The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-16
THE EVENING STORY
A Wedding Present.
(By Martha NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

=
wont! Not now, never, nor the next
day! So there!" Adela cried, her fin
gers tight in her ears, and stamping
her foot hard.
That's a pity! Such a pity!" Billy
Bruce murmured with his most en-
gaging smile. "a pity you say it,
mean Because know, and you
know .o perfectly. that you will"
tie old scrap of a fortune" Adela re-
torted, sticking out her chin. Billy
laughed softly-hardly more than a
much-the fortune and IT, he said.
Still-there's rather more to us
than you can get any other way
oh. you think SO! Your modesty
yet" Adela. broke in with a wicked
toss of the head. Billy made her his
best bow, saying half plaintively:
You didn't notice held up my fing-
ing-from Rob Torrens-he talked
you over down at the hotel"
Il don't believe it How dared you
let him What did he say?" Adela
in either cheek.
HE didn't say much-after got
to him. Benny briggs was with him
they were going on at great rate,
until came. No, he spoke no harm
of-anybody. Indeed he was more
sensible than one might reasonably
expect Billy continued.
Unless you tell me. shall go
straight and ask him-ask him If he
said anything at all about me-" Adela
cried, her lip curling family. Billy
stood thought straighter. "You can't
do that-he's leaving on the evening
train-it's due-just about" he said.
II don't think you can mean to imply
it would make you love me. Torrens
said this-as nearly as can recall his
words: 1T is good thing the little
Ware girl has her future all settled
enough to make history-lots of it, if
she had a free rein. And really Billy
Bruce, plus fifty thousand, ought to
console her fairly for losing me-"
demanded, sparks at the bottom of
her eyes. Billy's mouth set into a
grimmish smile. ''It didn't seem to
me a time for talking" he said; SCI
said nothing-but Mr.. Torrens got off
the piazza-and thought he was go
ing to get off the earth about two sec
onds later-while I explained to the
rest that I felt myself insulted by the
color of his politics.
rs. that why he's going away?"
Adela asked in a faint small voice. Billy
nodded. 81 reckon So" he said; maybe
he'll write and give you another reason.
I think he had engaged to call on you
tonight"
and, for a minute, cried stormily. Billy
watched her with something big and
hard in his throat. Suddenly she flung
down her hands. and faced him, teary
and woe-begone. She was badly spoil
ed, impatient withal. and selfish with
the Self1shneSs of Is.
by all the rules of the game ought
to give in to you at once" she said,
swapping out the words. But I won
do it. Go away! I hate you-almost as
much as I hate that'-stopping and
choking-"I don't want to see you-ever
again-not unless my mind changes. I
"Ail right. I'll vanish Billy said
ha1f-wistfully. But, Dell, have you
thought of this? If you NOPE at home,
seeing nobody at all, the town will have
rens. Now 1 think Of it. my going will
help a lot-you can reasonably be sup
posed to be grieving after me"
"Oh, you'll kill me!'' Adela moaned.
"But where are you going? Not that it
matters-ff only you stay away!
II shall stay couple of years. It'll
take about that time for leisurely globe
trotting." Billy said crafty. I've all
along had it in mind. though didn't
mention it. 1 hoped so much We could
go together"
Adeia stared at him. forgetting in her
to cry. "Of all things!" she
CALCULATED. why, Billyi never
thought you'd care to go a hundred
ways so careful about money-not that
you were mean-but you didn't"
MAKE a splash" Billy supplemented
as she stopped for word: NO; that
mighty bad taste. But I shall be able
to afford a lot of things now. You see,
1 began to let the rents of my farm
accumulate as soon as granddad's will
was read, giving us to each other. Mon
ey grows lot when you leave 1t for ten
years and put more to it every little
while. / kept my mouth shut about 1t,
but many a time I've told myself: This
is to give Dell the wedding present she'll
like best in the world"
''Why didn't you tell me" Adela
said fretfully. Billy smiled, but drew
long breath.
charm he said. 'I wanted to sur
prise you-and I didn't want to bride
you into taking me. I shouldn't be
telling you even now, if you hadn't
made me see there is no chance of our
ever coming together"
"Then why don't you go away?'
Adela said, more than ever fretful.
She was on the verge of fresh tears
him see. If life had depended on it.
she would not have admitted, even to
herself, that they were more for the
hurt of her pride involved in his going
without her than for the crushing out
of what but yesterday she had fancleo
was her one true love.
Torrens had awakened it-Torrens
with his gay elegance, his careless
easy assumption of authority, so un-
like Billy's respectful alienation. |
Billy was the inevitable, the COM |
monplace-therefore she had resented |
him, even more than she had re- |
scented the family disposition of her
hand.
Torrens had fascinated her from the |
had felt 1t would be so |
finely romantic to fling away a lover
he had asked her to do ft-a hundred /
times at least-as plainly as anything |
could be asked without words.
And now he had gone-at Billys
bidding-gOne without a word to her