The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-05
E0ening Story
The BrOcade Bag.

=
I ger. Because she was quarreling with
/ Larry, she had willfully included the
| bad in her wrath and twisted it
lmercilessly on the end of its golden
cords.
THE cord will break and you will
lose the bag" cautioned Larry, with a
mans regard for values.
1T is quite strong" retorted Olive,
quite unpleasantly.
Il don't suppose it would matter if
you did lose it, went on Larry in a
frigid tone.
Olive pondered provokingly. There
are some really precious things in it
my vanity case my gold purse, the
philopena gift Joe Watterson gave me,
one of his letters, and
Isn't that enough?" glared Larry,
for they had been disagreeing about
Joe's attentions to Olive.
Enough letters from Joe? Well.
he is interesting, Larry-so good tenn
pered. One enjoys him, you know"
II know one who doesn't enjoy him
-altho he's a cheerful sort of an
idiot"
1.-THE cheerful ones are the incest.
Just the same" tossed Olive over her
shoulder as his little gray roadster
turned into the driveway OF her
fathers house.
"Hmmmm" remarked Larry dis
agreeably.
AS he helped her out and she re-
leased her hand, he discovered that
she had left the cluster-of- diamond
ring in his palm. He grew white
and stared at her.
You mean that, Olive"
"Of course"
'eWhy?"
You do not trust me-you are
jealous"
Il am sorry you believe that said
nothing until you criticized my dane
ing with Ella-well, what does it mat
ter? If you really cared, you could
not play with happiness in this way.
Goodby," he said, and jumping into
the little gray car. which had been
their companion on so many joyful
occasions, and which had been the
scene of their betrothal, Larry drove
madly down the drive
On the veranda. Olive watched him
with unbelieving eyes; as he went the
gray car became a blur because she
was crying. When her mother in
quired why she wept, Olive confessed
that she had lost her beautiful bag.
How careless" chided Mrs. Dare.
Perhaps it is in the car, dear. Shall
I telephone to Larry?'
"No-no-please do not! have
given Larry back his ring-and I've
lost his g-and-I-never want any
of them back again." announced Miss
Dare in a wavering tone.
you have lost something very
precious" remarked her mother sadly.
1.-The bag didn't have much in it
just a bread-and- butter note from Joe
Watterson and a few other things"
"I did not mean the bag-I meant
Larry" was Mrs. Dare's quiet reply:
Some birdl' calculated Larry. as
the little gray car poked along thru a
nj hTrVp1W the road home.
His gaze was fixed on bit ofbrilliant
blue green perched in a shad bush be-
side the road. The sun caught the
sheen of gold and tossed back the
brilliance of a peacock's plumage-
"Olives bag" he calculated, recog-
nizing it with a pang, and the little
gray car stopped abruptly. Larry took
the bag from it's perch and studied the
gorgeous peacocks woven into the
fabric. The golden cord that served
as a handle was broken and he real
lied that, in the heat Of their argu-
ment, Olive had unwittlngIy swung ;, inc
bag once too often and host it Per-
haps she had done it Intentionally.
something whispered in his ear, but
he dashed suspicion aside.
Jealousy came to take its place.
She had said Joe Watterson's letter
was there-ruthlessly he pulled the
bag open and looked; the golden
purse the foolish pencil Joe had given
her-it looked like a stick of pepper
mint candy-some letters which he
recognized as his own-and one pen
ciled scrawl which might be Joe's.
Suddenly, he did not care about joe
His own letters made the bag precious
to ner-naughty little thing. He must
bear with her, He lad not touched
the contents of the bag. and now Re
dropped the engagement ring inside
and drew the cord tightly. Just then
he heard footsteps, hurrying.
Larry hung the bag on the shad
bush and the little car scampered to
a bend in the road and waited BREATH
lessly. Larry peered thru the under
brush.
It was Olive
She was hatless md quite pink with
running. There were traces of tears
on her soft cheeks and her lips were
very pathetic.
When she saw the brocade bag she
uttered a soft cry of pleasure, and
snatching it from the bush, Rugged
it to her lips.
"You dear, dear thing" she sobbed
you are all that have left"
That is what she really said, for
Larry had stolen upon her and heard
her just in time to hold her very
tightly in his strong arms.
rs it too late for happiness, dear ?"
he asked the repentant girl.
Motif you can forgive my folly
she whispered
'"Then-Iet us say It will never hap
pen again-and the ring is in the
bag"
At last when t1.ey were seated in
the car and Larry had started it, Olive
turned swiftly.
what was that sound?"
Larry said he didn't know. but I
think he suspected it was a quiet
chuckle from the sympathetic little
gray car.
copyright, 1921, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
I 4