The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-16
four DANCING FEET
Keen DIsAPPoINTMENT.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER 26.

| II was almost morning Wnen Oerue
crept in beside Jennie. Even then she
could not sleep, but kept repeating
over and over the letter she knew by
heart, every word hurting bit more
than the one before.
She had told herself for months she
only wanted to know he had not for
gotten her; to be sure he had remem-
| bered. Yet now that she knew he had
thought of her it brought her no joy.
| In every story she had read where
| the lover had written to the girl he
| cared for, she had pictured Tom Nor
ris as the writer; herself the girl. But
| this cold, little note did not resemble
those printed epistles in any detail. 1t
was such letter as he might have
written a man.
In the morning she hid it away with
some faded flowers. and the menu
cards she had taken from the inns
where they had lunched-
Ma says your Tom wrote to you,'
Jennie said at dinner.
He. isn't my Tom! I haven't any
mortgage on himi"
We'll. you needn't be so snappy! 1
suppose you're in love with Len
don't cage because he wrote
What if am! 1t ain't-isn't none
| ofyour business!''
Again Gertie lost her temper and
You needn't snap me up like THAR
Lens all right, but he amt in the
same class with Tom
"There-there-ch Eat your
| dinner and stop Quarreling. Tom was
a fine gentleman, but he amt our
kind. Len O'Connor is a decent fell
low, and plumbers make good wages, -
Mrs. Cummings interrupted.
| Yes, and he likes to give a girl a
good time and I'm going to let him do
| it, too! I'm tired and sick of never
| having any fun. Sticking around here
every minute I'm not working. After
this 1 am going out like other girls.
Lilly don't sit around home none. l
can tell you. She knows how to have
a good time" Gertie declared, her
voice full of bitterness.
Mother and sister stared at her,
| while Tim said:
Got out wrong side of the bed this
morning didn't you, Cert? What's
eating you?''
For once Gertie did not reprove her
little brother for using slang. Mrs.
Cummings looked troubled This was
what she had always feared-that
spend her time at home when thru her
work at the dance hall; that she
would be like Lilly-without Li1ly's
hardness, and capability. Lilly could
Gertie was soft, thinking of flowers
! and books and such things. She
wouldn't know how to keep young
fellows in their place as Lilly did. But
all she said was:
Stop worrying your sister, Tim
You amt we'll this evening, are YOU.
Gertie? Better go lay down till time
| to CO."
Gertie had scarcely heard anything
of what had been said. Her mind was
on the letter. Should she answer it :?
Tell him she had received the books {?
With the frightening day had come
again kindly thoughts of Tom, a de-
sire to make excuses for the unsatis-
faPfnr1v
she had expected.
Glad to be alone Gertie went into
the little room she shared with her
sister and closed the door. She knew
her mother would see she was not dis
turbed. She took out the letter and
the few keepsakes that reminded her
SO poignaptly of Tom, and, with them
in her lap. tried to think what to DO
Even Gertie knew 1t was rude not to
acknowledge gift. Tom had sent her
the books. She ought to write and
thank him now that she knew where
to send letter.
Thenscame a happy thought-the
first. Perhaps he felt hurt because she
hadn't answered that other letter-the
one she never received. He wasn't the
kind a girl would ignore.
"I'll answer it, but I'll be just as
cold as he isl she said aloud her love
and her pride fighting within her
She reread the letter. 1t wasn't nee
essary. She knew it by heart but she
liked to look at the bold handwriting.
MY dear Gertfe:''
That was the way people addressed
others when they just wrote business
letters. She had informed herself ex-
tensively upon the etiquette of letter
writing. sure he would know II she
made a mistake. He said he would be
sorry to think she had forgotten him
If he only knew how she had
thought of him, prayed for him-that
she might be worthy of his friendship.
What am I kicking about ?" she
asked herself. Anyone would think 1
expected him to love me-perhaps-"
she didn't finish the sentence save by
a blush. But she felt happier after she
decided to answer the letter-thank
him for the books, and tell him she
had not received the other one, so did
not know where to write
(Tomorrow-Gertie determines to be
differently