The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-07
.EDening Story
The Most Exciting Journey.
BY JESSIE; DOUGLAS.

BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.
"oh, Lily. I'm going to Washington
ION my vacationi Yes. isn't it splen-
did2 And 1 wondered if you would
let Jamie have his dinners here at
night ~ -t.
H. OF course Lily had consented. Ja-
mics sister was hef-zbest friend. she
was glad to do anything she could.
But Jamie. She had never liked him,
nor he her.
He wanted a flapper. g girl with
bobbed hair and nonehalant manners
who danced all the night and had a
string of young men on her doorstep
And Lily Bartlett was the other eE-
treme. If anything, she was Old
fashioned - '-.s-
She hated to admit it to herself. but
she liked to cook. and a garden was
her chief joy and delight Her house
was always charming. with the long,
low living room fresh with cretonne
and bowls of mignonette and shirley
peoples that Lily had raised herself.
Lily did not look like every one else
either. She had dusky hair that she
did very simply in a great knot at the
back of her head. She had pale skin
that she did net rouge, and a slender
white throat. she made her own
frocks.
And she was ashamed of it all. She
knew that she was step behind the
procession. and when she tried to do
the things the other girls did she only
got out OF step; she never seemed to
catch UP.
As,for Jamie Ludlow the less said
of him the better.
He had black hair that looked as
tho 1t were polished. He had the
kind of ewes that looked at you and
laughed with YOU and flirted without,
any excuse whatever. The worst OF &c
was he had the most sincere manner
In the world; a manner that made
you confidential and then made you
wonder afterwards why you had ted
him so much. That was Jamie Lua-
low.
AS she got the dinner that night for
Tom and Frank, who usually arrived
on the 5:1e, Lily remembered how
Susy Ludlow had told her all about
Jamie when he came home last year
| from France He had stayed on 10
study at 1.-The =. Sorbonne- Lily had
| thought a. great deal about him before
| she met him but after that evening
| 1t was only with a hot blush she re-
membered him.
He had come over with Susy and.
entering the dim, fragrant living room
French room, so exquisitely dainty"
land then looking at her he had said.
Land you're like a French girl"
Lily could never forget that even--
ling. She was rather quiet person
but she had laughed, and TALKED
as she fahcIed a French girl weuld
land had said good night to Jamie
Ludlow in her high school French.
He had never called again. Lily
knew why. She had not been gay
lsnoush. The remark that Susy had
repeated had been illuminating:
| Jamie said when he first saw you
lhe thought you typfeaiiy French, but
he realised you're not a bit what he
thought"
| Lily hated susy.s brother after that
with a quiet, bitter scern. Something
was implied in that remark that she
couldn't understand. But at any rate
she would show Jamie Ludlow that
what he thought didh't matter.
| At first she decided TO be cold ana
dignified. Then she feared he might
think her offended.s--So she decided
to be flippant and COOL
4 But when the raenv fFefn the - ~
had come up the street and Tom had
pushed open the screen door and
[cried: "Oh, Lii. will you mend this
gloee. ] want to go out tonight 20 and
Frank had burst in TO say. 9Dos you
know where 1 put my pipe?" Lily
found that she had not time to be
tanytnfng TO Jamie Ludlow but just
natural. There were too msny things
| y Her brothers, altho they were both
Older than she, had to be looked out
Tor. Shed made a burberry pudding
for. Frank. and he actually seemed
pleased about it. And Tom stopped
in the n1iadie of a conyefsation to say
Ito her:
Good hid, found you'd pressed
out all my tiss for me-" 4
Lily flushed up, happily.
Things like that made her happy
that She was just a little oldSfashioned
and that she did find her happiness
4 in mothering the boys and pretending
they were quite helpless without her.
Tom sat on the stool in the corner
while she filled the dishpan with
water and Frank carried out the
dishes and Jamie Ludlow stood at the
door watching her with something
Iironical in his eyes. ~
She knew he was scorning her, was
| sorry for her that she was just a
little household drudge for these big
Ibrothers-sfe wished he'd go.
l. When he did say goodnight, 1t was
4