The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-06
.Eoening Story,
Neila Resolves.
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.

BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.
AS she brushed her short, curly hair,
Nella read the resolutions that she had
Hacked with three thumb-tacks at the
side of the dressing table, where she
would see them often.
1. Don't use rouge this year.
O.. Rise every morning at $780,
3. Begin a savings account.
\ 4. Don't quarrel with Paul.
1t was the last that she stopped and
reread, and a frown showed between
her brows.
land yet he had said that she was
a flirt, and it was altogether uncalled
for" Her thoughts halted
and her eyes took in the last line.
Absolutely the last QUARREL" she
told her mirror. and gave herself a
critical glance.
| In her golden brown dress with the
glisten of myriads of tiny bronze
beads, with the slippers that matched
it so perfectly and the amber-colored
eyes that were even a more perfect
match Nella Waring was delighted.
Tonight the Warnings always held
open house. 4 charming occasion when
young people and those still young at
heart drifted in and talked and played
and danced. when the wide old buffet
in the dining room was loaded with
sandwiches and cakes and coffee, and
a tiny blue flame was under the brass
chatting dish that lent an aromatic
odor to the air.
| No wonder that it had become a
custom for people to drift in of a New
| Years night--no wonder that Nella
had dressed with such care-for Paul
would be there.
Her brother John was playing his
violin when she came down the stairs,
and Nella stood listening a moment
and hesitating.
How honey" it looked. Her father
over by the mantel talking to old Mr..
Hong and her mother in gray smiling
family as the music drifted to her.
Pauline and William already turning
up the rugs in the west parlor and
Kitty in her white dress and ribbons,
in ecstacy over being allowed to re-
| main up after bedtime.
Some one at the bottom of the
stairs was watching her and now he
called. "a bit sIow.-eh Juliet?' as she
turned her head toward him.
Nella smiled-sweetly, and nodded.
| Any other night she would have re-
| futed the charge with more than a
little heat. Paul was surprised. He
asked as she reached the last step and
he still looked up at her, ''Nella, any
thing the matter?"
The ordinary Nella would have re-
piled, THE matter, And you called
me a flirt.1ast night . - And the
quarrel would be on. But Nella shook
her head still dreamily.
| Across Paul's fair, boyish face a
look of surprise, of half-alarm shot;
but he still smiled as he said. Shall
we dance"
Nella slipped into his arms and they
floated out thru the hall and into
the west parlor- Nella with her eyes
shut half-dreamily; Paul with his arm
about her Tightening just a trifle.
81 say, Nella, you're lovely tonight!
You're the prettiest girl I know" Paul
said as they stopped for a moment in
the deep. embrasure of the window.
| Nella only smiled and turned away,
but he saw that the tip of her ear was
scarlet.
i Something was the matter. The or
binary Nella would have cried, Don't
be sillyi 1 know you say that to every
girl you meet!'
Paul was distinctly worried. He re-
turned to the charge with a last shot:
You remember what I said last
night? hate to tell you that it's
true
But sshe was not listening; or else
Paul followed the direction OF
her eyes and saw another man enter
ing the room-"that beastly Crawford
fellow" he called him 20 himself.
Mr.. Crawford having spoken to his
IlOSIeSS, hastily -lOT NSlld, anu
Paul, watching him, dressed SO well
in his English clothes with his light
| spats and the glasses with the heavy
black ribbon, fumed inwardly.
| 'If you want to make your get
away" he whispered.
But Nella had not heard At least
she was going forward with an out
stretched hand; her face lighted at Mr..
Crawford's words.
! 1--WE been looking forward to this
you know" he said, with more than a
hint of English accent. Paul stood a
moment glaring,, and then rather than
play the part of the outsider, he went
over to the piano and pretended to be
interested in the swirling black notes
that danced before his eyes over the
music.
So that was it, That interloper, that
cad. was going to walk in and walk off
with Nel!a right from under his nose!
Why, he had been playing with NeIla
from the moment they sat side by SIDE
IN kindergarten. and he had carried
her books home from school to this
very evening when they quarreled,
! That was the. whole trouble-they
hadn't quarreled. Nella hadn't
answered him back once; she hadn't
even disagreed with himi The game
was up. He groaned
Anything the matter, old chap 30
the musician asked, looking up. Those
cream cheese sandwiches are a bit in
dlgestible, but if"
Paul could stand no more of this
He went back to the west parlor to see
Nella dancing with that misera BILE
eI9eriy' imitation of an Englishman,
who must be thirty if he was day!
But suddenly he cut in. and NelIa
was dancing with him. He whirled
her out to the hall, and there at the
end, where he could just see a sprie
OF dried green that hung below the
lamp. he kissed her.
Sne pulled herself out of his arms,
4 iter eyes were blazing and she CON
fronted him with a chin thrown hack
fou-Paull It's utterly unforgiy-
aoIe! she said, her voice shaking with