The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-04
EDening Story
Second-Hand
BY A. w. PEACH

a.
Her vivacious little friend chartered
on as she busted herself with the
chatting dish and with every word
she was tumbling the bright castles
that Esther Henley had been building
thru the mouths.
"And you know" the eager voice
went on. the reason for your trans
fer. Esther. from the head office was
that Raines said you reminded him
of a girl he used to know. Lansing,
who is Raine's special pal, told me so.
you know-said that Raines was
ready to marry this girl-even told
name is: then they quarreled, and
Raines never married and she never
did. Quite romance, eh?''
Esther agreed with a serene reply,
but there was a. tornado within her.
She held a responsible position with
the great importing firm, and then
suddenly she had been moved to
Raine's department. Her salary was
equal to his, but he was the senior
member of the executives in charge
of the department work. Then his
quiet, strong personality had begun
to win her. and she had been con-
scious more r an once that his brown,
kindly eyes were following her with
pleasure and "a bit of longing; and, in
spite of herself she had begun to hope
dimly that he cared for her.
Now that hope and that dream went
with the careless words of her friend.
After all, his interest in her had been
for another's sake: when his eyes
rested upon her they were seeing an
other-a vanished love of other years.
There could be no doubt of it. Lam
sing was not in the habit of gossip
ing-what he said was usually founded
upon truth.
Esther smiled the evening away, but
after her friend had gone she sat long
in thought. How foolish it is to let a
dream get the best of you" she
thought to herself; but 1 could be
happy with him, know. How foolish
for him and her to waste these years
the best they have!"
She went to her work the next
| morning with different emotions stirr-
ing her heart. His eyes frightened
| as he saw her with the quick light
so welcome in the eyes of those we
love and he seemed to make it a point
to stop to chat with her. Knowing
what she did, she could look at him
! bravely enough now, and even as she
recalled that his regard for her was
| secondhand in a way she could be
just a little aJoof. He in turn seemed
to sense the distance that was grow
| ing between them.
Esther came to her final decision
| that night, and the decision in many
|
| to her little friends room and using
| diplomatic tactics managed to get the
address of the girl that Raines had
| loved-a little village in the northern
part of the state.
There is no use in three of US be-
ing unhappy-and I might as we'll try
| the nissionary's scheme as any one,
| she argued with herself
| So a letter went out, carefully writ.
| ten, with emphasis upon the RESPONSE
| bility that Raines carried SO SPLEEN
| didly; upon the regard that all had
| for him. Esther built up word by
| word an eloquent and moving picture
of the man she frankly confessed thai
she loved; and at the end she gave the
reason for the letter; he had seen to
| it that she was kept in his depart
ment because of the girl of whom she
| reminded him. ---z---. = - = -,
| 'It is rash of me and foolish, per-
| haps, but missionaries sometimes dc
rash things, I've heard, for sake of q
| good cause was her final comment
1 Two days went by-days fraught
| with some anxiety for Esther. for she
| did not know just what the effect
| would be upon the absent girl or what
the latter might write to Raines. II
she came, the explanation would GER
| tainly come out; if she wrote, it would
also; and, for the first time. Esther
realized the tactical mistake she made
in confessing TO the unknown girl thai
she herself loved the tall, broad
shouldered manager whose qufet
power was evident thru all the days
of business endeavor. -se
| Destiny. however, takes care of al
| human hopes and fears in some, ap-
pointed hour. At the end of the week
Esther, going to. Raines's office on {
business errand. found him chatting
with a golden-haired girl. whose blue
gray eyes frightened with recognition
but who said nothing.
Just a moment, Miss Arnold, car
see YOU Raines said, an odd note il