The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-30
TIE EVENING STORY


lessness. The man with ,,s-re7 7l,,,s-
taches and hashy diamond studs follow
ca ostentatiously. He sat down, much
| - me annoyance of the party directly
behind. after unduIy pompous deIa.v.
Ostentation and pomposity were in Mr..
Max Hershel's line.
Mechanically the girl drew out her
opera glasses from their bag; but she
ola not use them. Instead. with a little
si6A OF content she leaned back against
ner wrap, a gorgeous thing, ermine-
| liheo' belonging to her aunt, which she
nad been coaxed into wearing. The
nghts OF the house were low, and as she
teamed for second, a billowy mass of
ehllfon and lace, against the ermine,
her heavily-lashed eyeIids half closed
and she smiled family.
An! It was so good to be faultlessIy
4 dressed from the top of the head to the
up OF her shoe all at once-just once,
sure OF herself all around Not as Ii
had always been with her down in dear
OLD kentucky-a gown achieved just as
/ her hat was going out Of fashion; a
new wrap, when her evening dresses
were beginning to look a bit worn; boots
little shabby just as she was able to
get fresh gloves and veil. Her eye fell
! on the billoWy blouse of her bodice
/ How all heT life she had loved lace
real, cobwebby laeei And ermine to
nestle against-the lordly feel Of the
/ thingl"
Well, now she was in the way to
/ have it all. This months visit with
her aunt in New York had been
! Tecund in results. Dances and din
ners suppers, theater parties, had
hlled the hurrying days and nights;
/ but still, with her aunt's worldly in
sistence, she had found time to en-
gage herself to the man beside her.
Capital, my dear" her aunt had said
when she heard the news, kissing her
! lightly on the cheek, you see. Alberta,
knew what I was doing when I sent
for you to come up from that poverty
stricken Kentucky-and you had only
to come to conquer! OF course, Mr.
HersheI isn't exactly a paragon of
beauty and he's bit new; but think
of his cool little million, his yacht. his
/ horses, his splendid motor, and all
that sort of thing. Oh, III be proud
Of you yet, my poor little southern
niecei"
"Beastly stupid play" broke in
upon Alberta's reverie- Mr.. HersheI
spoke in a voice a trifie louder than
conventional good form allows.
The girl lifted her eyebrows slight
Iy, and then nodded her head in in
different acquiescence. AS a matter of
fact, she hadn't noticed a single bit
Of business on the boards, nor heard
a single line. Now, however, she
raised her glasses. It gave her right
hand some occupation-it had been
lying perilously close to his, she OBJ
served.
During the second act the man
fdgeted more than ever. Come" he
said finally, don't let's waste any
more time on such tWiddle-tWaddle.
It's weak tommyrot. Wen run up
and order our supper instead"
But a girl. with an ermine cloak
| thrown over the back OF her chair,
was leaning forward, her elbows rest
| ing on her knees, her chin in the cup
Of her two hands Her eyes were
strangely wistful as she watched the
players on the stage.
mo. e" she whispered oddly, without
turning to HersheI, Il like it; let's
stay"
Twas a simple enough little scene
that she watched; a homely enough set
ting, too-a lane hedged with wild roses
and hOneySuckle, at one end of which
stood white cottage, sunny in the
light of early morning. just outside,
by the hollyhock bushes, was ran
fair and strong. looking like a young
god in his splendid strength. He was
catching up a child playfully and hold
ing it high in the air, as is the way
with proud fathers. Then out OF the
cottage, rosy, smiling, came gir!ish
figure with her sleeves rolled UP and
an apron on. to say goodby to her lord
before he went to his days labor The
sire kissed his child and set him down,
patting the curly head. Then he drew
/ the woman to him. Goodbye, and God
bless you, dear, till I come hon.e to-
!
There were actual tears in 1-leerta's
! ewes Honely as was the setting. sim
/ pie as was the scene, it had fetched TO
I her a revelation. Alter all, that was the
( real sum of life, was it not dear God
! love and home and q clear, uEbar-
! tered conscience?
well If you still want to STAY l m
! going out for a whisky and SODA,
! Hershel laughed unctiously, layi1,sF ms
/ heavy hand on hers, as the curtain
/ dropped on the second act You don'I
/ seem up to conversation tonight
/ might as well have taken your aunt
/ o13t-old lady's a corl5er when talk gets
! ecarcei If I'm not back by the time
/ the curtain goes up. don't get fright
1 ened. III be here before the bloonin
AS he was turning out in the aisle,
,,rconsciously even to herself, Alberta s
4 eyes swept him from head 70 too
! shaubing physique, obstruslVe levers
4 ana ali. She shuddered Involuntary.
pressing his ring which she wore rain
/ er sharply into her flesh.
4 Oh-if only the orchestra would play
/ that "Spring Song" of HENDERSON N S.
/ She had been trying SO harq ,e 70 sl, ..s
/ Robert Harvey out from her lite-ana
/ this fetched him so wildly before her!
..But if I live with Idas. then we. two
/ on the low earth shall prosper, hand
Those were the words from Stephen
/ PbiIlips' 'sMarDessa." which Harvey
4 had been wont to set to that music.
/ saving: "They seem to be made Tor
/ Zach other-just like you and I, sweet
/ heart
How ever in the world had she made
/ herself able to give him up2 IT was
( her cursed love Of luxury. she tolq neI-
] ealf and when would luxury profit her
7 v-ffhout him. What a fool she had
beeni But the worst was yet to do
/ tomorrow she was to write the letter
/ which was to stab his dear heart llke
ia and an awfully stunning fellow
regular Gibson type. you know. we
! tried to induce him to join US tonlght'
but, you see he lives in LouisVllle
/ slightly; the people back of her Who
; had been annoyed at Mr.. Hershels IN