The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-29
MET BEFORE.


long, golden fingers across the pearl white
beach, where the waves came curling up
with murmur and broke into fringes of
foam as the tide came in. Walter Lindley,
leaning back in his invalid chair, watched
the sunset and the waves with half closed,
thoughtful eyes.
/ His companion, Major Bernard, sat on
stone by his side, with folded arms and
eyes that looked far off into the calm of
the horizon-a brown faced, handsome
man of middle age.
! walter, - he said after silence of some
minutes, lit is getting late; you must go
home.''
''I'm going, major, " said the boy, slow
IL preparing to make move. Mamma
will be anxious for me, and Garry will be
frotting."
"Carry-a pretty name" muttered the
major. ~ knew Garry once. Arc you
goingf"
Eyes. Au revoir"
! And away rolled the invalid chair over
the strand, tiny shells cracking under its
wheels and trailing bits of seaweed cling
ing to the spokes.
Major Bernard stood watching it.
"Ho is going home-home, he MUIR
INJURED, "to mothers love and the ten
derness of sister. have none. His sis
ter's name is Carry. CarryI How the
name brings back the old times and makes
boy of me again! Well, we'll, expected
too much of her. was hard with her,
he murlnured. 'God forgive mel How
different things might have beenP'
Walter Lindley, rolling homoward in the
chair that he was won't to propel himself,
was thinking also.
"Ho's a brick, that Major Bernardo
thought the pale boy, land what lot he
an EngIishman, and never did like John
Bulls before. I should like mother and
Garry to meet him some time"
Mrs. Lindley sat at the open window,
when Walter came into the room, and near
her sat dark eyed woman of 80, with
black, ripply hair brushed away from
clear, olive brow and magnificent mesmeric
eyes. Garry Owens might have been pretty
as girl; as a woman she was beautiful.
+" Mamma, here amp was the boys
salute as he entered, throwing off his cap
and appropriating the easiest chair.
Better late than never" said Mrs.
Lindley. 81 was beginning to be anxious"
Garry" said Walter, GIVE been think
ing about you all the way home"
About me?'
Eyes; I've been wondering why you
never got married. You are pretty, Garry,
you know"
''Thank your
"And if I were 10 years older-no, 10
I'd marry you myself sooner than let you
die an old maid, for all you're my adopted
sister,
i'I'm infinitely obliged to you" said
Garry, with a smile dimpling her lips.
but" went on Walter meditatively,
"I'm not in danger at present-at least
Major Bernard thinks not"
"Bernard-who?'
allow you start, Carry What is the
sense of being SO nervous2 Why, Bernard
that's allan English officer"
"And how on earth did you manage to
pick him up?"
He picked me up, mamma, wandering
round on the beach, and can tell you he's
capital company. I wish you and Garry
would walk down to the point with me
some day and see him.
''Nonsensel Bring him to u.s."
"He would not come, mamma. He's q
regular old hermit"
"He must be very agreeable" observed
Garry, with spice of satire in her voice.
'tBut you will come with me, Carry?'
'tSome time, perhaps" assented Garry.
"Mrs. Lindley, it's time this boy took his
medicine
Carry sat at her window that night late
aud long, thinking of the past-that past
before she became Mrs. Lindley's adopted
daughter, when she was a Woodworking
little seamstress, toiling for daily bread,
and then came a past still farther off,
when she drank the draft of love, for SO
brief time to have it snatched from her
lips.
"PoohP' thought Garry, dashing away
a tear from her eyelash. 81 am an old
maid, and nobody is better aware of it
than I am myself. won't begin to be
sentimental now"
Come, Garry, do!'
"But 1 want to finish my dressP'
ooh, bother the dressl You've no idea
of the beauties of shells there are there.
Come"
"Walter, - laughed Garry despairingly,
"what nuisance you arel Well, I will
come. Anything to satisfy your
"That's a darling-and here's your
hati'A
But my hair?''
"Oh, fddlesticksl Your hair looks well
enough 1 believe if q woman was going
to heaven she'd have to stop and fix her
hair firstp'
And Walter dragged Garry away in spite
of her pathetic circumstances.
Walter, thought you wore going to
Highstone clifs?"
$50 am"
isn't this the pointP'
"What's to prevent fellow from taking
the point on his way to HighstoneP'
"And who is that on the rocks readingf"
Garry stopped suddenly.
"Why, that's Major Bernard"
"Walter, can't go any farther"
HN0nGansai Why not9 Suralv VIM are
not tiredS'
'No, not tired. butt
She caught her hand away from Wal
ter's OBTAINING grasp and looked around as
if for some place of refuge. But there was
only the white beach stretching upward
and the dazzling cliffs beyond.
Major Bernard had risen and was COM
ing toward them in strange, uncertain
sort of way. Walter looked from one tC
the other, scarcely knowing what to make
CT this singular agitation on both sides.
tsCarrvf Carrvl''