forgotten everything, and
she sat down and~put her arms about
her knees and fell into a deep discus
sion of the three heroes with this
young man.
What's tLat?" he shifted
"A blue smoke was rising from the
y fire aud Sylvia saw with dismay that
some bacon cleverly coifed on sticks
was only a crisp black memory of
bacon.
"Oh. and I'm so hungry" she
sighed.
Never mind, can You come tomor-
row. he asked her.
I Sylvia. with bright eyes, answered.
| Yes" and padded away into the