The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-11
THE CALL TO PRAYER.
rFrom the Record-Heraldl

OF his apartment Until that hour re
hac shared this home with his protner
Robert Now he was leaving in anger
that distorted mis- face. There was
hatred in the heart Of James Grayson
tor this his brother. whom ne had loVeu.
Robert Grayson stood within the room
with an appealing look in his eyes
Don't 20 this way, jim" he SAID;
did not know. 1 never saw II, jim.
may have been blind, but did not
know; / did not even suspect jim, lha+
your feeling for Helen was deep.
never wronged you in my life. and dld
not mean 1t now. Stay. boy can
bear this thing. We have always Deem
brothers in much more IMAM ii-..-.--
"Stay2 7 hate you. Robert Grayson.
You call yourself my brother, and YET
you undermined me in the afTectlons OK
the only woman l ever loved. nat
you, and / will hate you to all eternity
You tricked me: you and the woman.
Ny hope Is that 1 shall never see you
alive again."
Jim" But James Grayson hao
gone.
James and Robert Grayson. brothers
had been companions from their earliest
bOyhOod. The elOer, james, mad siiWIy5
been of a. grave disposition, grave 10
Bternness. The younger, Robert, mad
disposition like the sunshine lie was
easy going a believer in all men and
with q love for his grave brother thSt
Allied all of his big heart. Their father,
William Grayson, had died ana left each
= fortune. 1-=eiI IlDluGT llcy lOol WITCH
James was IA and Robert was 10. The
brothers had grown to manhood and
Sach had fallen in love with Helen
Wright The girl was an orphan living
with superannuated maiden aun'.
Helen taught in a North side pubic
school. The Graysons had met her
through the medium OF business mat
ter which they jointly had transacted
Tor the aunt. James Grayson's love TO-
the girl was like his nature, deep yet
undemonstrative. The girl Anew-wha-
woman doesn't know when a man is II.
love with her-but she gave him no en-
enlargement, though James Graysons
temperament made him think the lack
of demonstration did not mean neCes-
Earily lack Of love He had a certain
confidence in himself that kept him free
from the thought that his love might
not be returned.
Helen Wright held her heart for Rob
ert GraysOn. He wooed her and won
her quickly He was ignorant of his
brothers feeling. and when he came to
tell the brother that Helen was to be his
wife he knew nothing Of the blow that
he was to inflict.
James Grayson had taken Helens
kindness to him as Roberts brother to
mean love. He made himself believe
that the girl had led him on, and that
his brother had undermined her affec-
ton. His nature was one which made
him hold to a fancied wrong as one that
was real, and so he left Robert with
anger in his heart and with something
that was little short of a curse on his
lips
This was y years ago. James Gray
son left Chicago and went to Europe. He
stayed in capital after capital. He knew
that Robert and Helen were married.
After the marriage he had received let
ters from both, gentle, entreating let
ters, but James Ora yson had closed his
heart. He had taken hatred into it, and
had shut the door. Il hate them both"
he said to himself, and hate them I al
ways WILL
still stayed abroad. Letters came from
Robert, but they We're unopened and
unanswered. One dav there reached
James Grayson in London a letter with
the address printed in a childish hand.
He was puzzled and opened it. In print
caught his eye were Dear Uncle Jim"
A look that had been a stranger to
James Graysons face for years WAS
there for a second. Then there came
sternness again, and the little letter was
crumpled and thrown into the fire.
One day James Grayson read an
American newspaper. He looked at the
financial column. It contained news of
the loss in a mining venture of every
penny of the fortune of Robert Grayson.
millionaire, Chicago, coupled with it was
the statement that ROBERT Grayson was
i'll.
What James Grayson's thoughts were
after reading that announcement he
alone knows. He paced his room in the
London hotel for hours. and at the end
of what must have been a struggle with
himself he was the same unforgivlng
man IS before.
A year went by. 1t was now nearly
II years since James Grayson had seen
his brother. Business called the wan
derer to New Orleans. It was an i'm
perative business call. or he would not
nave Oheyed the summons He hated
America. In New Orleans he met a man
whom he had known in Chicago The
man looked upon him as one returned
from the dead, and then biunderinelv
spoke, saying: You know about Bob, of
course. He lost his money. saving only
enough to pay his just debts. Then he
became i'll, and l hear he is dead
James Grayson went his way He
worked at his business affairs all dav
but in his mind and heart and soul were
the words Bob is dead" He went to
his hotel, and from a recess in his trunk
he took a packet of letters, selecting
one. 1t was the last letter his mother
had written to him when he was a
schoolboy. She had written it lust be-
fore her death. James Grayson read:
You are older and stronger than Rob
ert and of a deeper nature Look after
the boy when your mother is not here.
for she cannot stay long"
James Grayson paced his room again.
Inc next morning he left New Orleans
for Chicago He reached the city on
Saturday and went direct to the office
OF man who in the old DAYS was =
friend of the family James Grayso.
was not recognized. He did not make
himself known, but asked abruptly rs
Robert Grayson dead?''
No. came the answer. but