The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-25
TIE EVENING STORY
The Edge of Fate.
(By Lucy r. MaIvOln.1

4
| door of the office of the factory. The
man reached out a OBTAINING hand.
Il intend to see you safely home to-
night, whether you are willing or not.
1t is not safe for you to be alone on
the street at night. especially on pay
night
Bob Alexander's firm mouth and
chin became even more resolute and
there was an imperiousness about his
manner, tinged with solicitude, which
few women could have resisted. But
Helen Wardlaw, gentle though she
looked, had a strong will and shook
her head.
THANK you, but I will go alone. L
am not afraid of being molested," she
said quietly.
you positively refuse me the priv
ilege of protecting you from possible
annoyance? You know that Is all l
ask, since you have forbidden me to
hope for more. Surely it is not ask
ing too much to be allowed to walk
by your side through the crowded
streets"
The pain in his voice moved the
woman more than she dared to let
him see. She put out her hands in
impetuously. You are making 1t
very hard for me-
"But I must. I did not intend to
tell you, but it is dangerous tonight
for you. I have noticed a disreputable
looking fellow evidently following you
lately. Now you understand why 1
still insist upon thrusting my com
pany upon you"
Her face turned pale and she gave
a little gasp.
How do you know?" she asked
quickly.
"Oh, I own up. I've followed, too,
at respectful distance-since I'm for
hidden nearer approach"
She grew pale again and leaned
against the door as if needing support
you must never do it again she
happen to you. Oh, it's dangerous
cannot explain-for your own sake,
for my sake, do not follow me any
more, please
In a moment she was gone He
moved rapidly and imperiously through
the crowd until he caught sight of
the girls graceful figure threading
it's way through the throng of Satur-
day shoppers.
IT will follow her just the same"
he muttered. "This one night at least
I will see her safe!'
Robert Alexander, rolling stone but
always favored by fortune, longed for
a chance to try his hard, stonelike
plains and seas. on some assailant OF
Helen Wardlaw's.
"If could just grip that, fellow
who followed her." thought he saw
ageIy, grip him and smash him!"
And his great arms and shoulders
swelled and grew tense.
Then he thought of talk he had
once had at the side of an Australian
campfire with a rover of the world
university graduate like himself
but one cursed with the wanderlust
that would give him no rest.
There are some of US mortals," the
rover had said, "who can find no abid- |
ing place. Something will drive US
on We live forever on the edge of
fate"
"9The edge of fate repeated Robert |
now. If I cannot win that girl, and |
it's clear that I can't, / shall move |
on myself and wander"
His chin was firmly set in a mo-
position won by earnest
work, the certainty of fortune, luxur
les that he loved. But he did not doubt
that he would-no, must-1et these go.
There was no rest for him If this
prize were not his.
1.-THE Edge of Fate!" he, muttered
again, when suddenly he became
aware that the man against whom he
had warned Helen Wardlaw was dog
ging her footsteps.
At that moment she stopped and !
looked back. The man stepped up to
her, and as Bob started wrathfully for
ward a movement in the dense crowd
stopped him. He pressed through as
best he could, but Helen had disap- ,
peared.
Then his progress was again i'm
peded by a throng of people gathered
about q man who had been run over
by a heavy carriage and terribly in
jured.
In the excitement no one but Bob
noticed an envelope which had evil
1ently slipped from the mans grasp.
He picked it up and put it in his 6
pocket, intending to turn it over to the l
proper authorities. A slip of paper {
tell out and with it ten dollar bill.
Opening the paper to see If it con- '
oil To f1n 6nT1 ifxy =
Bob read these words: {
eff you will cease trying to molest
ne I will give you this amount every +
month. This is positively all 1 can do .
The handwriting was that of Helen :
Vardlawi
So agitated that he trembled he de- ,
ermined at once to discover the truth :
tbout the relations between the disso- :
ute, poverty-stricken creature and :
Helen Wardlaw.
There was small chance for his sur
living his injuries, as Alexander learn
ID at the hospital.
Suspecting that the man might say
omething before he died, Alexander
emained and thus was at his bedside
when the man reused, a few moments
md looked at him and whispered:
Tell my wife-te1l HeIen-she will t
orgive me-now that-I-am-dy-
ng" /:
Ine Whisper ceased, Ihere was a
,rief struggle and all was over n
Alexander made arrangements for a
ecent burial before leaving the hos -
'fta1, for there was no doubt in his -
mind that the man had been HeIen's
husband.
He 1onged to hear from her own lips D
he story of her life, which must have q
lad much sadness and misery in it,
nd his heart was full of exultation at n
he thought that she was now free n
rom her bonds, whatever they might
ave been. n
When the girl came into the office fl