The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-06
TIE EVENING STORY

(By Sherwood Boyd

eager TO welcome his son. Back in
the crowd were a dozen familiar faces, !
but the one he most anxiOusly sought !
was not to be seen.
where's Margie?" he asked when
all greetings had been exchanged, ana
at last he was free to fall into step
with his father and so up the faInillar
street He tried to speak carelesslys
but his father caught the note OF
anxiety in his tones and sighed.
Il think she did not know you were
coming" he said gently. "She doesnt
come over to the house as she used to
Perhaps the attraction was removed,
he added, with a poor little attempt
at a joke. But it was & jest of the
voice, not the heart, and he wondered
how he might break to this big boy OF
whom he was so proud, the fact that
his little playmate had not only kept
away from them, but that 1t was COM
mon report that she was engaged to
George Colson.
that she might have at least answered
my letters. 1 telegraphed my ADDRESS s
just before we sailed and wrote by
almost every steamer
Marjorie has been away, Dick,
said his father. perhaps she did not
get your letters
Nonsense, she must have had some
of them" declared Dick. There she
is now and before the father could
lay a OBTAINING hand upon MIN arm
Dick Truesdell had dropped his bag
and dashed across tn G narrow street
He paused dumbly as the girl passed
with a most chilling Eod and then
with slow step, retraced his way. me
elder man put out his hand and DICK
grasped it and wrung it with a grip
that meant more than words. It was
the way they had come away from his
mothers grave, hand in hand, only
now it was the old man who led his
son, not the son consoling the father.
l. sr-1 nd
! two went up the street. They had
almost reached the old home before
the father spoke
81 wanted to wait until we got
home, Dick" he said with a touch OF
wist fulness in his tones. Il thought
Marjorie was still away and that I
could tell you better in the house
Marjorie is going about a great deal
| with George COlsOn. She never comes
near me now. / have tried to md
out what the trouble is, but she only
says that I should know as we'll as
She
ut will come out all right" said
the boy with a brave effort at cheer
! fulness. AT any rate. we shan't let it
spoil the homecoming. shall we2' He
| linked his arm affectionately through
his fathers and they turned in at the
familiar gateway ana went up the
gravel walk to the house.
That night as Dick stood before the
mirror in his own little room the motto
his mother had put over the glass
when he had come home from college
caught his eye. It was simply:
81 ,ook before YOU leap one of those
printed texts for framing but now it
| seemed almost like a message from
the dead and he put out the light and
jumped into bed with a drawer heart.
II shan't leap to the conclusion that
I've lost Margie until I've looked into
the thing" he said to himself and the
thought brought sleep to eyes that
might not have closed save for that
promise.
But it was easier to declare than to
execute, and it was almost a week be-
fore Dick saw Marjorie. Letters had
been returned unanswered, and on the
few occasions he had seen her on the
street she had been with friends AT
last. one afternoon, as he was coming
down the street. she fairly ran into
him in the growing dark.
She began to murmur an apology
before she saw who it was, and by
that time Dick had her arm.
Il want to know just what the trou
Bile is he said commandingly. IF you
don't love me, I'll not bother you again,
but If it's something that can be ex-
planned, let's have it over with. Per-
haps there is an excuse.
Your affront was inexcusable," she
said. coldly. I desire no explanation"
Il insist upon one" he said quietly.
but with new note of mastery in his
voice She recognized the tone and
shivered a little.
"Of course" she said. Il can't run
away from you, if you insist upon hold
| ing on to me this way, but
I am glad to see you are convinced
| of that he said softly. 4 am not go
ing to let you run away from me now
or ever. There is some mistake some
where and I'll have the truth
There could be no mistake, she said,
1.-The matter was entirely too clear to
admit of explanation. I don't see why
you should be so anxious to be friends
with me when you have Marie"
/ t''T don't want to be friends with you,
he discfaimed. "I want to be your hus-
band and l don't remember any Marie
/ that figures in this story"
Doubtless you forget your travelling
companion" she retorted.
You mean Marie German he
! laughed. L wonder who told you about
that; besides. she was Benefits friend.
His sister used to go to school with her,
| or something"
VERY Ingenious" sneered Marjorie,
but I fail to see that that explains
anything. The fact that she was an
acquaintance of Mr.. Benefits does not
excuse your going all over Europe with
Nov YOU are wrong" he said
evenly 1--WE didn't go all over Europe
together. We did Switzerland and the
Rhine then they went to the south
for the winter and We went on to Den
mark
no are lIeS anu We SAlS QC-
manded. ct is a little puzzling to
keep track of your conversation"
We Bennett and myself. They
the Germans and the Crofts. We ran
into them in London.
81 am no child to be told tales she
said bitterly. I did hope that there
might be some explanation I could
accept, but you have made 1t inpos-
sible. After that telegram in which
you declare that you are going abroad
with Miss German. your explanation
that you met them in London is an
affront to my intelligence"
ct should like to see that telegram -
he said Its the first I have heard
of it,
II still have it," she said. eff you
think to get out of It by denying send