The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-09

''But, Esther you WILL 1 know"
That was last night. All day long
her purpose has been in her mind 1t
has made her more daring and capric-
iOuS than ever. Now they have all
gone, and she fingers behind for mo-
ment of solitude. She wants to collect
herself. She knows that she prefers
Ivory Sadler to all others; but Esther
has not arrived a the period when she
can resign all but one. She has drunk
admiration as the flowers drink light.
She wants it ali. She likes to be envied
by the other girls. She likes to reign
She does not mean to be selfish. In
short, she means nothing.
Esther, Esther, you'll lose your sup
per-" screamed one of the girls from
the dooryard. She dropped her hands
and dashed brightly toward the house
After supper the merry pickers We're
all in the barn together. The rival low
erS were looking their best. A glowing
color, brighter ribbon or two, more
carefully adjusted ringlet in her fore
head, were all the change in the ap-
pearance Of Esther. No dancing to-
night, the fiddler was gone. Only games
and fOrfeits were played.
AS the time ran on three hearts were
beating hard. Three organs Of hear
ing were strained to catch one sound,
the whippoorwiil. At last it was heard.
1t was in the lu1 of a game, when
Jump for partners and the old maid
stands in the middle!" had just been
called by the leader. The young men
each sat with empty seat beside
him; Ivory and AnSel were nearest each
OLnST. 4nG girls dlt SPIdu6 EdCAA ~
her coveted place. Esther turned to the
empty one between her two lovers, both
I of them watching her with bated
breath. Tt was on IVory's right hand.
therefore the seat was his. Esther
laughed an excited little laugh as she
approached to take it. She raised her
dress daintily, balancing herself on
tiptOe with the saucy piquancy of q
canary bird. She was turning to sit
down and CLEAN of joy came over
Ivory's face.
est to an acknowledged rival that
Esther had ever known, made rush
! for AnsePs side. Esther saw it. What
was it that arrested her first, her best,
her truest impulse2 That swept it
away; that turned her like a flash to
intercept the girl, to spring into the
place with both hands on Ansel's arm
and look up at him with mischievous
triumph in her eyes? She could not
have told herself 1t was her inborn
spirit of Willful cOquetry.
AnseI caught both her hands in his
own tremulous ones, and when, a mo-
ment later, she saw Ivory go out
| through the great barn door into the,
night, without looking back she thought
| with a sudden terror of the heart, 1T
| is forever"
The whippoorwilI called long from
| the wood that night.
Ivory Sadler went out into the world.
Years after there came driving
| through that section Of country a car
riage and pair
/ oh, here is a hop field, with men
| and women picking hops What a pic
| turesqUe scene. DO let US stop a mo-
ment."
| 1t was the voice of a woman that
| spoke. She was a beautiful woman and
| she sat beside a dark, handsome man
| in the carriage He drew rein and they
| both scanned the scene.
! Why, some of those girls are posi-
| lively pretty" the lady continued
| Look at that one with the bronze
! hair. Such a white neck, tooi"
| Hush, dear, she may hear YOU
! The girl was picking nearest the
| The man was regarding her with some
| thing stirring at his heart. How like
| she was to another, a long ago Esther,
| who coquetted herself out of his life.
A woman came up to empty her
| apron into the bin A cotton handker-
| meath it could be seen hair that was a
! faded bronze. Her hands were the
| hands of toll. The girl spoke calling
| her mother. The woman paused, look
| carriage. What was it that suddenly
| blanched her lips, that hurried her
| back into the shelter of the vines ?
| What was it that grated with double
| harshness when a mans voice said
| from the other end of the Setting.
| There you be, Esther Jane strippin'
| leaves an stems an sticks an all to-
| gether. Dave, don't you never get mar
ried unless you can get a woman that
can take hold an work better than my
woman does.''
This was Ansel WhitIow's common
complaint. Why did it CRATE more
harshly today?
1t was memory-memory turned to
bitterness. The carriage and pair
! drove on. But the horses walked for
a mile, while Ivory Sadler held the
slackened reins, looking over the hills
and musing.