The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-07
EOening Story
A Pillar of Salt.
BY WILL T. AAfES.

I Z
birdlike little Rhoda Fellows had
phrased it, she had driven all the
| sweetness out of her life by standing
stock still and looking back, like Lot
wife" Looking back was at a long
closed chapter-a romance now many
years in the past.
There was no venom in Mrs. Fell
! lowS's description of Anne, only regret
and a little impatience-that girl
as attractive as Anne, with brains in
her head and so much better looking
than most" should shut away the full
ness of life from herself because of a
memory. "even." to quote Rhoda
again. s'if she did make a mistake in
not marrying Lloyd Penning."
mo man on earth Is worth It'll" ex-
claimed Myra Hawley, whose adora-
ton of her husband was notorious in
the set. Unless, of course, you're ac-
tually married to him. she hasteneo
to amend and then you don't have
to NOPE because you didn't, do you ~
she added as an ambiguous after
thought.
Thus for almost eight years had
the friends of Anne Huntington con-
cerned themselves, out of their affec-
ton and loyalty, with the state of her
heart and her prospects of happiness.
At twenty-three Anne's life had
opened its arms to love. 1t was some
thing quite aside from the girls Volt
ton. She was carefree, heart whole
trimming with the joy of being, nor
NAL, happy, enthusiastic young crea-
ture to whom the problems of life
seemed to lie remote ahead Then
came Lloyd Penning. And in day,
as if by magic, the girl found the bal
ance of her existence overset- Her ire
no longer proceeded along the straight
line of normality; it revolVed dlzzlly
about this new sun
The women of her set declared
Lloyd Penning tremendously daSclnat-
ing 1t was not surprising, they said,
that Anne Huntington should fal all
sorts in love with him. The men pro-
tested that there was nothing so Won
derfuI about this young fellow Ex-
cept his hair" qualified Dicky Eel,
lows. Hes got the IoVehest halr-
and Dicky rolled his eyes in burlesque
The set had never experienced a
more dynamic love affair 1t lasted
three months. And then, with crash,
it ended. There was another girl, It
seened-a girl who even then wore
Lloyd's ring. He had failed to tell
Anne about her, and it was this fail
ure, more than the existence OF the
girl herself, that caused Anne, Whlte
faced but implacable, to send him
away. He had comeback to the city
whence he came. and back to the 9TH
er girl.
Anne Huntington took up the round
but its kernel and core of -joyousness.
Look here, Billy" demanded
Rhoda Fellows, 'why don't you just
make Anne Huntington marry you?
It's a sin and a shame for you two to
go on this way, year after year
neither of you growing a bit younger
when you're the most wonderful
match that ever was. Gee! II It
wasn't for Dicky and the tots I could
wish I We're a man myself!
''Rhody,' replied the big, kindly
viii Forbes. you're dear, and love
YOU like a brother, but you don't know
much-about your nearest girl chum.
1t simply can't be done. I flatter my
self Anne likes Tne-She seems to be
able to stand my hanging around her
and I'd give my-well, guess you
know. But can't reach her Rhody, L
can't reach her. Somehow I don't
believe there's anybody who could
She won't let herself care"
Gay little Rhoda Fellows was very
near to tears when Forbes, hastily
finding an excuse, took himself OIL to
the smoking room. 1t was at a coun-
try club afternoon.
1t was Mrs. Fellows and Mrs. Haw-
ley. conspiring. who brought Lloyd
Penning to town after an~eight years
absence. Thru an out or town guest
Mrs. Fellows learned that Penning
had grown rich in automobiles and
had been widowed for two years.
Hawley built automobiles Urged by
Myra, he wrote to Penning about
potential agency, then invited him to
the factory Rhoda gave little din
ner keeping Penning a secret and
Anne Huntingdon to the
feast.
Anne, lovely, self-contained. ar;
rived as usual at the last permissible
You know everybody, Anne,
Penning," said Mrs. Fellows. trem-
bling inwardly at her temerity, for
well she knew how outrageous was
this thing she was doing.
1r1r ton
Well, I'll say sol" exclaimed Penning.
Eight years isn't a lifetime-folks
don't change much in eight years, do
they Anne?" He had cross the
room and taken her hand, holding 1t
perhaps not" replied Anne calm
ly, with what effort none there knew.
Perhaps less than, just at first. we
think
ITS going to work." excitedIy whis-
pered Rhoda to her husband.
For the visible change in Floyd
Penning since he went away, taking
with him all the joyousness of Anne's
life. was great. 1t was not that the |
years had added to his girth, not that !
the lovely hair at which Dicky once
was wont to scott had thinned on top |
to the point of badness; not even that |
the fine chiseling of his features had |
become a bit blurred. 1t was rather /
that the air of knightly Difference, |
the little tricks of manner that made |
a girl feel like a queen" the charm
and magnetism of skilled squireship, |
had been washed clean away from the /
man, like a coating of varnish, by the /
acid of time-and Of success. Dicky /
said privately to Rhoda: The fellows
soul has taken off it's dress coat and |
IS in its working clothes"
Rhoda had placed them side by side |
at dinner. ct suppose said Penning 1
10 Anne in a low tone. you have
heard lost my wife-that 1 am
he hesitated at the crassness of what
he had been about to say.
Free again2"
well, that is what it amounts to,
sn't it?' acquiesced Penning eagerly.
: on see, Anne Hullie was a fine girl,