The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-06
THE EVENING STORY
Welcoming . wife.
(By Lulu Johnston.)

Little Miss Merrington hurried
from the postof11ce clutching tightly
the precious letter the clerk had just
handed her. She had not needed to
glance at the foreign stamp to tell
that 1t was from Harvey Rial. The
clear. bold handwriting Of the adj
dress had told her that before the
letter had been removed from the box
in which it lay together with the
local paper.
There was flush on the kindly lit
tie face not due to the spring breezes,
but to the hope which had risen in
her heart. Twenty years before she
and Harvey Rial had been engaged
to be married. lovers quarrel and
pride too stubborn to confess fault
had resulted in Rails marriage to
Margaret Bond
Then Miss Warrington had settled
herself uncomplainingly to . life of
sp1nsterhood, rejoicing that her
fathers provisions for her future did
not make it necessary for her to
taking pleasures In the hundred lit
tie acts of kindness which had made
Little Miss Merrington," village
| institution.
All too soon Rial had discovered
his error His new idols feet had
/ turned to clay. Margaret's tongue
was as sharp as her face was fair,
and with stole resignation, Harvey
Rial had settled himself to lifelong
penance for his error.
The thought gave him and Miss
Merrington something in common,
and though neither ever alluded to
the matter, there was a silent bond
of companionshfp that was none the
less sweet because 1t found no ex-
preston in act or word.
Now, then two years had passed
| since Margaret had died, and Rial
had taken his son to Europe in the
hope that travel might benefit his
health. Since then letters had come
by every steamer; not the romantic
| epistles of youth but entertaining
| stories of travel, infused with q ten
| der sentiment that was implied rather
| than expressed. There was always
| the note of longing for home with a
hint that he wished Miss Merrington
| to share home with him.
The last letter had told that Ralph
was well enough to return, and 1t was
probable that the letter she now soft
~ patted in her pocket would name
| his date of sailing.
Miss Merrington hurried into the
| neat front room and with trembling
fingers slit the cover.
1--WE told you all there is to tell
just to say that I am sailing tomor-
row. We are taking a ten-day boat
for the sake of the sea air, and this
letter goes by one of the fiers. And
now for the surprise I promised in
my last. I am bringing home a
bride. May I not ask you to see that
| the old house is opened and made fit
to receive her? We should be in
Fairbanks five days after you receive
this. That should give you plenty Of
housekeeper. I leave all the arrange
ments to you. dear friend, and know
that nothing will be left undone to
make welcome the new Mrs. Rial. ]
will tell you all about 1t when ar
rive"
the familiar handwriting. but the
light died in Miss Merrington's eyes
and the beauty of the spring day
faded.
For an hour or more she sat quietly
In her chair, the letter in her lap I'M
touched. She had felt sure that when
the time came Harvey would speak
the words that would make her the
happfest little woman in all the
world. and now he had married an
. other; some foreign woman, whose
youth and beauty had proved a SUBJ
tie attraction.
She could not altogether blame
him. She was forty. No man would
care to marry woman past her
prime It was but natural that he
should seek some younger woman.
And yet had Miss Merr1ngton faced
the tall pier glass standing between
the front windows, she would have
found reflected there face UNI
marked by lines of care, but lighted
, by the glow of earnest brown eyes.
She had scarcely lost her youth in
the placid, helpful life she led. Her
,, cheeks were still smooth and un-
wrinkled, tinted as softly as the
petals of blush rose. Her hair was
soft and brown with never a hint
! of gray. The sensitive. tender mouth
with It's constant smile was as ap-
pealfng as chfld's. mouth surely
made for kisses.
, ment of the noon dinner brought Miss
Merrfngton back to earth. The letter
she tucked in her pocket, and, as she
ate her simple meal, she planned the
work that must be done to make the
big Rial house habitable and home
like in spite of its two untenanted
|. | years.
Once every week in all that time
she had gone to see that all was well
but now that 1t was to be opened
there was much to be done. In worl
she would find forgetfulness Of hel
disappointment. At least she would
not fail her old friend.
Five days later Rial came. Miss
: Merrington was on the station plat
form to greet him. and many curious
f-pitying glances were turned upor
her as Harvey tenderly assisted dowr
the steps of the chair car the slender
form OF a woman younger even thar
his son. All the town knew Of this
| old love aaffir
Ralph stopped in New York to lool
after business matter" Rial explain
ed, when greetings were over and the
three were comfortably disposed in tbs
solitary village hack. MAZDA was i'm.
patient to see her American home, 81
we pressed on"
1.-THE house looks very well, IL I d.
say it myself said Miss Merringtor
complacently. I'm sure that Mrs. Ria
will like 1t here
impulsively. 81 was SO afraid that
: should not like it."
MAZDA imagined that we lived on {