The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-28
Euening Story
It Only Happens Once.
By JESSIE DOUGLAS.

BY JESSIE DOUGLAS
Louie was drying her hair on the
sunny patch of grass behind the high
green hedge It chung to her Shout
ders. a strangling mass of rusty gold,
the tips curling alluringly. the fuzzy
little curls at the back of her neck like
the soft down on a yellow chick.
She flung herself back on the warm
grass, delighting in the puffy clouds so
far above her.
IT'S wonderful to be alive-and in
love-" she thought
She blushed hotly as tho she had
spoken aloud. For this was the first
time she had even confessed her love
to herself. But how could she help
it? She had only known Henry
Durant two months but when she had
first met him something in him had
seemed to light a spark in her. She
had leased him at first with a side
long glance that said, Come hitherI"
more plainly than any words.
Then they had dropped into a seri-
GUS friendship for several weeks. And
last night-last night-he touched her
hand with his and STOPPING quickly
had pressed his lips against it.
Louie turned over the pink palm
and studied it; she could almost see
the very spot where his lips had lain.
DIG ldlu II TO n6T own mouth.
ITS awful the way he's going on.
Just flirting his head off and the girl
takes it seriously" a laughing voice
across the hedge floated to Louie
Gordon's ears.
Louie smiled a little. Henry wasn't
that kind; he was so earnest, so diff
ferent.
And that little Gordon girl hasn't
the slightest idea! I think she ought
to be told. I think she ought to put
a stop to it
Louie's eyes widened. Her heart
began to thud- very loud, quite as
tho it wanted to escape it's narrow
confines. 1t must be a mistake.
And yet Henry's nice boy" the
voices across the hedge drifted away.
But they had left behind them utter
destruction. Louie huddled up on the
grass. her round face suddenly white,
her candid blue eyes full of a pain as
deep as the misery of some wounded
wild thing.
II don't believe it, Louie told her
self fiercely. III ask him, tell him
what heard"
Then the realization came to her
that this was not the thing she could
ask a man. 1t is the girls place to
wait-not to go seeking-and if it was
true that he had only been playing
while she had given him her whole
heart; she would just have to endure
| it.
| How thin the sunlight looked! How
| cold the blue dome of sky that
| stretched above her! And that queer
heaviness, where her heart had been.
Louie stood up suddenly and shook
| back with an angry tilt the amber
colored mass of hair. But when she
/ had reached the porch and saw that
Mile Andrew was waiting for her,
she knew that there might be the
| solution.
Il just dropped in a minute" Mile
| explained as she fluttered to a seat
on the honeysuckle shaded porch.
| After she had talked about her new
| dotted swiss. and Setons engagement
the recipe for apple turnovers, and
poor Mrs. Travers fall, Louie came
| suddenly to her purpose.
| DO you think she asked casually
| almost too casually, that Henry's a
flirt?"
| There was silence on the shadowy
porch for moment. Then Mile
| looked up, her cheeks flaming
| IF you want the truth" she flashed
ST think Henry is a dangerous mani
she had picked up her parasol and
was down the steps before Louie quite
realized it.
All thru that long drowsy summer
afternoon Louie bent over the family
darning. There was a reason why Mr.
Gordon groaned that week when hi
had walked two blocks. and why hel
brother eyed his lavender socks with
som ething like horror.
But If her needle did queer things
her thoughts kept a steady course
Louie realized that afternoon what i
is to feel a dull burning pain acros:
ones heart. while she smiled to hel
mother and talked commonplace. tt
lift her eyes to the maple shaded
street and find that she saw it thru q
mist of tears.
But when the afternoon had dragged
by and Louie was setting the table fol
the early supper. her brother. teasing
called in thru the screen door: Henry
won't be around tonight, sis, said t.
tell you he has a dater'
Louie smiled back gayly, but wher
his tall figure had moved away, she
stood very still holding a glass anc
Twisting it about her cold fingers.
''Tn just have to forget him." she
told herself.
| BY way of forgetting him she re-
membered the first time she had me
him. The CLINT of humor in his brown
eyes, the way his hair was brushed
back satiny smooth and the somethin'
in his voice that could make her hear
beat so fast.
He had come across the lawn unde
the trees strung with japanese Ian
terns-it had been a church socia biz
and he had said. Tive been tryint
to meet you all evening"
From the very first she had felt a
tho she had known him always; AM
now.
you aren't eating anything fol
your dinner" her mother said as the.
sat around the table.
| Louie tried to swallow a piece o
bread, but it had the taste of sawdus
land tears. The first moment that sh'
found herself alone she crept out t.
1.-The porch and sat on the lowest step