The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-09
TIE EVENING STORY
GeraId's wife.
(By Izola Forrester.l

Broderick swung off the 4.35 ex-
press walked quickly up the steps
leading from the railroad platform.
and took his first look at PineviIle
Those who lived in Pineville proper
were content to call 1t Pineyille. Ger
aid had written that they did not live
IN Plneville proper but in Pineville- by
the-Sea, otherwise Pineville improper.
All that Frederick saw were pines,
plenty Of them. a fat white ribbon of
roadway, and a bit Of postoface
roughly sllinsled in the midst of the
nearest clump OF pines. He stepped
into the Dostof7ce as the central spot
or civilization Some one was stamp
ing letters behind the glass enclosure,
a girl with dark smooth hair. Beatrice
had smooth dark hair
he watched the girl stamping let
Lers with interest. and wondered why
some one did not tell her to wear her
smooth dark hair in two soft braids
around her head, crown fashion. as
Beatrice did
Where do the vaughans live.
please ?" he asked finally when the
stamping ceased.
vaughan and his Wife, It's brown
mousse down near the shore. with a
VIDE Yeranda. and funny roof. About
a mile straight down the road
Wide veranda. and a funny roof.
mat sounded like Gerald He Won
dered how Gerald's wife liked it
Beatrice was artistic. but not arts
t1cally eccentric. she had a horror Of
things odd, bizarre. so-calIed Be-
nenian- And yet she had married
Ierald. And Gerald's brother knew
mat Gerald was utterly odd, bizarre,
and Bohemian so-calIed
He walked on down the fiat white
rlDbon roadway, and wondered
whether he would find her like the
girls Gerald had always admired A
lithesome, limp, Blessed DamozeI
type, with close silky gowns. and
loose Hoppy hair. Last summer she
mad not been that type. He thought
OF the trim girl figure holding the
[udoer OF the Water Lily that last
day She had been more than the
sort Of a girl to fall in love with. She
mad been a good fellow. a stanch
friend. And as he watched her he
nad stopped rowing. and they had
arlfled slowly in the sunset glow that
hooded the lake while he told her.
There had been no actual engage
ment- He had nothing to reproach
her with. He had not ben in a posi-
ton to ask her to be his wife then.
put he had thought girl like Beatrice
had meant more by a kiss. hand
Gasp, few vague words of under
standing, than other girls. He had
thought she might wait until next
summer. And now. in April he had
returned to New York to learn that
Gerald was in disgrace. had married
on nothing, eloped to Pineville- bv-the-
Sea. North Carolina, and his wife was
Beatrice Stafford.
Gerald's mother had said they were
penniless. Gerald's father had remark
cd tnat he didn't give rap. They
could exist upon love and art.
More or less for Beatrice's sake. and
a little for Gerald's, Gerald's brother
had taken it upon himself to visit the
bridal couple and help Gerald Smoth-
ering his own love, he had made up his
mind that as long as Beatrice had mar
r1ed Vaughan she should not suffer
from it.
There was no bell at the door of the
little brown house with the funny roof
IL was merely a bungalow in Weathered
shingles, and he pounded on the door
Justify before It opened and Beatrice
stood before him.
She was not the Blessed DamozeI
type vet. Her smooth dark hair was
wound about her head in just the same
crown fashion. and she wore a short
dark blue linen skirt and a white shirt
waist The sleeves were rolled to her
elbows. and from her finger tips to eI-
bow dlmples there was flour sprinkled
He had not expected to see her face
to face so soon, nor alone. Neither had
he expected her to act as she did. The
color rose in her cheeks. tipping even
heT ears with pink. It was an old
habit He rememb ered it.
said. = -iN-0''' sii7
You don't give a fellow a very de-
cent welcome after he's Travelled from
London to this wilderness to say con
gratulations."
He stepped into the hall after her.
She hesitated and laughed, looking at
her Toured hands.
4 can't shake hands with you. and
and the biscuits are in the oven. shall
have to watch them. Do you mind com
ing out to the kitchen %
He didn't mind There aD6eared to
be only three rooms. the studio sitting
room. the dining room and the kitchen.
Collapsible ready-in-a- minute studio
diyans were IN the sitting room and
dining room in lieu of bedrooms 1t
was all charmingly. most uncomforta-
bly, odd. bizarre and Bohemian
Where's GeraId?'' he asked. when he
had found a chair in the kitchen.
Beatrice kneIt beside the stock to look
face.
He went to the postoffice for the last
mail. You must have missed him."
We'll. what ever made him come to
this lost corner -
"Oh. because it was the chance az
something definite. you know. Don't
you know" she added quickly, seeing
the puzzled look on his face. We'll, Ger
AIDS chum, Netherby Ames, broke all
to pieces last fall. overwork, and so on,
and he was ordered down here. And he
couldn't afford to come and stay inded-
nitely, so he pulled a few wires and
things happened. He was made post
master here at Pineville. And he got
lonesome and healthy, and worlcful
again month ago. so Gerald's IN his
place, and he's in New York. Don't YOU
see2 1t was really very definite. and
businesslike. and right. under the cir
cumstances"
''Oh. certainly. under the circum-
stances" agreed Broderick. $50 old
Gerry's postmaster instead of artist
Both she corrected He has lots
of time to study. and it's good for him.
the responsibility, mean. You
wouldn't know him.
II suppose not assented Broderick.
uneasily. He tried to reconcile his lit
tie circle Of the universe. to make the
chaotic S47r1I,Ia fa1I int v.1soo 80 49,,