The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-02
THE EVENING STOR Y
Their wedding Day.
By Temple Bailey.)


pretty dress. All her little-girl life she
had worn the cut-down and pieced-to-
gether garments of Leila and Margaret
Leila and Margaret were the hand
some sisters. Mary was little and thin.
her one beauty a thick braid Of red-gold
hair that she wound about her head
| like coronet.
When she slipped the shining we'd
ding dress over her shoulders and look
little.
why, I'm almost pretty" she said to
her sisters.
Leila and Margaret were dressed in
pink. They were to be her bridesmaids,
and they carried big punches of carna-
lions.
Mary's bouquet was of lilies-of-the-
valley and violets.
Wasn't it nice that Walter remem-
bered?'' she said.
Remembered what?" Margaret asked.
THAT liked violets."
You aren't the first girl Of Walters
that has liked violets." Leila told her.
Mary flushed.
II don't think Walter has had so many
girls that you need to say that, Leila"
she said
Leila's eyes sparkled above the pink
carnations.
"Oh, well, of course you aren't the
first
perhaps not the very first that he
thought he liked" Mary said slowly,
but the first he really wanted to
marry"
walter don't tell everything" Leila
said meaningly.
Mary turned away from the glass.
ct guess they're waiting for u.s." she
said, and they went downstairs tosetner'
Every enc said it was a pretty weo-
ding, but the bride was rather pale
But then Mary never did have mucn
COLOR was the conclusion OF the ylllage
folks who pinned their faith In beauty
to the ROSY milkmaid variety, and had
little admiration for Mary's delicacy and
pallor
Walter spoke of it on the way to
the station.
for me today. Mary he said, and she
trembled a little as he laid his hand
over hers.
They went to the city, reaching
there after dark. In their room at
violets and narcissus sent by one OF
Walters business friends.
1T told him you liked violets," Wal
ter said, as he helped her of with her
Mary, with her hat still on, stood by
the table and looked at the flowers.
suddenly she asked, "Who was the
other girl who liked violets?
''The other girl p"
He was on the opposite side of the
table smiling at her. his boyish race
little tremulous with the thousht Oh
the place and the hour. There was
Leila said there was" she per
sisted, "and you used to send her
violets.''
eyes Leila" she said.
He came around the table and took
her hands. you will not let what
Leila said spoil our wedding day. will
you? %
"she said you hadn't told me every
ought to know
His eyes stopped before. her steady
Leila shouldn't have said any
WHO was the girl?" She laid her
hand on his arm and shook it little.
''Who was the girl, Walter?
He looked down at her, troubled.
at was Leila, he said, hnally' ana
his face was white.
"Oh." Mary gasped. "Oh, walter"
He thought she was going to cry.
She dropped into a chair and sat
there shaking and trembling, but she
walter knelt beside her. 'T didn't
love her as 1 did you, Mary" he
but you loved her. and YOU would
have married her. and she would
have been here if you had had your
way," Mary accused him, there on
yonr wedding day."
He tried to take her hand, but she
drew back and hid her face in the
cushions of the chair. "And Leila is
so much prettier than 1 am she said,
between quick breaths.
In another moment she was sobbing
wildly. You ought to have told me"
Hush" he said, with his hands on
her shoulders. Hush and there
was a mans masterfulness in his
tone.
hands so that she could not put them
over her face. Look at me-
ct ought not to have told you" he
said, as she. still sobbing, lifted her
heavy lids and met his glance. you
are wrong. I ought not to have told
YOU. No one should have told you. 1
ought not to tell you now-no man |
has a right to talk of these things
but Leila has brought it on herself. l |
was nice to her, and I thought loved |
her. and I told her so, and at last we
were engaged
"Oh." Mary said, and drew away.
But he held her firmly.
"And ] did send her violets. but |
after a while I began to send her
roses, big scentless ones. and she
asked me why. but I did not like to
tell her that it was because she re-
minded rne of them: that I had not
found any sweetness or fragrance in
her and that dreaded the day when
I must take her to my heart--and
then oh Mary-you came" He
nausea and went on, with a break in
his voice 1.-THE first time I saw you
after you came home from teaching
in the country I knew you were the
girl had been looking for all my life.
And one day 1 told Leila I don't
suppose it was the thing that a man
would do in a story book or in a play.
They always marry the wrong ones,
YOU know But I felt that marriage
r-{tJ at |
ella as for me-and I knew by that
time that she did not really care for
me
Leila hadn't let anv one know of