The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-12
THE EVENING STORY
His Iessnn.
(By Robert a. KNOWLES. )


was still and dreamily peaceful, a time
to soothe the human restlessness and
human pain.
But it did not soothe = ne. She had
been sitting there so quietly all even
ing that it seemed to her she must
jump from the chair screaming at the
top of her voice in another minute.
Under the light shawl she wore she
twisted her hands together in an effort
to control herself. Yet she continued
to stare out at the moonlight, as IL to
behold It were the one thing worth
living for.
Rodney was staring out at the moon
light, too, and enjoying it. He liked
the stiffness; he liked being able to
keep silence; he liked to be sitting
If Rodney had loved her. Jane
thought bitterly. he would at least
have held her hand. But he did not
love her; he only liked her because
cause she was the one girl with whom
he could be perfectly natural. If he
wished to be silent with her he was
silent; he did not feel It necessary to
make the effort to talk. Yet Jane felt
sometimes that his dumbness was I'M
endurable. If he only would speak.
Evening after evening he came to sit
with her in the same way.
Jane had always had hope until to-
night. man who could sit beside
girl-a fairly pretty girl, too-on such
a night and not make love to her was
certainly as near being without a heart
as man could be.
Jane gave him up. And in giving
him up, she gave up also many of the
dreams and of her longings, ner youth.
Slowly her eyes filled with tears; show
ly she forced back the tears and swal-
lowed the choking lump in her throat.
But she could not keep back one rack
ing sigh, and Rodney heard 1t. He rose
instantly, reminded of the hour and APP
parently of her.
"I must CO." he said, looking for his
hat.
Jane rose, too, with apparent calm.
He looked forth at the moonlight
again, not at her, wistfully
1T is wonderful he said. "Moon-
light like that always makes me for
get myself. Goodnight, Jane"
"Good-b-bye," Jane answered
strangely, but he seemed not to no.
Her father stood before the lamp
reading a letter as she entered the
house.
He looked up at her over his glasses.
Rodney gomez" he asked.
yes" Jane's tone was tense.
anxiously.
She shook her head with hard lit
tie laughs
Nothing at ALL" she said.
This letter is from your Aunt Jane"
he said. "She wants US to come to see
her. 1t has been nine years since she
was here-the same year your mother
she went to Boston to live. But am
going nowhere going. Jane, what's
to hinder us from going tomorrow"
Tomorrow" Jane gasped. "And to
Boston!" She turned pale with the
suddenness of it all.
By noon next day they had gone,
bag and baggage. And that evening
when Rodney came walking up in the
dows and a locked door. He sat down
upon the steps and waited. How
strange it wasi Jane had not told him
she was going away. He sat there
ed next door, came trundling her baby
past on her way home.
THAT you, Rod % she called in her
sweet Irish voice.
Eyes. Mrs. Clancy. Where are the
folks that belong here?"
why, don't you know? Hush,
Teddy. while mamma talks to the gen
tleman. They've gone to Boston-left
at noon today. I can't tell you how
long they intend to be gone"
To Boston! And without saying
word to him Rodney could not speak.
and after Mrs. Clancy had waited
for him to do so she went on
with her baby, leaving him to figure
it out by himself
Jane did not write to him from Bos-
ton, and he did not write to her, be-
cause he did not know her address.
And he would not ask for il from any
one of the girls to whom he knew she
was writing. But he heard things
about her-how she was going about
with her fashionable aunt, having new
clothes made and enjoying herself gen
orally.
The hot summer dragged on slowly.
Rodney grew thin and looked pale. !
He was working too hard, they said.
"Cut it out. Rod they told him.
cheerfully. you've got money enough.
And are making more. Why do you
want to kill yourself?"
Rodney smiled pathetically and kept
on working.
One day Edna Travers told him that
she had just received James picture |
and she looked dandy" Jane had /
also written to say she had three |
strings to her bow"
After that Rodney literally dropped. |
He began to walk past the house, and, |
as he grew more desperate, to sit upon /
he veranda in the chair where he had /
spent so many silent hours. James lit |
lie chair was beside his, and he liked |
90 to keep his hand upon it. rocking
t gently, while he thought of her.
Sometimes he fell asleep sitting there,
ior it was hot weather and night found /
him tired.
One night in August he came to the |
house late, as usual. 1t was still closed
lark, forbiddfng. But the memory of |
lear associations haunted it. He stole /
Up on the veranda behind the screen
ing vines and sat down, with his hand /
On the arm of James little chair. When /
vas she coming homer And would she \
come home free? It was most I'M
likely. Even though she had been
sweet to him always. it was evident |
hat she had not cared for him But |
Z she had cared for hin-Rodney. the
practical, the unsentinenta1. fell a
leaning. Presently from the day
irean he passed into an actual one Of /
-estless slumber. He dreamed that Jane /
sat in her own chair beside him, in her /
white gown. And waking suddenly,