The Topeka state journal., 1921-12-02
E0ening Story
Follow the Arrows.

only there was no glass slipper,
or cruel stepmother, or fairy god
mother
But there was a prince, and won
derful ball, and a hurried flight.
No chime of the midnight hour
caused May to take her hasty depar-
ture from the Nottingham dancing
party. She had no pumpkin carriage
in waiting, and there was no fear that
her raiment would change into rags.
She was Just afraid, that was all.
Frank Humphrey was the prince,
and he had been seeking Mays COM
pany with more than far succeSs)
since the night they met, which was
two weeks before the ball. May was
visiting her cousin, Mrs Alfred Jen-
kins, and Frank, who was a business
acquaintance of Mr.. jenkins, had
been invited out to the home to meet
May. No matchmaking was intended
Frank would have received the -lnVl-
tation if May had been boy
The prince looked the part, be
yond any doubt. He carried a noble
head on his shoulders, and he dress
ed like d prince, as far Is modern
custom and costumes permitted He
quite captivated May, altho she would
not admit it, and she was constantly
on her guard.
May was reared on a farm in
Michigan and the city of Grand
Haven was her idea of a metropo-
lis It was not fair, in the first place,
to keep May in rural sec1usion, be-
cause hers was a temperament that
required travel and ming1lng with
people.
But Nays parents, who were city
dwellers, were dead and her grand
parents had taken her under their
care. They were hard-working,
honest people, but they lacked vision;
They had lived always on farm and
could not see why their granddaugh-
ter should desire other environment.
They did not realize that the city
was in Nays blood.
The girl tried to make the best OF
it. She obtained high school educa-
ton in a seminary located IN a strict
religious community, and that ought
TO suffice, her grandparents decided.
But she pOred over books on travel
for experiences of her own in the
world. The visit with her cousin was
her first invasion of the wide world,
and she was not twenty.
The grandmother's last words to
May when she left for Chicago were:
"Take care of yourself and be q
good girlie-and above all. don't fall
in love with any city men. They're
not sincere, especially with country
girls. They never mean what they
say, so be on your guard or you'll
come back with a broken heart"
May tried to obey this mandate,
and that vas the reason she fled from
the dance Tt was because Frank
proposed marriage to her while they
were sitting out a dance. Terrified,
she sprang to her feet and dashed
from the house. Down the street she
ran. At the corner she paused,
wild looking creature in her cousins
evening gown. A street car came
along, and with the assistance of
kind-hearted conductor and an ele-
the jenkins home. The princess had
fled from the prince; for May was of
the nobility, too, when 1t came to
looks and personality. The culture of
her parents was bred in her.
Ndxt day May took a boat for home.
She had left her cousins cloak at the
Nottingham residence, but Mr. Jen-
llins said he would have no trouble
in recovering it.
AS matter of fact the prince took
care of the cloak, in lieu OF a glass
slipper, and returned it to Mrs. Jen-
kins. At the same time he pleaded
to be told Mays address in Michigan,
but the girl had sworn her cousin to
secrecy in that regard, and the poor
prince was uninfOrmed.
I'll stay on the fam and marry
Henry Abbott" she pouted to her
self. Hes no deceiver. and don't
love him. but it's he or nobody. There
isn't another man that's eligible for
miles round"
May was more discontented than
ever after her return. Farm life
nearly drove her to distraction She
wanted to see Fank, but she fought
off the desire. Her cousin wrote and
b bagged to be released from her oath.
because she said Frank had become
a perpetual pictuce OF gloom. But
May refused the request, because she
must have nothing mora to do with
the deceiver.
Now. Frank Humphrey was not a
deceiver. He really was in love with
May Rathburne and he could not re-
concile himself to losing her. When
all his pleading with Mr. and Mrs.
J enkins failed to produce her address
Ia became gloomy and morose and
his flOurishing business suffered.
At last he could stand it no longer.
The eyes of the country girl haunted
him wherever hs was, and he deter
mined to find her.
She lives mewhere in western
Michigan; I know that much" the
prince told himself. And I'm going
to search for her. I'll leave It to the
fates, and if it is 50 decreed III find
her. This time she won't get away, |
either"
So Frank stepped into his big road
ster one morning and set out for
Michigan. The next day he was
making his way up the west coast of
the wolverine state, Stopping oc-
casiOnally at a big town to make in
quiries. The quest seemed hopeless, |
indeed, but he did not despair, for he
had a peculiar faith in the fates and
in the little god called Cupid
Fer several days Frank wandered
along the turnpi6es of western Michi- |
gan, hoping against hope that he
would run across a mail box labeled |
One afternoon while the
roadster was humming along a con-
crete road. it suddenly was forced to
stop because of a barrier. Across the |
barrier was a sign reading:
'Detour: Follow the Arrows"
An arrow pointed to the right, so
Frank steered to the dirt road indi-
Gated. At the next corner an arrow
pointed him to the left, and he con
tinued. 1t mattered little where he
went
Black clouds gathered and rain be-
gan to pour but Frank followed the
n ~ 1rzv- IL