The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-19
EUening Story
A Manufactured Romance.
BY II. IRVING KING.


weeks in the most select circles. 1t
was all the more interesting because
no one knew anything at all about the
details of the matter and SO every
body had his, or her, own version
which was quite as authentic as the
version of anybody else-and could
give fancy free hand at embroider-
ing it.
There was no scandal attaching to
the severance of diplomatic relations
between Ernest and Gertrude: the
most malicious could not suggest that.
He was q model young man and she
was a model young woman, both of
the best social standing and so pub
licly known and officially listed. The
affair could afford at. most no more
than a pleasing opportunity for polite
and entertaining gossip. Now, tho no
one at Mrs. Van Tappen's tea table
had the true story-ipteresting and
circumstant:a1 as all the versions
were-it was really this: each party
to the engagement had become con-
vinced that the other party loved
some one else and was only holding to
the contract thru a sense of duty and
honor.
It all came about thru Aunt Gym
thia-Gertrude' aunt-who was a
romantic old SpinSter and a born
meddler. The loves of Gertrude and
Ernest were entirely too commonplace
to suit Aunt Cynthia, who was a great
reader of those triangular love stories
in which the angles violate all the
laws of plain and spherical geometry,
and she just sreveled in novels where
two nismated couples have Satan's
own time in rearranging matters
more to their liking without getting
arrested for bigamy. To Aunt Gym
thia a humdrum courtship, a prosaic
marriage and "they lived happy ever
after appeared entirely abnormal, SO
she set about to mold the love affair
of her niece little nearer to the
standard of her beloved fiction
The material she had to work with
was distressingly scant, but a med
ding woman of experience and skill
can accomplish wonders with very
little-if she is conscientious work
er.
Gertrude knew that before she and
Ernest had met and fallen in love he
had been rather attentive to Flora
Warden, and Ernest was aware that
when he appeared on the scene to be-
come the accepted suitor of Gertrude
her heart was being beseiged by Ar
thur Greene But, bless you! these
were mere youthful ep-sodes-gone
with the SHOWS of yesteryear and sell
dom remembered even by the four
young people involved. This was all
the material Aunt Cynthia had to
work with, and too much praise can
not be awarded her for the skill with
which she handled it.
She revived Flora Wardell for the
benefit of Gertrude and resuscitated
Arthur Greene for the benefit of Ern-
est. By talking first to one and then
to the other she finally got Ernest to
suspect that Gertrude still loved Ar
she had never
thought of doing-and persuaded
Gertrude that Ernest'S affections still
fingered about Flora Wardell-Where
they had never been.
Gertrude was the first to succumb.
She wrote Ernest a letter telling him
that he was free, their engagement
had been a mistake, she was sure h-s
heart was another'S-and lot more
bii Id erdash inspired by Aunt Cynthia.
Ernest saw in this letter a confirma-
ton of his suspicious that Gertrude'S
affections were really fixed elsewhere
and so replied, magnanimously releaS-
ing her from her engagement. OF
course both the young people were
heartbroken-but Aunt Cynthia was
triumphant A few days after the in
terchange of releasing letters Ernest
saw the names of Gertrude and Aun.
Cynthia on the passenger list OF an
outgoing European steamer-and Oh
the same list the name of Arthur
Greene.
Two days later Ernest was speeding
out of Jersey City bound for Cali
fUrnIa Golden Gate, the cherry bios
SONS of Japan and the spice islands
OF the south seas. And he didn't care
whether the train ran off the tracll-
the steamer sank or what happened
to him. A year later, after restless
w3adeIings in realms afar, he found
himself at Algierss and at the Hotel
SpIendide, which, from the palm
clothed heights of Mustapha Superior,
looks down on the ancient city of the
Barbary pirates and the blue waters
of the Mediterranean. Turning over
the leaves of the hotel register upon
his arrival to see if by any chance any
of his New York acquaintances were
stopping there, he came across the
names of Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur
Greene"
1t was a shock. He had expected
it, of course. But not then and there
He strolled musingly out upon the
broad terrace and there, leaning up
blue sea, was well-remembered fig
ure. As he approached Gertrude
turned and faced him with a little
start.
This is an unexpected meeting"
said he, raising his hat formally. THE
fact is, 1 have been rather out of the
world for the past year, but on my ar
rival just now L saw the names of Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Greene on the hotel
register, and beg to offer my some
what delayed-
A look of comprehension came into
Gertrude's face and, to Ernest's be-
laugh and exclaimed, why, here they
@Who?" said Ernest.
'FWhy, Mr.. and Mrs Arthur Greene |
to be sure. If you had looked back a
little farther in the register you
would have seen the names of Miss
Cynthia Brandon and Miss Gertrude |
Ernest turned to see approaching |
him Arthur Greene and she who had |
once been Flora WardeN. That even |
ing under the stars, on that same sea- |
ward looking terrace, Gertrude and |
Ernest had a long, explanatory, heart |
to-heart talk, on the breath of which |
was swept away forever the airy fab
ric of Aunt Cynthia'S romantic inlag- |
nings. The sailing of Arthur on the |
same ship with Gertrude and her aunt 1
after the catastrophe of the year be
Tore had been a mere coincidence.
Chaperoned by Aunt Cynthia, Ger
rude had wandered about the geogra-
ply trying to forget, but only succeed
I'd IN becoming more and more doubt