The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-24
THE EVENING Story
Her Conquering Faith.
lBy Arabella Nasmytf.y

staring the Anslern girls in the face.
| ~ Was a year after the death of
.heif Iatner and many evasions and
putting of of the fatal day had gone
ior naught They were face to face
with the knowledge that they could
no longer afford to keep up the old
family home, and, moreover, must do
something to add to their infinites-
imal income.
In some way" said Regina. look
| ing up rather YEARLY from her pen-
Gil and paper. "in some way we've
got TO have money! We've got to
| Regina was 20, with rebellious
dark halr and firm chin which al
ways amazed people by the dimple
tney discovered in it. Regina was the
one who always did things in the
family. Nobody had ever taken time
to call her a beauty. SO She had never
quite realized the fact that she came
very close to being one and could de-
vote her leisure to accomplish results.
Of course, with Esther it was diff
| Ierent. From the time her first fluff
or golden hair had made itself man
lfest and her big blue eyes had first
glanced appealingly at humanity it
mad been decided that Esther was a
beauty, and the decision had chung
TO her through life, though at natur-
ity 1t is doubtful if she would have
been thought more than an ordinarily
| good-looking fresh young girl had not
those around her been so educated in
| the other view.
But as beauty. Esther had al
ways been waited on and put for
ward, and even when time went ON
and girlish petulance and fickleness
and caprice degenerated into pettish-
ness and selfish inconsiderateness, no.
body ever expected Esther to do any,
| thing but exist.
| And now she was 30--for in spite
of belledom the men who had wooed
her seriously had been few, and with
her aspirations beneath her consider
alton. AT her sisters fiat Esther
drew her brows together fretfully.
| work. she said. you are ridic-
| ulous! It's all very. we'll for you to
talk, but how could + work What
| could I do? Regime
| She hesitated a little, for there was
| meditatively surveying her as though
she were seen for the first time that
| bid her pause. "Regina-if you
would-it would be easy for you to
| place both of us beyond all money
cares forever. I'm sure"
The voice died away before the
| sparkle of anger in the dark face
across the table. Regina bit her lip
before she spoke in repressed voice.
81 won't pretend to misunderstood
pose offering something else than
yourself! Understand. once for all,
| that I'll never marry DR.. Brightright!
He is selfish, he has a cruel and vim
| dictive nature with all his surface and
polish and he is so years old"
| ALSO he owns the most mag
| nificent country place in the state
| and is millionaire" breathed Es-
| Their, as her sister stopped. Really,
| Regina, for q grown-up person you
are distressingly silly! I'm sure DR..
| Brightrfght is no worse than lots of
men, and think what you'd have!"
Which, you, of course. would
| sharev' said Regina, coldly. Her face
took on an ffnmobile expression as
she looked down at her sister. "Un-
derstand, I'll never marry himi I'll
| find work to dol"
ITS Neal MAXWELL" the older girl
flashed angrily. you'd be glad of
the chance if you weren't eating your
heart out for man who threw you
over and never cared anything for
But Regina had swept from the
room, her head in the air, her hands
clutchiug mechanically the papers
covered with their rows of discour-
aging figures.
She was hurt as only a proud per-
son can be hurt, and the sure know1-
edge deep in her heart that Neal
Maxwell had indeed, beyond all doubt,
cared for her, in spite of the opin-
ion voiced by her sister and shared
as Regina knew Dy nearly all ner aC-
quaintances in the town, did not help
much in bearing the taunt.
It was a year since Neal had gone
abroad as foreign representative for
his firm and eleven months since his
letters had stopped abruptly. without
warning. Her two letters of inquiry
bringing no response, pride had step
ped in and she had made no further
effort to hear from him beyond learn
ing from his firm he was alive and
well.
And when he left they had been
engaged. She could hardly remember
when she and Neal had not intended
to marry one another so many had
been the years of their more than
friendship. In spite of her indigna-
his mysterious neglect, Regina still
chung to the feeling that wherever
he was, whatever had happened, Neal
still must care for her, just as day
must follow night.
And she was of too strong nature
to seek to cover her fitting by ac-
cepting the man who had haunted her
footsteps for the past year, DR..
Brightright, whom she instfnctively
disliked and steadily Stunned. to the
furious evaporation of Esther. This
had not been the first difference they
had had upon the subject.
This night she was tired. very tired
and discouraged. Sympathy, under
standing or help from Esther she felt
she never could expect. The weak
ness. the shallowness that were her
sisters were forcing themselves on
her recognition against her will.
If only Esther had been of diff
ferent mold their situation would
even now be vastly improved. En-
couragement and energy at her ell
bow would have given Regina the
strength of ten. Instead there was
bitterness, complaint and reproach
weighing her down. And beneath it |
all the old longing for Neal. the hurt |
wonder that he could have failed her!
Sunk in her thought, absent-mind- |
eddy making preparation for the |
night. Regina stood. for several min
iltes staring at what she had uncov- |
cred at the bottom Of the long util- |
ity box on her dresser, without COM |
plete realize ton of what the discov- |