The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-12

than to have been a queen long ago.
It seemed to her that the very
leaves knew and trembled, as she did,
with. Joy; and the stars twink1ed
down between them as If they, too,
knew al about it.
The town clock struck ten and Patty
and Ben came in from the reading
club. They always fingered a little
1T the gate, as the manner of lovers
is. you know
Dolly smiled as the soft murmur of
their voices came to her. She won
aered if the poor young things would
ever be as happy as she was thenl
And then. as they walked slowly
up the path, words began to grow out
Of the soft murmur
Bob Brent has struck it, they say"
Bob remarked in his elegant way, and
Patty replied mournfu1ly:
.sAh, yes How sorry I am for Dol
lyl Poor faithful, loving DollyI''
ssSorry? Why isn't she in it? I
thought they were
why, Ben Patty broke in, with
tears IN her little babyish voice. cant
you see that Dolly is only a faded,
middle-aged woman now, while Rob
ert is in his prime-the handsomest
man in town? And haven't you no.
ticed how he admires Kitty2 1t was
all well enough when he couldn't
marry; but now"
But the words were indistinct again;
Dolly heard no more
She had risen from the hammock
and was standing, white and still, in
the glare of the electric light The
stars were hooking her now above the
lower light, and the breezes were
whispering of the twenty years that
had rolled over her, carrying her
freshness away
Ben saw her there when he came
down to the gate. and bowed with
CHEEKY, Good night, Miss Dolly" and
went whistling his newest favorite
oown the street
Then Dolly crept up to her room
And 1 would have let him do it!
never would have thought of the
change. Oh, the shame. the humilia-
ton of it, To think that /. faded
middle-aged woman, would have
held him to the promise made to
q fair young girl twenty long years
ago. He was too true and noble
to let me know. too tender to hurt
me- If only / had seenl 1t is all
different with women. but I never
thought of it before. It would not
matter to me now changed Robert
might be; I'd love him only the more,
if he needed more. But he is grandly
handsome and-and he must have "a
young, pretty wife 1t is best, I see
that-best for Robert and for her and
for me; for l couldn't bear to have
him sorry or-or ashamed"
She loosed her dress at the throat
and pressed her hands against her
temples.
ssHe mustn't be ashamed of his
wife, dear, faithful Robert. He must
be happy, now that the world is
brighter for him. l can bear it-for
him. .
And then she wrote a letter, and.
when it was finished, she knelt by her
bedside: and the stars twinkled in
and the breeze famed her pale, calm
face Faded? Oh. the beauty of it
She lznelt there giving up all she
held dear What are dimples and all
fresh prettiness compared to a beauty
like that2 You only get the soul
after these are gone
In the morning before any of the
household was awake she took the
letter and carried it out to the mail
box on the corner: aud then she went
to the hammock under the magnol ia
and watched the sun rise down at the
end of the cross street.
Presently the gate latch clicked,
and then pair of strong arms folded
themselves about her and her head
was on Robe rt's broad shoulder, and
he was telling her how he had longed
for her, and what an age the last
week had been.
You would have been sorry for me,
Dolly" he was saying; FOR in my
hurry getting off. 1 left your last pho
tograph in the pocket of the coat I'd
been wearing, and there was only the
childish little thing taken twenty
years ago. Forgive me, dear but it's
more like your little silly-faced Cousin
Kitty than like you There, don't be
vexed-I know you are not very like
her now; but, between US, / believe
you were in those first days, though it
is hard to think of my beautiful full
blown ro3e as anything less lovely
and sweet than she is now. But you
will soon be my very own, Dolly, and
1 shan't be missing a photograph
when 1 have you
Dolly drew her breath. She was in
the new world again
DO you really want me, Roberto
she asked, a glad light in her dark
blue eyes.
'-rll show you pretty soon. Want
you2 Oh, Dollyr and then he went
on, laughing happily as he told her of
his plan
I'm coming to- night with Mr..
Sims, and I'm going to claim my wife
and take her away with me. What
jolly tour ours shall bel Yes, / know
there IS always trouble about clothes
and things; but we won't let that