The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-23
The EVENING STORY
eonie's Favor.
[By Ina Wright Hanson


Against a great rock we sat, Leonie !
Yesterday we had sat there, and the |
day before, and many days before that, |
reading or talking, or looking silently |
at the sea foam piling up against other
rocks out in the blue distance, and ey-
cry day had loved Leonie more.
On this day, had thought to tell her
so, but now that the day had come, my
words were held. Before me stood duty,
grim vfsaged, and cruel-eyed. Beside
me sat Leonie, slim, radiant, entranc-
ing.
Fair lord, whose name I know not
well believe the noblest-will you wear
My favor at this tourney" Nay" said
he,
Fair lady. since never yet have worn
f'avor of any lady in the lists"
Leonie looked up at me, her brown
eyes full Of the glory OF the master
poet.
Shouldn't you like to have lived in
those days?" she asked. Think of re-
ceivlng your lady's favor, and kissing
her hand, and riding away, and-riding
nome again! All, but my part-waiting
at nome while my knight was in dan
ger! That I shouldn't like"
| Maybe when he was about to ride
away, you would have called him back"
ventured. Maybe you would have
said, 1 need you to take care of me.
Let others do the fighting.' Would you,
| LeOnie2"
"One can never tell what one will do
| till the time comes" she answered, and
| would have turned to her book again
| but my hand stayed her.
| Let me tell you a story, Leonie. Once
| there was an orphan boy who was
| adopted by a man, and brought up as
his own son. The boy had been left
money, but the man gave to him other
| md
| ment' and trust. When the boy had
| grown to man, the foster father sent
him out into the world to accomplish
MS hearts desire. Did say that the
boys ambition was to writer"
Il understand, Arthur" she smiled
| w hen the boy was going away, he
tried to tell the man what he felt of
gratitude to him; but the man laid his
klnd oid hand on the boys shoulder,
| and said Never mind that now, but
| sometime when 1 make a request of
you. you will grant it?' And of course
| the boy thought then, and said so that
any request would be small in compari-
1 son with what the man had done for
| him.
| In a few years the young man had
| become reasonably successful. In the
many times he saw his foster father the
| request was not mentioned, bu the boy
had not forgotten Then one day he
| met you, and you know what that
meant to him. You must know,
| LeOQ1e.
81 think I understand, Arthur" she
| whispered, coloring.
Last night the letter came. My fos-
ter father has made known his re-
| quest"
1t was difficult to go on, looking into
| Leonie's eyes, SO full Of trust and hap
piness, and-yes, I could see-so full of
| love.
The request is year out of my life
to be spent with him. A year free Of
all entanglements-as he expresses it
in the matter of love affairs. It means
neither to see nor hear from the wo-
| man 1 love; it means that If I grant
the favor, I may not even tell the wo-
man love her, and ask her to wait till
the year is done. Why couldn't he
have asked any other thing under the
| sun? 1t must be mere whim!" I fin
| ished hotly
Leonie was silent for a time, her eyes
turned away from me- gazing out on
the feathery spray in the blue distance.
I'VE may all be dead in yearp ex-
| claimed wrathfully.
Then Leonfe sighed and turned her
face to me, and laid her slim hand on
my sleeve.
''The future is not ours.' she answer
ed gravely- only today. 1t may be
| whim, but think he has reason; and
you promised to grant his request when
he should ask it. 1 know now what
should do II these were the days of
knighthood."
What, Leonie?" I asked sadly, for
now I knew that I must go.
Il should give my knight his favor,
and send him away; and I should stay
at home, and pray-and-wait."
"Oh, Leonier" whispered. "Leoniev'
She took from the lace at her white
throat a tiny blue and gold swastika,
and pinned it on my coat.
This is instead of the red sleeve
broidered with pearls" she smiled
= y, y, ynf md
shall wear it on your coat instead Of
your helmet. Do you know what it
signifies. brave knight?"
'It brings good luck, and is tails
man to ward off the evil eye" Ianswer-
ed. smiling, too, for had she not called
me brave?
That and more. The colors are 10y
atty and royalty. The up and down
points are heaven and earth; the right
and left behind you and before you
time and eternity. The symbol means
that you are not free from personal re-
sponsibility while you wear it. 1t means
noblesse oblige, dear knight. Ride
forth to your promise; be brave and
strong, and victory will be yours
So kissed my lady's favor, and then
her hand, and rode away.
Aside from my desire for Leonie or
news concerning her my year with
my foster father was a pleasant one.
His library was full of books; his mind
a storehouse of ideas concerning trav-
el, history and romance. He gave me
my mornings for writing, and I wrote
much. glad that out in the world
Leonie was reading and-waiting
The request he had asked might
have been a whim, but he gave Qeav-
ing Leonie out of the question: much
4 more than he could have received. The
year was nearing its close when he
spoke to me of my future.
"You have no idea Of what these
months nave been to me. Arthur" he
said, as we were walking one evening
by the lake in his meadow.
"And they have been much to me.