The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-27
Eoening Story
The Engagement of John Henry.
BY H. LOUIS RAYBOLD.


chatting cousin, George Baker, had
more than one. Yet John Henry was
no woman hater. He was merely af-
flicted with so bad case of bashful-
ness that the very Thought of asking a
girl If he might call was sufficient to
cause him to palpitate inwardly and
outwardly to mop his brow
His only Acquaintance with lovely
woman was thru the medium of BOOKS.
In fact, so. omnivorous a reader was
John Henry that he had exhausted the
resources of his home town of Ham
den and had taken to spending his
evenings in Milford, the neighboring
community. which boosted a young
library of several thousand volumes
1t was on his return from SUCH an
expedition that John Henry was met
by his cousin, George, who had been
calling on a Milford girl. Now, George
was not above twitting John Henry on
his girlless condition, and it was with
such an amiable intent in mind that he
slipped into the seat beside his cousin
on the interurban trolley.
BET you been sparkling a girl, j.
H." he began. Then. as John Henry
maintained a silence meant to be dlg-
nified. And I'll wager she can t hold
a candle to the peach I've been to see:
Some girl, ]. H." he continued, and
proceeded along this line until their
destination was reached.
| And here the matter might have
ended except for Georges parting shot
as their ways separated. 'When you
going to see your girl again.?
That question was overheard py
John Henry's mother, approaching
down a side street on her way home
from her Wednesday Evening Sewing
! Circle. Not for worlds would she nave
| let her son know that she had learned
the real reason for his journeylngs 10
] I, Ntaara C q l.
ordinately pleased. Her John Henry
being like other boys and actually
calling on a girl, Well, her nephew
George would have to- look out once
her boy got started. sentiment very
maternal and proper.
| Oddly enough, there was the very
tiniest grain of truth in Georges ac-
cusation John Henry was not ex-
actly going to see girl, but there
was a girl whom he was taking great
pleasure in seeing. Not every nlghl-
not for instance, the night that ne
had met George-but very frequently
John Henry found on his arrival IN
the one small reading room of the
library an occupant at the table-a
slim, dusky-haired girl bent over
pile of books, pads and newly sharp
ened pencils.
Never a word passed between them,
but sometimes one caught the glance
blush on the girls part, bit OF self
consciousness on his. a quick drop
ping of two pairs of eyes, and intense
absorption. She was very pretty.
Then, one evening after she had
left, John Henry found a NOTEBOOK sne
had dropped. Across it was written,
Ruth Kent" and as he held it, de-
batting whether to turn it over to the
librarian, a picture fluttered out from
the leaves. 1t was of her. and on the
back he saw that she had inscribed,
Lovingly yours"
Quite absurdly a wave OF jealousy
swept over him. He decided to take
the picture home with him rather
than have it given to the person for
whom it was intended, and that night,
after studying it fondly. he tucked it
away between his collars and handker-
chiefs in his upper bureau drawer.
1t was there his mother found it a
week later The girlish face, with its
sincere eyes, confirmed her opinion of
her sons good taste. The lovingly
yours on the back quite took her
breath away. Nice young girls with
faces like that did not give away their
pictures with affectionate superscrip-
ton to casual masculine acquaintances
only, to feminine friends or to their
betrothed. Why, the ideal John
Henry must be engaged! She sat
weakly down on the edge of the bed.
Then she rose, mopped her eyes, and
fastened, Internationally gloating, to
share the secret with Ellen Baker,
mother of George.
Now. if it had not been for George
Baker, his aunt might have discovered
her mistake, John Henry might have
come to his senses and returned the
picture, and George himself been
spared a blow. AS it was, George,
worming cut of his mother the cause
of his aunt's mysterious visit, let out
the information by degrees. John
Henry suddenly became an object OF
romantic interest for the first time in
his life liked the sensation, and began
to wish his position was genuine.
It was Ruth Kent, herself, unwit-
tingly, who brought things to a head.
One sunny afternoon, in the pursuit OF
subscription for a magazine, the pro-
ceeds of which were to assist her
thru college, she rang the bell OF
the house of John Henry, unaware
that she was performing an act of des-
tiny.
For John Henry's mother, suddenly
confronting the original of the photo
graph in her sons bureau drawer, was
seized with the wish to be nice to
her future daughterin-law, while not
disclosing to her, without her sons
permission, that she shared their
secret.
Come in, my DEAR" she invited cor
daily. ''Such a hot afternoon! And I
was Just going to make myself some
lemonade So much nicer to have
company to share it!'
Over the cool glasses Ruth told how
she wanted to earn a little money for
her treusseau, of course, OWNED her
Hstener). and how she was starting in
a place where she knew so few people. |
AT that point John Henry's step was
heard on the porch outside. His
mother excused herself and went to |
meet him.
With a loving hand on his arm, she
indicated the room she had just left.
"Your-your fiancee is in there, |
dear!" she told him and thrust him
thru the doorway.
The veil may well be drawn over
what followed-John Henry's confu- |
sion. his explanations, his apologies.
Enough to say that, ultimately he was
forgiven-just in time, in fact, for |
John Henry's mother to come in with