The Topeka state journal., 1905-04-24
THE EVENING STORY.
a Rd9lIe Solved.

= ESE4A4AAE sS4A*(@As
Leonard Holt and Agnes SeaFle. two
hardworking young people, were oesir-
Gus of being married, but having neth-
ing except what they earned from udy
10 day Agnes, who was 1a1seelng 5iIi'
would not consent until they had ac-
cumulated enough for 3 start. One day.
however, she surprised her lover by
telling him she had concluded to 90 as
he Wished and work OUT the 0ropzeIh
together instead OF separately, and they
were married.
The ceremony had been performed at
her mothers where they proposed TO
remain temporarily, and the couple
went upstairs to their room. Agnes had
a happy look on her face, which she
strove in vain to hide. The cause was
soon explained Going to a cupboard,
she took out a woolen stocking, bulg-
ing with something heavy in the foot,
and swung it before her husband 5 Iace
triumphantly.
What is it?'' asked Leonard.
"a windfan'' Turning the stocking
upside down. she poured its contents
stared at them, while Agnes put her
arms about his neck and gave him a
where did they come from?''
"Agnesi'' called a auerulous voice
poor mother" said the girl. her ex-
pressive face turning from delight TO
sympathy. She is much depressed at
losing me. I must go down and COM
fort her Meanwhile you may count
our treasure. Coming. mother!' And
she ran downstairs
When the young bride returned to
her room the money WAS lying on the
table just as she had left ii. but her
husband was nowhere to be seen.
Leonard" she called. Leonard,
dear! Where are you ?"
There was no reply, and, thinking
he was playfully hiding from her. she
searched for him. but her husband
was not to be found. There was g
back staircase, by which he might
have descended. and she went down,
opened a door at its foot and called.
There was no answer.
Agnes spent the night in an agony
Of dread. She thought she could not
endure another such night, but she
did, any many more, for her husband
did not return to her Slowly she be-
came more hardened to her sorrow,
but when four years had passed she
had become no. more reconc1Ied TO IL
than the night her husband had for
saken her. Meanwhile the money she
had so joyfully turned over to him
had all been used in buying comforts
for her mother.
mail an envelope postuarked at a
mining town on the Pacific coast. In
it was a Gel tfieate OF deposit in bank
payable to her order for $1,000. Ac-
companying this was a bit Of faded
yellow paper on which was written
in mans handwriting, though un-
known to her:
Dearest Agnes-Replying to your
last letter saying that you are willing
to accept a stated sum, consentlng at
the same time to my expected mar
rage. 7 send it to you with this After
the honeymoon 10 I hope in meas
ure to resume my relations with you
Your loving
In vain did Agnes puzzle over these
two singular Enclosures She could
fathoFn neither. The money she would
not use: the note she would have con-
sidered an insult had she not believed
it was intended for some one else Sne
/ finally determined to send both pack
through the bank on which the certltl-
cate was drawn. She wrote a noEe can
ing the cashiers attention to the mis-
take asking him to forward 1t TO the
Exactly u days from the day she
mailed her note with its incloSure tneIe
was a knock at the door, and, opening
it. there stood her husband She zen /
in a swoon, and he caught her IN his
arms.
When she revived she was lying on
sofa. while Leonard bent over har-
@0h. sweetheart he said, I fear
have done you a great wrong
Why did you leave me?" she moan
ed. throwing her arms ABOUT ms ilecA
as If fearful to lose him again.
Then he told her that when sae hao
gone down to her mother he had shak-
en- the stocking to make sure that noth-
ing more remained in it. and the note
she had received by mail had failen
out. Taking it as evidence OF her guile,
he had fed resolved never to see nef
again He had gone west and made
money. Wishing that she. notwltn-
standing her sin, should share IN MS /
good fortune, he had sent her the 81
600 and to explain the cause or his nav
ing left her had inclosed' the more. @ Llsa s,so
reply had come to him through the
bank where he had deposited the mon
Then Agnes saw through the riddle
and gave him the solution me money /
she had given her husband had come
to her as a legacy from an aunt for
whom she had been named. she had
heard strange stories about TINS aunt
in her youth that We're now con
ffr1ned by the letter, which had eVa-
dently been kept with the money In
-Four years of misery said Leon |
ard nournfully, that might nave
been years of happiness gone out OF
our lives through my blundering
stupidity
s.But,' said the practical woman.
latter all, Providence may have turned
my aunt's sin into a benefit Tor US. I
Your going away under a nassunder-
standing has enabled you to c0ncen- |
trate your efforts in a better field than
here and untrammeled by the cares OF
family
The honeymoon which had been ir- |
terrupted four years before at its be-
ginning was begun again. to last this |
time through their lives. The husband /
considered himself indebted TO his |
wife for a great reparaHon and with !
this in view made a vow that his bear /
ing toward his wife should never be /
different from the first day OF their
union. He kept his vow.
MORRIS WINNIE