The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-10
THE EVENING STORY
The Hearts Far Can.
Ry Elvira Mendham.)


The road stretched white and endless
| over the hills and far away The siren
OF an automobile came clearly, pene-
| tratingly across the fields and hills and
soon the machine itself dashed across
the restful landscape
DO drive slower, dear. I'm so afraid
we'll run away from all this and never
be able to find it again" The girl look
ed out over the landscape in rapture.
The man with his hands on the wheel
of the automobile laughed gladly as he
slowed up.
I'm SO glad you like it, dear. OIL
course. it is all new to you. If you will
only learn to love it as I do! Eight
miles more and we're at the ranch
sweetheart. Tell me-are you sure
perfectly sure. that you will never re-
| greet coming so far away-that you
won't wish you hadn't married me?"
and for one little moment a look of
doubt and fear crossed his fine wealth
er-bronzed face.
Dave Clark had been born and bred
IN the western Dakota hills on his
fathers ranch until he reached the age
when his education demanded his GO
| j college.
He returned fitted by training for a
CIVIL engineer, but by nature and de-
sire for the life on the ranch that his
dather mad loved before him. He went
along contentedly and successfully and
| had reached the age of thirty when il
| occurred to him with overwhelming
conviction that there was something
or monotony as he was living. IF
| were only married" he said to himself,
| out MS heart had refused to respond to
any Of the wiles of the nearby maidens.
he wondered in a mild way Just why
| he had never thought of it before and
that night took the train for the east.
l
| lave, you OLD miser, why didn't you
| come before?" cried Bob Merrill as he
all but wrung Dawes hand off when
| the latter walked into his office well.
l can't figure out myself why didn't
| laughed Dave.
That night Dave sat next to Rob.s
sister at dinner She wore a blue
gown that matched her eyes and Dave
Ielt sensations that he had never ex-
perienced on the ranch.
| Just can't believe you're Dave
| SlarK' she said banteringly. her ewes
| merry ana sweet. II just know YOU by
heart-how you won the last football
game you played at college by the most
record breaking run. and how nobody
could md you after to congratulate
youroh, I've just known you for ages
Inat evening was the happiest
pave had ever known, and he felt as
| life. OIL ms
Soon after that he made a second
I second
time when he returned to the ranch it
was with a wild happiness surgine in
his heart that turned earth into
paradise, for Bob's sister came with
him as his wife.
Rosemary was delighted and he
wildered with the novelty of the hills
and far-stretched ranches and the
great rowing herds of cattle and the
absolutely different routine of life.
For the hrst six months Dave tasted
the cup of happiness to the full,
Then a little disconnected look grew
In Rosemary's eye and dimmed their
happiness.
Born and bred in the city, to the
clty's tastes and ways. the life on the
western ranch became to Rosemary a
| Wearisome ordeal. Dawes ewes caught
the shadow in his wife's and though
no word was spoken, each was aware
of the cloud
Suppose we take a little trip. Rose
mary Dave suggested one evening
when they had been married scarcely
year. Rosemary threw down the
pen she was writing with and her
face lit UP. Back homer" she sug-
gested trembling. Back home" re-
piled Dave. and a sore hurt came into
his heart at his young wife's -gladness.
, I'll have to go back Tomorrow
! he announced one evening when they
had been in the city about three
weeks. His heart contracted with a
hot anguish at the look of absolute
despair that came into his wife's
face.
81 think I'll leave Rosemary with
you for awhile >" he continued with a
pretty dull as a steady diet and Rose
mary might just as well stay on a lit
l tie longer"
A look of glad relief came into
Rosemary's eyes, to be chased away by
one of uncertainty and something
akin to fear.
Dave babe his wife goodby cheer
. fully and took the train with pain al
! his heart that almost stif1ed him. The
emptiness of every room. of every
, nook and corner at home made him
like one demented in his first grief. He
fought 1t all out at last, and under
the stars he faced the heart tragedy OF
! his life.
: and full of her life, and he answered
as regularly, with no hint of his rea
feelings.
At the end of the year came great
decision. He would sell the ranch
The little note of pathos in her letters
/, toward the end of their year apart
touched him and caused a new hope in
: his heart.
5 "rd never ask her to come bacl
here" he told himself. In every lettei
5 couldn't he get away-had he forgotten
5 her-she was tired Of waiting.
} Yes, I must go to her." he acknowl
l edged to himself one cool autumn nigh
as he sat before the fire.
Outside the leaves were fast fallint
t in the dusk and the baroness of lat
= fan threw a somber sadness over tn
= plains and hills.
Another year would XIII me, n
!, said, YEARLY, looking around the room
S "God. how 1 have missed her-my littl
wife" He threw out his arms in long
ling. She had always run to him IL
e those first days and climbed UP on hi
- knees. cuddling her brown head int
his neck.
8 Then came the old rancorous taun
n she hadn't loved him. she had wear
l. rnf hair ma lisza