The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-21
Eoening Story
Thackeray Said
BY DORA NOLAN.

Vanity Fair" being the book chosen
as the weeks English lesson for the
senior class at the Pitman High, it
came naturally about that this frag-
rnent of the philosophy of a wise man
should be the subject of discussion by
a group of girl Students gathered in
a corner of the big assembly room.
why, it's no more to be doubted
than Professor Banks toupee!" This
calm statement by Susan Belden ought
to have settled the question forever
for hadn't Susan Uttered the steps of
Pitmans school system with heart
breaks? Nor was she the prettiest
girl in the class, by several.
Some budding iconociast in the
group murmured, soto voce, Her
mother feeds emit This drew smoth-
cred giggfes. But it was Anne Tyson,
the acknowledged brains of the senior
class, who had the temerity to openly
qualify the dietum of the class belle
You can win a man, girls, by trick
cry. But you can't keep him by the
same method-not if he's worth it,
Came day when this shaft. sped. at
fair mark, was to turn, boomerang
like. and fly back at the archer.
Fate seems to have her own in
scrutible reasons for requiring certain
pairs of individuals to fall in side
by side and march in step, even when
there is no particular sympathy, or
even liking. 1t was that way at school
and afterward-with Sue Belden,
daughter of the proprietor of the
towns one little department store, and
Anne Tyson, whose father was the
towns leading physician.
They lived On the same street,
played in the same group as children,
were members of the same class in
high" both graduated from the com
mercial course-and they obtained po-
sitiens in the same effiee-tliat of a
big chair factory, which was Pitman's
leading industry. And to top it eff
fate cared her fantasy SO far as to
plunge them both in love with the
same man at the same time.
Phil Jtard, son of the senior mem
Der of the firm, had been transferred
from the Boston headquarters to the
Pitman plant to learn the details of
production. And gossip speeulated as
to whether he would not fellow the
example of his father and of an elder
brether-and acquire also life part
ner from among the establishment S
female personnel. That was getting
to be quite the Utard way.
If Philip did mediate any-such step
it was soon apparent enough-to the
watchful gossips-that his choice lay
~Belden, for Philip divided his Nleisure
very evenly between the Tyson and
Belden homes, or escorting the girls
alternately to such entertainments as
the town afforded. Perhaps he en-
joyed the company of Anne's father,
and genial culture. And it was still
said of Sues mother that she fed
EN-
Anyway, on a certain day in Janu-
airy it would have been necessary for
Phil Utard himself to toss up penny
had he been pinned down to deci-
sion there and then.
1t was on this day that Susan took
close note of Anne's heightened color
as Utard@ passed close to their desks.
She leaned slightly toward Anne, and
with ia laugh that was Just a little
achine made finquiredsr whether she
| rem embereds 1the sehoor69fn discus
sion. on Efhe8s Thaekerayism. - what
| cocksure little idiots we were" she
exclaimed. wise men change their
minds, don't they, Amend wise
women?'
There was challenge in the girls
voice But from the well-peised Anne
it got no response beyond non-com-
initial Sometimes"
| Yet the thoughts of Anne were
Long, long thoughts" in the hour in
tervening between her arrival home
and the serving of dinner by the ro-
fund Lucinda, boss of the Tyson
menage. This hour Anne habitually
lspent before the fire in the living
room awaiting the doctors return
from his afternoon round of calls.
j. 1t was here that Anne confessed tC
| herself what she had never confessed
| before-that for weeks she had been
trying with all her might and main
like the nursery rhyme man of the
bramble bush--to win the love OF
Philip Utard. And had she, like the
bramble bush man, scratched out
both her eyes in the proceeding?
Just because she considered herself
| a more fit wife than Sue Belden for a
man of Philips mentality. did it fol
low that she would be able to make
him happier? Suppose that, with de-
| Iberate effort, she won him-wou4dn'1
he be very likely to discover later
that be had been the man of her
| choice, instead of her being the
woman of his? And would that make
for happiness for either?/ There was
nothing for her to do but jump right
| back into that bush!
That evening Philip came to call
and departed Vainly trying to recall
what possibly he could have done to
SO change Anne toward him. Not once
had she responded to word or lool
of his in her usual bright, sympa
thetieally5 Interested way. And wher
her father appeared after his office
hours she excused herself and said she
was going to retire. So it happened
the next time-and again.
Now the cooler Anne grew toward
| Hnlilpl the more desirable SilG DcCdHis
| TO him, but try as he would he ceulC
make no progress toward finding tbs
cause of her new indifference. Denied
| even the satisfaction of his instructive
social qualities, UtaFd turned more
often to Susan Belden~for' companion
ship-and the oftener he did the more
persistently his thoughts were occu
pied with Anne.
Tt was cold sullen February Sun
day afternoon when 1t came to PhiliI
that he could stand this state of af
fairs no longer. and he set out fol
the Tyson home. determined to corner
Anne and get the truth from her i
possible.
From her window Anne caugh
sight of Philip as he toiled up tbs
hilV against the bitter north wind II
an instant she was into her fur Goa
and tan and running down the bacl
stairs. In the kitchen she successful!
lodged the vast bulk of Lucinda. Yht
couldn't see me sense nohow" in go
ing out on such day-and was OF
her waV down the back road which