The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-24

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Jane Greet went with her son outside
''She will come round, lad, she will come
round she said.
He shook his head. his face hardening.
| You do not know Margot. If she says
she will not come, she will never come, ="
| he said.
was it all about? You were foolish to
| cross her. You knew her. you say: you
| contrary like this
David turned away, breathing heavily.
There's the weakness of strength and
the weakness of Weakness he said. You
can give in to a woman because you're
stronger. than her, and that's the way 1
went about it with Margot. But she
thought it was the other kind of way, the
weak way, and she's had to learn differ
ent. There are times when a man must
show himself man, if he's to remain
one"
He strobe away and Jane Greet brush
with me-his mother-any wayi folks can't
talk to any great length" she thought,
with d sigh Then she went back to the
stubborn girl who was her sons wife.
Margot was sitting where she had left
What are you going to do?'' asked
Jane; harshness had crept into her
tone.
Il have already told you. 1 shall find
someth hing to do: and L am not going
back" said the younger woman.
find nothing to do. You must stay here
with me-" said Jane Greet II Gamma
have the whole of Keston talkin' about my
And so things went on. Margot worked
for her mother-in-law only; and her pas
would not go back to the man to whom
she had not yet been welded a year.
her with an odd look her withered
face.
She had not mentioned the name of the
girls husband since that dark night. deem
ing it better so; but today she spoke
He is, going away-my son. and your
cruise will take him far, and keep him
long; mayhap it will take him so far and
keep hun so long that he will never re-
away, trying to hide her tears; but the
lads wife spoke never word.
Jane never knew that that night Mar
got went to look at her old home For
a few short moments. she stood in the
little house which had seen her greatest
h, and he. her passionate rebellion
David was out till she heard him begin
to sing. That was old trick of his
to sing in the dark; and on the old lar-
monium he could pick out just the few
notes he needed.
How wei she knew the. song. He sang
it with a little break in his voice; and she
knew who had put that break there:
Love. I am lonely, years are so long,
1 want you only, you and your song;
Dark is life's shore, love, night is so deep;
Leave me no more, love, sing me to sleep
For a moment after the deep voice had
died away she stood there. one hand
with the conflict between pride and pas
Sionate regret.
only to go back to his mothers house.
He was gone long, and Margot grew
pale. and thin but she uttered never a
Girl, you have no heart-you are as
cold as a stone;" old Jane burst out ras-
came that David Greet would never re-
turn to the little fishing village, but lie
instead in the. lonely sea! Still. David's
stood by her window and looked up at
the clear stars with a white face.
II think / must have heart, for 1 can
feel it break she said, when there was
none to hear her.
But the runor was a lie and he came
He has done well and has come back
right, Margot,'' said the old woman. She
comprehending eyes. He could give you
fine clothes now. and the best looking
Then, for the first time, was Margots
calm broken. and she was. moved to
work and left the room.
How was Jane to know that in that mo-
ment her heart was stolen from her. and
she felt in its place but a lump of heavy
gold that tore her breast Wherever she
When she passed David in the street her
fingers shook; but that weight In her bos-
ON pressed, and she remembered his gold,
and passed oni Oh! it was i'll to be with
out a heart and have only a lump of gold
that must always stand between herself
and the man she loved;
He is rich now" said Margot: and she
was careful that she did not meet him
again. She spent much time in planning,
that her ways might not toach his.
In the evenings she sewed still and she
was sewing when Jane Greet came to her
with the news which she thought so i'll.
got she said, Ito keep away from such |
a fool No one but a fool would lose
a man as John Stanton is. David is a |
rich man no more; every penny that he |
brought back PACK with With him is, is frittered away
Margot Greet. that you are not |
my sons wife in anything but name"
old woman but Margot sat on. like one |
stunned.
Then she arose and put away her sew
ing. She did not set it on the little |
table. as she always did. but rolled it up
and with curioqsly impatient gesture
That's finished with said she; yet |
the sewing was not nearly done
.Afterward she put on. her hat and the
head when she ran out she crossed upon
her arm She cast one look around the
where Jane had disappeared Then She
opened the door and went into the street.
I fog; it was but one short year since
Margot Greet had quarreled with her hus-
oand and had gone away
She found her way through the streets
and round the corners just as surely as he
1ad done: but she not unconscious
IF the way she wound. The conscious
ness of that shook her through and
through, and would have shaken her still
more had she but had a heart left with
which to feel
David's pane made a little disk of light.
which greeted her kindly. yet it hurt. for
/ reminded her of the yellow and gold in
1er breast.
But he was singing, this time in the
fOrf and he n
Sing me to sleep and let nae rest. +