The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-04
THE EVENING STORY
His Glorious Fourth.
by Nellie Cravey Gilmore

by Nellie Cravey Gillmore.1
Inc runabout gave vent to a success
SION OF despairing gasps, whined family
ana snd to a faltering standstill.
Aidffch surveyed the darkening sky
Win uneasy eyes, transferring them
tentatively to the unsuspecting pink
profile just above his left shoulder.
Dony glanced up, interrogating his
sudden silence, and encountered a de-
cidedly anxious glance In return
Wen, what is it?" she asked, trying
nard to make her tone sound common
place.
II hate like the mischief to tell you,
Miss Templeton. but as near as I can
ngure, we are about nine miles from
human habltation and the gasoline
| tank He paused dramatically.
''Oh, Jimmy!''
Dolly threw out her hands in a sec
ond of historical abandon; then she
laughed in little way that seemed to
cover up sob.
Il have often walked H." she an
nounced presently in a highly cheerful
voice Notwithstanding that the color
| had deserted her cheeks.
But it is almost o'clock, and I am
afraid
'iOh, it will be quite midnight before
we can make it, I suppose" she broke
| alternative. I really don't see the sense
| OF sitting here, arguing"
| Aldrich smiled and nodded. Fasten-
ing the brake, he sprang to the ground
| SOAAAo 49, ~ NAO ON1ACA SA0Ot AACAH~0
Dolly to alight.
| For an instant they stood in the mid
| die of the road facing each other.
But what is to become of the ma
| chine?" she asked.
| Aldrfch dived into his pocket and
brought forth a notebook and pencil.
'I'll tag it, that's ALL" he laughed,
trusting to the fates that it 1t will not
fall into hands piratical" He scrubbed
a line across one of the blanks and
fastened it to the forward cushion.
| Forty minutes of steady walking
| brought them mile nearer home. With
an unconcealed sigh of WEAKNESS, Dolly
| flung herself down on a PROSTATE log,
| and A1drich slipped into seat beside
her. His face indexed variety of emo
| tions. Hope-that had hitherto buoyed
him above every dtfhculty-shriveled
within him. She would never forgive
this.
| Dolly he began appealingly. "Hea-
ven knows I'd rather have lost my
| right hand than
She Interrupted him with a little i'm
patient gesture.
enough in all reason. but let us not
add tragedy to a situation which is al
| ready melodramatfc in the extreme"
Aldrich subsidized under the snub,
gloomy silence. Some minutes passed.
The darkness yielded gradually to a
| splendor of gold light, flung down
from cloudless sky by thousands OF
misty yellow, innumerable dogwood
blossoms shone solemnly like white
| crosses.
Suddenly Dolly started UP and
walked off down the road again, the
other following gloomily.
Miss Templeton,'' he began after a
silence, "do you know why I asked
you to come out with me this after
noon?'
She did not reply at once. The tone,
more than the words. caused the blood
to scorch her cheeks for an instant.
Why she returned after a little,
ito celebrate our independence, of
course-just as every one else Is 40
ing" She gave him an inscrutable lit
tie glance from the tail of her eye,
"I wanted to ask you a question" ne
announced gravely.
, ssPlease-'' she began, walking
faster. Couldn't we discuss
Don't distress yourself" he inter
: posed bitterly, three times is" he
looked at her resentfully, quite suf-
ficient to show a fellow how many diff
. ferent sorts of a fool he can make of
himself. It is solely in the interest OF
friendship, I wish to speak now"
Dolly frankly admitted to herself
| that friendship was even less interest
ing than the other thing. She bit her
lip she demanded petulantiy
well what is your question:"
1.-The other day." he replied quickly
"I heard that you were going to be
, married, that you were going to marry
poor man a1ter all. Aiso ChoI ~
: had made the statement with your OWL
lips, Is it true?" The last words were
uttered hoarsely, almost as charge.
i Dol1y's white lids f1fckered as she
looked UP into his eyes.
, .'It is quite true" she answered un-
, hesitatingly, the crimson pouring al
: Aldrich stopped short and faced her
compelling her glance to meet his IN a
suddenly masterful manner.
. ''Why?" he demanded passionately.
! Dolly shrank away from him; his We
hemence half frightened her.
Because she said proudly, Il love
t him.
AIdrich was silent for a moment, but
his silence was more tense than words
He came close to her, so close that his
hot breath stirred the hair about hel
temples.
"Once you refused me-" he broke out
savagely, ''twice-three times! And
was a poor man..
Dolly fiared up.
your inference is more than fatter-
ingr she remarked, her eyes swapping
sYour love would have been my
/ | strongest incentive toward success, ht
went on, ignoring her comment alto
6 | gether. "I never intended that yoI
; shouid share a life of poverty. 1 hat
meant to work night and day, day anC
night-to give you everything that othe
| women have"
n warm 1Rnt SpraHS " AoI Eyes DuI eAi'
| said nothing and for several minutes
| they walked on in silence.
II did not refuse you because yol
e were-poor'' she observed presently
g land even had I done so, it would hav'
1 been more for your own sake than mine
e Jimmy. Ones ideas. however, becom'
$ revolutionized sometimes" she added il
a lower tone.
d Suddenly, less than quarter of mil
= away, a thin streak Of light shot sky
- ward; then another and another, till tn
: clouds were lurid with sparks and opal