The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-28
PROBATION.
And you wsll Be mine always9''


Of implicit fidelity to Lyle Couran, and hs
believed in her as he believed in faith, in
love, in God
They sa1 together, in the deep hued. glow
ing sunset among che fragrant summer
grasses that swavad above a quiet river
He was a lieutenant in the navy and bad
been suddenly ordered on a distant voyage
which might keep him away for years Be
tween the earnest. hopeful tender words
he addressed her and the kisses he pressed
en- cheek ard lip and brow he lovingly
twined pure white lily buds in her flowing
auburn hair-
Five years is q long time TO wait. Rene.
but VIII be ever true to you No other
woman's lips may WOO me, 70 other wom-
ans voice can thrill me, no other woman s
name shall trem bic on my lips in prayer
Goodny, darling God bless you
Rene Dural was utterly poor. with only
deep huad. brilliant eyes a sweet, bright
chaugefuI face and a fatal love Of dnery
for her Inheritance She hated the barely
furnished, old fashioned farmhouse, tho
plain honiely- housaVvifeIy tasks the quiet
orthodox, M country folk There was
in her soul no subtle sympathy to be ex-
tracrad from communion with nature. and
even toe glory cirelsd and golden crowned
sunsets, which to the innately refined
aHsthe1ie nature would be positive joy, held
no beauty Tor her
The spring was bloss0ming in glad
lGtlAlt AElE carry EE+llG trees Dll7.fl
luZurianE radiance and scattering delicate,
fragrant petals on the calm. Still air when
Lyle Ccnran returned to erndeIl-return-
ed to find the cottage he had left radiant
with clam berirg roses and honeysucklss
closed, vine deserted and desOlates re-
turned 60 hear strange, sad story Of Il g
girl whose prom ise ne had treasured
Orphaned and alone. she had grown H.
terly weary Of the HOMOGENEOUS farmland
life, and In the silvery gray dawn Of a
summer morning had started to seek a
livelihood in the city At first fortune IA
Tcred her. Afterw4rd times grew dull, the
factories closed, and her employer turned
a deaf ear to her enueaty-
One chanca-oue onIy-7vas offered her
the name, the home, the wealth Of a de-
crepit, selfish old man For this she saeri-
feed her priceless youth, her pligh1sd love,
her womanIy honor
Who shall be the first to point the finger
Of soorn- TO pass censorious Judgment upon
such as shas Not you who lie down nightly
on snowy pillows to pleasant dreams; not
you who have never trodden YEARLY rhs
streets Of a great, throbbing city, hunger
ing for bread and offered a suone-youne,
faint, heart sick. beautiful and friendless
For one year Rene as Mrs. Ralph Rey-
nolds endured the CALLING slavery, the Bit
ter tyranny Of unIovinz wifehoOd Then
death sundered the shackIes and set her
free.
With bouudless wealth, wondrous beauty
and duIIed sensibilities, she entered madlv
the whIrIing eddy Of fashionable folly and
dissipation
Lyle met her-not the innocent. faithful
darling Of his youthful nope. but with false
roses blooming en- her cheeks, the CO.
quetts's alluring smile On her face. the
world 5 hooking scorn on her lip Was
this the child he had left with the sunlight
dying IN royal glory around her pure as
the golden stamened lily cups he had
evined in her hairs
During the lapse OF years Rene g love for
Lyle Conran had uou wholly faded, though
she had rssolutely and ruthIsssIy strivsn to
crush it out of her heart. as she had al
the noble instincts Of her nature but at
che 81 ghs Of his handsome panied rsproach-
ful face II flooded again-as in the old days
when it had been her own supreme joy
over her soul warm. vehement.
"Lylel Lylel You have come for me at
Iast,'i
She ouastretched both fair hands. but ne
stood stern, motionlsss
For you No hoped to ind the
opening bud had cherished blOssomsd in
co pure, perfect vv0manhood for me. In
stead have found
Lyle she Interrupted imploringlv
don t say it, Don't LOOK at me 50 coldly
and scornfully I cannot bsar it, Strike
me dead If you knew how hate and
Ioathe myselfr'
The scorn on his face died. pity. regret.
great loving sorrow filed his vronged soul
.'Oh. Rene Renel That I should have
found you thusr
The gathered rarn0rse Of years quivsred
in her passionate, pleading utseranca as
she cried;
Lyle, I deserve your scorn-your ha-
tired. I have stained the honor you be-
Eeved iu-have betrayed the answering
faith you gave me But fer your sake [
can and viii be all yea once deemed me.
I viii be pure, true. wonanly, noble-for
I love your
As he listened to her words and looked
into her tear dimfued. perirsutly bsseech-
ing eyes. and knew that he alone Of all
the world bad power TO redeem her from
the physical and moral death Of fashion
able sin, pride SUM bered and love con
qusred.
Rene with all your falssness and folly
you are dearsr TO ne than any other WON
an can ever be- Rise from the moral mi
asIna which envelope you. Become the
true. hon1ra Bile, exalted woman I have
dreamed my wife would be. Be faithful
for two years to your promised nobility
then I VIII come for you.
she lifted her face, brilliant with the
holy glory born Of high resolve, and said,
Lyle, my friend. my deli7erer. you shall
never regret It,
He never did, for ere the two years
were ended q s2l4 llspArcn fastened Co1ran
to Rsne's side. She was iII-dytug Med
ical skill was unavailinz-Tear Of reck-
less dissipation had wrecked her rugged
constitution God had forgiven Lyle
had forgiven But sin is It's own relent-
less svenger- and in her youth her beauty.
her restoration she II Ust die
For one BRIEF hour they couversed OF the
mysteries about which she was soon 20
know. then Rene said suddenly.
It's growing DARK Kiss me, Lyle
don weep Perhaps 1 shall be worthy Of
you-up in heaTen-I uever=vas here. -
He closed the blue, sightless eyes. He
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