The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-18
TWO BROKEN HEARTS

i
years He has been abroad-somewhere in
Australia where the gold mines are He
has made no end Of money, but he amazed
me more than little He drank plain wa
ter with his lunch and declared it was a
LUXURY he ought to be charged for-that
one could always get wines, spirits and
beer by paying for them, but that decent
water was a thing which could only be had
in decent countries He has made
his money very quickly, but he has grown
older at q still bigger pace 1 was his
senior once. but today I felt young again
looking at his face and hearing what he
said
Elsie-Has he endured so much, them
I thought Australia was more or less civ
iIized
Eustsce-Oh. it is not that sort Of thing
which has aged him-that sort Of thing
never does. It kills sometimes No, it Is
the man 5 mind which has made him old
There was girl-the usual girl-and he
hasn't been able to forget her.
Elsie-What did she do to drive him
away? Do you know, I believe the novel
lists are to blame for half the trouble that
comes to human beings, especially for the
troubles which come to human beings who
are in love. For example, dare say your
friend rushed away to Australia because
some small thing had happened, and such
a flight was the proper course to adopt
according to the novels Perhaps she had
refused to demonstrate TO all the world
that she was eager to accept his heart BE-
fore he had given her any excuse for be-
Ieving he seriously meant to offer it. Men
are so very unsslfsh the half Of them re-
1rain from starving to get what they want
and take it for granted their desire has
been refused them when they have merely
not been iInplOred to accept Of it. And
yet their favorite proverb tells Of the value
49, -,
ing on asking
Eustace (clunsily and with an attempt
70 capture her hand)-I know that, at any
rate. You were very hard to winl
Very likely you are right. He simply told
ne that the girl had knOwn-must have
known-he loved her, that she had seemed
to encourage him, and that in the end she
had gone out Of her way to offer him such
a snub that he would have been merely in
viting greater one had he gone any fur
Their in the matter 1t L1ppened that he
could not BY any chance be happy without
her, and so he chueked the whole thing
and went abroad I fancy his people didn't
know her. He had met her here in Lon
don The result is that he has not the re-
hottest idea OF what has become of her.
wonder if he viii meet her and make it
up Well (sentimentauy), 1 have q good
long start Of him at any rate 1t is more
than a year
Elsie (iInpatiently)-He does not de-
serve to chance on happiness. Six years,
you say, he has been away, and during all
that time he has made no effort to discov-
er what has become of her. Six yearsI The
girl may have gone on waiting for him all
that time, or she may have grown tired
and given up hoping. It is hard to go on
refusing always
Eustece-But you forget it was she who
sent him Six years is a long time to re-
today.
Elsie-very likely. He has come home
wealthy, thanks TO the girl, and now he
may or may not go to her and do what he
should have done before III swear, from
the way you tell the story, that he never
asked her plainly If she would be his wife
he wanted her to do the asking, but he
VIII be the hero if she has waited, and he
finds her and gets the good fortune which
he does not deserve.
Eustace-Very likely Men are awful
fools But you may be very sure that he
had given the proof Of the thing, even II
he had not put 10 into words.
Elsie-I do not doubt it, but there is no
proof where the thing is not put into words
If the girl was pretty and attractive, he
probably gave her no more proof than
half a dozen men had given her before.
She would have been a fool to take the
things which happened In the first six
cases as meaning anything Why should
she perceive g difference in the SEVENTH
Eustace-But I thought a girl knew
Elsie-Novels againl And she always
declares the proposal unexpected -
Eustace-You know that when I asked
you first
Elsie-Lat Us forget all that. We have
been married such long time that we can
afford to forget. But your friend angers
me somehow. L am so sure that he has
simply been foolish. Very likely it has
all turned ont TO the advantage Of the girl !
But il might not have done 50, and at any
rate she has something to regret, even
though she Is married and happy in hGr
marriage
Eustace-I dare say your are right he
was always a bis Of d fool and the dearest
fellow ia the world. Surely have NELL
toned him to you? You've heard ne /
speak OF Teddy Lanehes5eE9
Elsie (sGarts, looks at bin swiftly and |
cannot hold back the exclamation which |
comes to her fips)-Teddy Manchester;
Eustace-Xes. Do you remember the |
nameP
Elsie latter q pause)-T don's think |
you've ever told me Of HIM (Another |
pause Stu I fancy must have met |
hsn- used TO go ont a great deal six 1
years ago. and the name is one you would /
remember because 1t sounds SO like a 1
name cut Of book. Teddy LanchesterI |
. E" A big, stout, fair man, with pleas !
ant smiies 1t seems to me remember /
him
Eustace-The wrong man Mine Is 4
short, thin, dark and cOmbabive. A very 4
good sort, but he had a way Of seeming to /
live in a state of eternal protest against /
things in general
Elsie-I can't have met him, then, and
[ N sure I should not be nice to him If |
did (She pushes back her chair If you
will get me a wrap and promise me not to
bring the man here to dine, would like
cigarette il the garden 1t is close in here
CEustace disappears All, Teddy, Teddy
All this because your flowers would not go
with my dress For that is what it