The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-19
E0eningS Story
Three of a Kind.

began pompously. Anne Maria inter-
rupted him with her LATEST laugh.
Never Thinking is SO bad for the
compIexion-and 1 haven't too much
I complexion-un1ess L go buy it,
Anne Martial For shame!" Aunt
Massey interjected, bristling with hor-
rifIed propriety. Again Anna Maria
: laughed, this time roguishly- You're
forgetting things, Tanty- Shouldn't
not so young as you are. But L re-
member for both of US
with reason. You shut me up
in the closet a whole half hour for
spelling your pink sauces wanted
a bath for my redbird-and didn't
dream it would make any difference
| even tho Mr.. Jacks was coming to
court you And he didn't do it-said
that he wasn't out for no pale sickly
woman-and you hadn't any health
certificate. / could have told him you
were as hardy as a pine knot" she
retorted. Miss Massey stood up almost
weeping. please go!' she said to
Bruce. Il don't know what ails this
wicked gill
"Oh. She is just being naughty
as spoiled children always are before
1 Anne Maria turned upon him eyes of
/ grave reproach. Company You're
no company-uot enough to deserve
fried chicken" she said. But you're
| always held up as the pattern of truth
telling to the rest of us. How dare
you discredit your reputation"
| Where you are concerned I dare
| anything" Bruce said with his most
Impressive bow. 1t set Anne-Maria to
/ giggling wildly-she darted thru the
| side door. and half a minute later was
| safe in her treehouse, her refuge since
| she was five. Bruce looked at Miss
Massey doubtfully. How. ever can
i tame her?'' he asked shaking his
head. Her head also shook. Il don't
/ know" she said stonily. "But-you
| have got to do it. 1t means salvation
| to-both of us"
| Il know" Bruce sighed. Haven't
drawn an easy breath since she came
home so changed And sha'n't until
we are married-it is the one way
out
You love her?" Miss Massey ques-
toned. Bruce sighed again. saying 4
Yes. And hate her like poison. She
she seems somehow to see thru me
as tho 1 were made of glass-and finds
only things to laugh at. Can you I'M
drstand how that gals and cuts?''
Miss Massey nodded. Same here!
She has surely changed So sweet,
and biddable and confiding she was
Why did i ever let her go to West
would wake up her wild blood, to hear
about her father, see his picture"
Tell me-was he a great adven-
turer?" Bruce asked slowly
Miss Massey was silent a MINUTE. then
went on, nodding: Judge for yourself
he made seven fortunes-and lost
six of them. If he had not died when
he did. there would have been no
money to tempt us to the depths. He |
married my sisters daughter, hardly /
younger than myself.
THE shock of his death in that burn |
ing building-he was trying to save an !
old cripple they say-really killed her, |
tho she fingered years in a sanitariuna. |
She was. still in arms-I have tried 1
honestly TOTO do right by her But
it was so easy to do otherwise-all I
her money in my hands-and the first |
I borrowed came back treble. Then |
thought when she married or came of
age I should have nothing but her
charity to save me from the old grind
ing poverty. You know the rest-t
how we have ris1ed, and won, and
lost. until we must keep on, or lose
everything, for her as we'll as our
selves.
IF I could tell her what I had done
and that it was all for myself, she
would forgive me. But 1 can't-she
would know it was mainly for you
The last word was a groan SO low
and hollow it startled Bruce. He tried
as tho he had not understood-she
would not have it so. For your she
almost bitterly. "Of course
1 am fool-but not so much as I
SEEM Seven years older-but at first
you seemed not to mind. And-and-i
I did want to help you-to give you
the chance I thought you deserved
never dreaming how things would
turn"
stop" Bruce said hoarsely, his
face ashen. You shall not suffer
happens to me-"
What do you m ean2" Miss Massey
asked doubtfully- He braced himself,
took hold of her hands and said
slowly: I am going straight to Anne
Ma riazand tell her the exact truth.
If I know her. it is the truth that will
make us free"
mo, no. I had rather die! could
never face her! Never in the worldi'
Miss Massey moaned, but he was al
ready at the door. There he turned
smiling painfully at her. then went
his head high.
He had never dared climbing to
the tree house which sat twenty feet
from earth in the crotch of a huge
spreading elm. Rough steps contrived
Of cleats and branches led up to it.
Anne Maria almost skipped over them
Bruce lost breath like a mountain
climber. But he kept on, his lips set
hard. tho exertion had brought back ,
" wholesome color. II was no deaths / !
head that astounded Anne Maria
rising painfully above the floor of her
eerie, but human being dominant
with purpose.
sit down, No fall, Looks ike
you're at the last gasp" the girl cried
gaily. He went near and stood up
right. saying: ''Anne Maria-if a
great criminal pleads guilty after full
confession. will you give him a sus- ]
pended sentence2"
She bowed her head. too amazed ,
Tor speech. Briefly he went on aHS .
thru the sorry tale o f misd oings. 7
neither sparing nor excusing himself /
nor his partner. but setting forth
BADLY but with his most lucid legal
4 bility, the ugly facts in the case. /
This, until he came to the next last / ,
sentence. spoken in stammers with e.
'lutching hands: Il think YOU
unjust know-a- already-all this I
vas done-for me-
Anne Maria was choking, her eyes