The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-05

which she found in the garnet. but of
the Oriental bonbons and fruit she
would make a little feast in her room
at midnight, as she dWelt once more
On POrphyrO and his romantic coming
But as the winter wore on and fear
fuI storms ragged her heart would beat
in terror for her loved one out on the
great sea, Then came one never-to-be-
forgotten day in March when she
picked up the paper and read that
Jacks ship had gone down, and that
he was among the missing. The shock
and her frantic grief so Frustrated her
that the aunts were frightened into
sending for the doctor. When he came
she was in her little room softly play
ing on the guitar to herself with burn
ing cheers and eyes which cleaned
with unearthly brightness. Brain fever
set IN at once, and for months Made
leine fingered on the brink of the dark
river. Toward the end of the summer
she got up, a wan little ghost of her
former self, but with her mind still
blank. Her one idea, was to wait for
Hallowe en- and for Jack to come back
TO her. She would sit IN her little
hall room, play the guitar, walk in
the garden and sing to herself, and
every day she would ask, when IS
HallOWe' eng" At first they told her,
mot for a long time yet" but as the
weeks wore away they feared for an
awakening. Mellow autumn came, and
with it the golden rod, the purple
grapes, the red apples ripening on the
trees, the blue haze on the hills and
the golden glory of the Indian sum-
ner sunshine The harvest moon rose
and waned. But still no news or CLEAN
of hope. The ship had truly gone
down, and with it six hundred souls.
Jack Leland had helped to save score
of lives and then had disappeared.
Others had been saved and heard from
weeks afterWard, but no such fOrtu-
nate message found its way to Cedar
Hill.
September came and passed. A
wealth of gold and crimson glorified
the forests, and the pale yellow leaves
of the fading elTns dropped gently on
Madeleine'S head as she walked up and
down the path looking for an athletic
form she had seen so often striding to-
ward her under the same trees. Jacks
sisters, softened by common grief,
came TO see her, but she did not know
them. Her strength came back slow
". but the doctor said that as q great
shock had wrecked her reason, they
could only trust to time to bring it
back or possibly some striking. unusual
occurrence.
One day she opened the chest where
she had stored the things Jack had
sent her from China and Japan. That
afternoon she told her aunts that she
must get to work so that she would be
ready for JACK when he came back.
They thought it best to humOr her, and
bought linen, lace and lawn for her to
work on. She would sit and sew hap
PLY for hours al a time, making dainty
garments and putting them carefully
away in the chest The old ladies
would look in the door at her as she
sat thus and then turn away blinded
by their tears. He will be here on
HallOwe en- " she would say, land I
must get ready How soon will Hal
lOwe'en come? Nobody viii tell me
when it is
One beautiful October day as she
walked under the bare elns in the twi-
light a little boy ran by carrying a big
yellow pumpkin in which the usual
weird face was cut. Something about
it made her turn and look. The boy
held it up for her to see.
what is it?" she asked
For the Halloween party" he said.
as he ran on.
when is it,"
Tonight, of course
Madeleine went hastily into the
house. "Oh, Auntie,'' she exclaimed.
as she met one of them in the hall, lit
is Hallowe' en-, and 1 know it And
Jack viii be here tonight! Oh, Auntie.
he is on the way now. Why didn't
you tell me-"
I wasn't sure he would get here
faltered the poor old lady.
why Auntie, he said he would
come Nothing on earth could keep
him. He's coming back to me, he's
coming back to met It's HallOWe' eniH
After supper they kept her down
stairs as long as they could. occupying
her with the games they had taught
her, talking and doing everything to
divert her mind. So it was nearly mid
night when she was allowed to start for
bed. Then they wanted to go with
her.
"Oh, no, auntie. 1 must go alone.
have to look in the mirror, YOU know,