The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-21
Euening Story
The Two Henrys.
BY FREDERICK HART.

Qdy meal. lie enjoyed the SlSnL OF
the sleek creatures playing about in
the water; and their carefree abandon
took his mind for the moment off the
problems of waste and spillways and
barrages and aprons which occupied
his working hours. For Henry Bolton
was a rising consulting engineer with
a leaning toward hydraulics, and his
work kept him thoroly occupied; SO
that the moment of relaxation in the
aquarium came as a. welcome relief.
One hot noon, as he was enjoying
the cool drafts of air that played
about the tank where the seals were
kept, he was startled to hear a femi-
nine voice, very near to him, call out
sharply Henry" He was the more
amazed. for his list of girl acquain-
tances in the city was practically nil.
He turned and took off his hat, pre-
his home town. But the girl beside
him, who had just spoken, seemed
not to be looking at him. But even as
he turned away she called again
Henry. How are you today"
II beg your pardon" he began.
But are you calling me?''
The girl turned and showed him a
face that he was not to forget-a
sweet mouth, a nose tilted ever so
slightly. and two deep brown eyes
altogether such a face as he had some
times seen in his dreams.
"You-you called me by NAME" he
stammered, land I thought"
She interrupted wit ha little burst
of laughter.
"Oh!" she cried when she recovered
too? 1 was calling to an old friend of
mine who knows me-here he comes!
Henry!"
Bolton followed her glance and saw
a smooth brown seal flop into the
water and shoot across the talk with
seious of Embarrassment, and then he
saved the situStion by laughing with
the girl.
81 must confess he began, that
my name is Henry And when. you
called thought some one-I knew was
here, so 1 turned and spoke. L"
he paused and then ventured on. Il
am very flattered to have you choose
such a good-looking namesake as
that" And truly the seal, as it played
in the water, was a thing of beauty.
Il am very fond of that particular
seal myself he went on, as she did
not reply. II come here every day to
see him fed"
80 do l." rejoined the girl. Then
she glanced at her watch. Heavens!
1 must get back" And before he
could say anything more she had gone.
Henry Bolton contemplated the seal
for a moment in silence. The animal
returned his gaze calmly. Henry,
old man." said Henry Bolton to his
namesake- Il think you're very lucky
to havea,such a pretty godmother"
Then his face clouded.
"Confound it, I may never see her
again Henry, the seal, looked at
Henry the man; and the man was
sure that he saw a solemn wink.
You're right, old boy" said the man,
here every day, didn't@he? Wen see
her again, after ALL And he departed
for his office, whistling noisily and
very much off-key.
He did see her again. The next
day she was there and acknowledged
and smiles. Henry Bolton, undiscour-
aged, returned her salutation and
made no effort to progress further, a
fact which pleased the unknown girl
Each day they met at the seal tank
and as it is hupTa My impossible for
two young people to have a common
ground of interest without becoming
fa1rly well acquainted. it was not long
till they knew each others names.
Alice Farwen," said Henry Bolton
to himself that evening, as he sat con-
fronting very important problem
that must be done before tomorrow
Thats a pretty name. 1 like that
name-and I like her too! WELL
he meditated a while and returned to
the calculations before him.
Their acquaintanceship grew and
deepened into warm friendship. They
mad lunched together several times,
and he had taken her to the theater
twice. She seemed to enjoy his COM
pany, and he frankly took pleasure in
hers. He congratulated himself on
having found such a friend.
And then, one day in the autumn
she was not at the tank in the aquari-
UNI. He waited for an hour. but she
did not appear. He thought nothing
of it; but when she was absent for
four succeeding days he began to won
der. and to be little worried.
Where is she, Henry, old MANI"
he said to the seal. But Henry mere
ly looked solemnly back at him and
vouchsafed no answer. A telephone
call to her apartment brought only
the information that she had left four
days ago and left no address. Her Of
ffce-he had found that she was secre-
tary for firm near his own Office
gave no satisfaction. She was missing
that was all they knew.
Three miserable weeks passed for
Henry Bolton; and in that time he came
to know that what he had thought
friendship was really love-that he
wanted Alice Farwell to be his own
more than anything else in the world,
and that life would be worth very lit
tie if she did not come back. And
he did not know where she vast
But there came a day when, thru
force of habit, he went to the Aqua
rum once again. His glance swept to
the seal tank; and then his heart
stood still. She was therei He hur-
ried up to her with a cry of welcome.
"Alice!" he cried. caring nothing
for conventions. where have you
been?"
She turned at the sound of his
voice, and he saw that her face was
wasted and thin, and that the hand
she stretched to him trembled. He
drew her outside into the sunshine
and took her to a bench. "Tell me-
tell mel" he said eagerly.
IT was moving to another apart
ment," she said, land I slipped on the
sidewalk on day and struck my head.
When I woke up I was in a hospital.
and I found that couldn't remember
any thing about myself. I had no
cards or letters. so they didn't know
who was. either. But yesterday I