The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-18
TIE EVENING STORY
A March MISTAKE.

quiet, gentle girl, so unassuming that
her dark prettiness was more unno-
ticed than it deserved to be- 1t hadi
been long since John had come to see
her IN the old friendly fashion Of the
time beIore Rose Lisle moved to their
town. The girl gave another touch TO
her smooth hair. Her mother stood
watching her and then remarked:
Mrs. Dent told me today that John
and Rose have been out for over a
month. He has just come home. If a
quarrel with Rose is all that sends him
to you I should think that" Elsie
wheeled inpatiently.
Mother, John and have always
been good friends and / shall not ques-
ton any motive that brings him to see
me. / shall always be the same to
him. You can't expect a man so deeply
in love as he is with Rose to be regu-
lar in his attention to his girl friends
And no one could help loving a beauty |
like Rose. She's good. too"
Elsie greeted John as If she had seen
him yesterday, and soothed his evident
" overweight mood with a gentle, |
half-laughing tact. He was tail and
blonde with fine blue eyes which to-
night were clouded, and his face was a
little careWorn. Sometimes he gave
random answers as If he had not heard
what she said. After a half uneasy
hour of the March twilight he turned to
her in awkward masculine gratitude
for her patience with him.
Elsie, am keeping you in? have
not thought to ask If you were going
anywhere She smiled and beth ought
herself that inaction was not good in
his present mood.
Il was going for a walk and can go
as we'll another time. I was going
quite by myself. You know l am never
afraid"
NO. never knew you to be afraid
from the time we were children at
school until now. / have always liked
you for that. But would you mind let
ting me go with you for the walk?
We used to like pushing the wind to-
gether. Shall we go?'
Elsie put on her cloak and little red
cap and the two young people started
away.
Rose lived not far from them. and as
they passed the house both could not
avoid what they saw. From the broad
front window the light streamed bright
"; the shades were not drawn. Rose
sat at the piano, and over, her in rapt
attention stood Norman Cady. John
almost dragged Elsie past though he
said nothing. He did not know that
he gripped her arm till it hurt, and that
he was walking at a pace that would
have put a less healthy girl than Elsie
utterly out Of breath.
It was raw night with a sharp
wind; the moon was high and cold, and
the sky was streaked with flying
clouds The road was good and they
walked on and on, out of the town
unwilling to disturb her companions
silent mood, and swung gladly beside
him. At length they reached the boat
house and a great pile of rough logs
in a sheltered corner. John stopped
here and proposed resting
Elsie" he said. Il must have tired
you all out. I am selfish brute to
drag you about like thisl I was try
ing to get away from myself by remind
ing myself what stanch friend you
have always been. I had not intended
to tell you my troubles, but / think
must IL you will let me-"
"TeH me about it." she replied in
the matter-of-fa comrades way that
made confidence easy.
"All right. but you must not try to
help memo one can do that. I simply
need the relief of words before I settle
down to forgetting as fast as I can
He hesitated. A man finds it hard
to confide.
rs it about-Rose?" She tried to
make it easier for him.
''Elsie-I loved her almost from the
know it. for I didn't hide my prefer
ence. and when 1 want anything under
the sun il is my way to do my best to
get it I wanted her. Soon I made her
my friend, and then-Well, I thought
she loved me, though we had not spo-
ken of it in words. About month ago
I wrote and asked her to marry me-
I told her-everything man tells the
girl he loves. I asked her to send me
a note in answer, and added that
should interpret her failure to do so as
a refusal, thought I was over-conadent
enough not to dream OF such thing
He looked Off across the river and
drummed his heel against the logs.
Elsie" he went on. she did not
send me a word! Not one word. And
that very night she was heartless
enough to smile and nod and blush at
me at a concert where we were, ana
7 hcr
the same as everl Then the next time
we met she did not even speak.
Are you sure she received it?'
yes: / sent it by my brother, and
he put it into her own hands. He did
not wait for an answer-she could
have sent that any way Well. then
went away a few weeks could not
stand # here. and now that 1 am back
it is worse than ever. I despise my
self for caring, but I hate Norman
Cadv for being near her I thought If
I told you perhaps just putting It into
words would wear off some OF my
anger and help me forget her Elsie.
be good to me, and help me forget
The girl touched his arm with her
you should go to her and have IT
out in words. There may be some
mistake
There is no mistake. She was sim
ply playing with me, Elsie, you were
always my coTnrade-be so now in
time of need" Elsie laughed, but i'll
hurt her a little
Very well. John: come to me when
ever you want to; we will talk and
walk and you shall try to forget. +
will not fail you
March was gone, and April had had
her last day of grace. It was the
evening before May day. Elsie, happy
hearted, was waiting on the porch in
the twilight. John was to come. Now
he nearly always came They we're
going for another walk in the spring
twilight to wander across the green
hills and back along the roadways In
the white moonlight. Elsie thought
only of the moment. but she could not
help a little throb Of gladness that he
50 seldom spoke of Rose. She did not,
as at first. regret the GOODNESS that had