The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-15
TIE EVENING STORY
Our Companion ouarreIers.


we were enjoying our HONEYMOON at
tne mountains. The air had in it the
sAllliaration OF champagne, with this /
ellerence-the effect was lasting. The |
1o4lage was young and of a tender hue |
Inc streams gave sound to the laughter |
IN our hearts.
Inc evening of our arrival we walked |
eIoond the side of a mountain and /
Iound coy spot under a rock where !
mere was a rustic bench, the position |
uahked oy neighboring peaks rejecting |
the last rays of the setting sun Far
DSneatn Was the plain with what look
60 ike gentle fluctuations, though some
OF them were high hills, patches of
farms and woods, and the river, a more
LNIedos running across the panorama
from north to south. We sat on the
Dench and were wrapped in each other
ana the view, speaking but seldom, for
lhere was no need for speech. We felt.
ana with US to feel was enough True,
there were soft whisperings, but they
were not essential to the intermingling
currents of happiness.
One morning during our stay I
a"oke with a headache. I did notstell
herbert of it, but dressed silently
comblng my hair before the mirror
without our usual chat. I should have
SAID that 1 didn't feel well, but Her
| bert should have noticed it and said
something soothing. Instead he said
nothing, and, when dressed, we went
| down sullenly to breakfast. There
was nothing on the menu that want
ed. Herbert tried to decide for me
and spoke to him sharply. He turn
| ed to his paper and didn't make an
other remark during the meal. Usual
| ly sat with him on the piazza while
the drawing room. When we met we
were both silent and sullen. Then be-
gan elimination and recriminatiOn.
Come" said Herbert, these people
have been watching our quarrel. We
must keep out of their way. Let US
go somewhere"
What matter? We shall probably
quarrel all our lives and must get
| used to being seen quarreling."
That depends upon you If you
continue to-
Don't you see,' I interrupted, that
| young fellow looking at you. He
| knows by your expression that you
are angry. He may have a sweet
heart
perhaps our case may induce him
to keep his neck out of a halter. How
ever, we must get away. Let US go
around the mountain to the rustic seat
! beneath the rock. ThereN be no one
there at this time of day.
We strolled away, followed by the
| glances of all on the piazza. A few
days before they had noticed our dem
onstrative happiness; now they com
mented on our i'll concealed misery. We
said nothing till we had passed out Of
hearing and then only gave vent to our
mutual spite by a single thrust of mine,
! followed by one from Herbert, after
which we held our tongues till we
reached the rock. There we seated our
selves and continued our quarrel. Feel
ing safe from being overheard, our voices
were gradually raised higher and high
er. We forgot where we were, what we
had come to the mountains for-all but
to repay cruel words with words more
cruel.
''Harkg' said Herbert suddenly.
ceased To speak. and we both lis
tened.
There's a woman over yonder. She's
fighting some onei' said Herbert.
Il don't care if there is I replied,
and I finished, or tried to finish, what
I was saying when Herbert interrupted
me with the angriest words he had yet
spoken. When he had finished he saw
me listening-not to him. but for some
thing distant
What is it?" he asked.
There's a man with that woman.
just heard him talking to her in the
cruelest language"
we both listened. but heard nothing
mora Then we began again, this time
both talking at once; Suddenly stop
ped then Herbert. both listening.
THAT mans a brute said Herbert.
THAT Woman'S a vtrago.
What fOolsF
Disgusting.
The man S the n1edueI OA the tWc,
mo worse than the woman. I never
heard such words and such a tone
from one of my sex before. The worst
of it is she said just what said to
"And heard the man say some
thing I said to you. Sweetheart let
- His iis'il arm : was around me, and he
drew me to him with d sob. While +
we'll, I only Wept.
LET us resolve said Herbert, that
hereafter when we speak an angry
word we will think of those horrld
When we had recovered our com
posture we walked back to the hotel,
our former happiness also partly re-
stored.
lard.
VERY pleasant. We've been to the
rock around the mountain"
ooh. the talking rockl There's the
finest echo there of any in America
looked at Herbert, and Herbert
looked at me We went into the house
and UP to our room. There claimed
to have been the cause of our trouble,
Herbert made similar self accusation,
and we both thanked heaven TOT nav
ing set US right by a simple echo
It is years since the talking rock
sent back our words to US, such words
as we have never spoken since Many
a time an angry speech has risen TO
our lips. but the remembrance OF what
we were when our voices were given
hack to us by an echo has always
stoned it before uttered. In time
Herbert came to use no other reply to
a hasty word from me than
''Talking rock