The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-21
THE EVENING STORY
Dispossessed.
(By Juanita Alvarez )

Icy Juan1ta Alvarez.)
| It was early in the morning-so
early. in fact that the dew stood in
big. opaIescent drops on hedge and
blossom.
Marjorie ran quickly up the short
flight of stone steps. She stood for
| an instant, her breath coming and GO
ing in little jerky fashion. She
thrust cold hand into her bag and
fumbled TREMENDOUSLY for her latch key
A second and her trepidation had
passed; The high paneled door
yielded instantly, swinging noiselessly
back on its. hinges.
Marjorie drew long breath of sat
lsfactlon as she glanced down at the
familiar things at her feet-the rich
old rugs of Oriental pattern, scatter
ed here and there among the high
backed chairs; the masterpieces,
hung suspended from the walls; the
statuary stood just where it had
stood on the night she went away.
With a deep-drawn sigh of relief
Marjorie threw herself into chair.
to rest and collect herself before pro-
ceed1Eg to her own room.
After all, she reflected, it was a
whole lot better to be at home with
ones own people, than to be sticking
it out alone somewhere else; what
ever the temptation or inducement.
She had stuck it out and won; others
had tried the same thing-and lost.
The result was pretty near the same
In any event, she argued, flushed now
with the mere joy of her home-com-
ing.
She wondered vaguely if her par
ents could by any possibility fail to,
forgive the waywardnesS which had
taken her away to do battle, single
handed, in the great world of need
and struggle? The parting had been
very bitter; so bitter that she tried
not to recall it any oftener than she,
was forced to. The surprise-the tri-
umphant results she was bringing
home to them-would they compen-
safe for her disobedience?
During the two months just passed
she had heard little or nothing from
either of them in her continued pas.
sage from place to place. Had she
confided the real motive behind her
desperate ambition things might have
been different, but there are some
sou1-secrets, too dear and too sacred
almost to held in communion with
ones own thoughts.
All at once whole army of clocks
began to strike 6 and innumerable
whistles in every key shrieked a per-.
emptory warning of the hour.
Marjorie started from her. reverie
in alarm and, quietly crossing the
length Of the hallway, moved up the
deep, carved and carpeted staircase.
The door of her sitting room stood
ajar and she entered noise1essly, de-
posting her bag and parcel on the
familiar little spider-legged table that
held the students lamp. Then she
threw herself down into the old-fash-
| toned rocker that stood invitingly
near and began to draw off her
gloves. For the moment rush of
feeling dimmed her eyes so that she
could not see. But in a little while
she pulled herself together and glanc-
ed about critically, noting that Moth
ing, apparently. had been disturbed
Everything was just as she was ac-
customed to have it; every picture
every book.
She bent toward the reading table
with a sudden heart throb. There lay
a fresh supply of the current period
icals, a newspaper or so. q paper knife
she was sure she had never seen be-
| fore and a half-smoked cigar
Poor dear papa" sighed Marjorie
with little tremulous smile, "he will
forgive me after all. He must have
| cared very much to do this. I'm
than I dreamed" She put forth her
| hand In mechanical fashion and
| lifted the paper knife from the table,
| touching it softly with caressing fin
gers 1t was just a common little
affair Of steel and ivory but two in
itials showed roughly on the handle,
as though carved there in some alb
sent moment-"R. L."
| Richard Lassiteri Marjories lips
unconsciously framed, the words. She
looked up. half frightened, and glanc-
| ed about her quickly.
| Almost at the moment the door
| leading into her room was pushed
| open softly from the other side and
! Richard Lassiter himself stood on the
| threshold.
| miss Winthrop"
| Marjorie was on her feetin an in
slant, pale, embarrassed, bewildered,
for once in her life all self-control
had abandoned her. She took an un-
steady step forward, cropping with
one hand before her for support.
| "I'm awfully sorry" began LASH
ter, apologetically, there has In all
| probability been some mistake. I
Marjorie regarded him half-dazed-.
"My father and mother" she broke
in appealingly, sswhat has become of
/ them ~
| "They are perfectly safe and we'll.
I can assure you of that much. AS
| soon as possible-as- is practicable
1 shall send you to them. Your faith
er speculated heavily; he was unfor-
tunate, but he did not lose every
| thing" he went on, answering the un-
| spoken question in her eyes. "a long
expected lift from fortune made me
! Independent, placed me where I am
HERE" ~-t-t
| When he looked down, Marjorie
was crying softly, the tears slipping
| down her cheeks and splashing, un-
| needed on her hands.
| when I learned that the place
was for SALE" proceeded Lassfter af-
ter a silence, 'I wanted more than
anything else in the world to come
here to live. It seemed like-weH
| like being nearer to you, somehow.
You don't mind me saying this, Mar
Miss Winthrop?''
Marjorie's tears had ceased sud
denly. An exquisite tint of carnation
| had crept up slowly under her skin
and the lids closed over her eyes like
pale white globes over blue lights. st
| would rather it were you-than any
one else, here" she replied presently,
| in a low voice.
| Something in her tone, in her man
L NOR than all in the