The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-07
Eoening Story
The Lip Stick Alien.
BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD.

No matter where he was, in street
cars, in restaurants. on dancing floors
or in church, Ross made love to any
pretty girl who happened to be close
enough to hear the sound OF his WIN
ming voice. But he was a clever fell
low and he never put anything into
writing, and he never, never asked
any of them to marry him.
Late in the winter he invited all of
his old flames and many of his little
flickers, along with an equal number
of good fellows, to make up a gay
house party at his lodge in the noun
tains.
Every face-he a pretty facet" he
sighed thankfully the first evening at
dinner, when, just at that moment,
the hangings at the door parted and
May Tillman came in holding another
girl, a stranger, by the hand.
Hello, everybody" cried May gay
ly. I'm late as usual. Missed the
express and had to come on the local;
then waited at the station half an
hour to get Ford to bring me up the
mountain. Ross. this is my little cou-
sin, Lizzie Wilson. She came to visit
us very Unexpectedly, so brought her
along. Knew you could put her up,
and I simply would die if 1 had to miss
one of your great and glorious
parties
Everybody watched Ross to see the
effect of his unlimited guest. She wore
a blue satin dress tha bulged at the
neck. Her brown half was soft and
chung damply to her high forehead.
Her mouth was big and wide, sure
sign of brains but a wholly unneces-
sary attribute in a female of the spe-
cies, and in fact a real obstacle in the
way of girls social success with men
like Ross Reeder. Ross was tremen-
dously polite to her and all the girls
were painfully nice to her. Lizzie was
harmless. They had nothing to fear
from her.
Each man did his duty by his host
and wished her off on another with
the precision of an alarm clock set
for a fatal hour. Before any man
| started out with her, walking, riding
or motoring, he took care to acquairit
ner of her bestowal on the next I'M
! fortunate.
1t was the morning of the third day
that the blow fell. Great Scott!'
yelled Ross, coming into the big living
room and waving a sheet of yellow pa
per- Every damn servant on the
place has beat it for town. Belong to
a union or something and got their
orders to walk out" He looked
around at the woefuI faces, then he
laughed. We'll, We should worry, with
twelve girls here to shake the rolling
pin and skillet.
I've got a perfectly awful head
ache" gasped Mary Potter
Ross looked at her suspiciously ct
can get servants from town by tomor-
| row night In the meantime wen take
it in shifts, four at a time with all of
US boys willing to peel potatoes and
Things. Volunteers, please step for
wardr'
Lizzie Wilson was the only one to
move.
Come on, girls, it would be en-
barrassing to have to conscript you.
Who is going to help Miss. Wilson ?''
Two other girls reluctantly moved
forward.
! ''We'll have luncheon in one hour. "
declared Ross after that five-mile
tramp I could eat a raw beefsteak k.
Gee, I'm hungry"
He went back into the kitchen in a
few minutes and there he found Lizzie.
She wore an all enveloping blue apron,
her sleeves were rolled up to her ell
| bows and she seemed to know what
she was doing. The other two girls
were setting the table, slowly, care
fully, touching things gingerly.
isn't it awful for this to happen,
Ross; right in the midst of our fun %
shifted one of them.
|, Lizzie Wilson said nothing She
moved back and forth, capably, from
table to stove. Under her skillful
fingers cold cuts were attractiveIy ar
and prettily garnished. A salad was
marvelously evolved out of the con-
tents>of several tin cans and fruit was
scrubbed and piled in a. big silver bowl
Ross looked at her wonderingly as he
helped her carry the cheese and other
things she had found in the iceboX
| and StoreroOm.
you can better find out whether OF
; not the other girls can cook" she told
Ross when luncheon had been duly
praised and devoured.
A light snow was falling and the
) crowd, standing in groups at the win
dows, was planning to get out into it
Ross crossed the room to speak tC
them, then came back, shaking his
Z head negatively at Lizzie.
"Oh, well. I'll manage" she told hin
quietly. There is a mountain woman
5 here who can wash the dishes. II
: cook and in some measure repay yoI
, for my intrusion. May made me come
Perhaps it is just as well now that
did" When Ross insisted on remain
L ing indoors to help, Lizzie, smilingly
, waved him away. mo. indeed" sh'
said. you couldn't do thing. Yot
would just be in my way"
l Now Ross had never been dismissed
in such peremptory' style, and again h
looked at Lizzie wonderingly. Mos
girls would have seized the opportun
ity to have a long talk with him
r Twice during the afternoon he left tn
i, crowd coasting on a slick track AM
sneaked back into the kitchen to Sc
what he could do, and each time Lizzi
= pleasantly but firmly urged him to &C
p A heavy snow set ia by nightfall
: and it was impossible to get servant
n there as soon as Ross had expected
: so for three whole days Lizzie bake
!, and basted, brewed and boiled. TIL
!. gallants who had so ungallantly wish
4 ed her off on their suffering friends
: few days before begged for the priv
!. lege of holding her wraps fastenin
O her skates or even pee1ing the niue
| daGniSPd a n n
e fry. but Lizzie smiled a Mona Lis
v smile and WENT serenely on her way
: For the last night they had planne
: a big dance, a fuIl-dress affair Jus
n before dinner one of the girls VIII
o really appreciated Lizzie's hard wor
= decided to show her gratitude LIE
II me do your hair tonight and loan yo
!. that little white georgette dress c
n minei' she urged. You'd look S
a well in it,