The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-06
The EVENING STORY
The Home of a Heart.

grand flourish into Trenton" Eliza
peth set up an airy balancing, though
the prompter had not opened his
touched her hand lightly, saying:
hurry?'' =
You can dance when you like. You
cont have to run awayl And you
Elizabeth pouted.
Sne was always pretty, the prettiest
girl in the neighborhood. Today in
ner crisp blue frock, her eyes spark
mig her cheeks of wild-rose red
she was simply enchanting.
John Lane felt it, without exactly
knowing that he did. He had always
admired her distant1y, always liked
ner IN careless. youthful fashion. But
ne had told himself always, likewise
ms mother, that when it came to
marrying it would be to more than a
pretty face. His wife must be above
the average way. Then, further, she
must nave some money; not for
tune, but dowry that would save
her from the suspicion OF being mer-
cenary. The Lanes were rich. John,
only son and heir, was a plain plod-
ding fellow, with sense of human
values. He. could never, he told him
self, quite believe that a very pretty
and very poor girl would love him
Now behold! Elizabeth. who was
very pretty and very poor, was tang
ling herself in his heartstrings to a
degree that made him uncomfortable.
worse than the poverty was the fact
of a blind child, born of her dead
fathers luckless second marriage.
Compassion had given her the place
OF schoolmistress, as it had likewise
won for her the shelter of the Walk
er home, at nominal cost. Old Miss
ABBY Walker ri O ri o
also she was very narrow. 1t was
from her that Elizabeth had run
away to the barn dance-a reckless
proceeding that might cost her dear.
Partners. Forward and back! Swing
three chanted the prompter.
Elizabeth glowed and thrilled. 1t
was a year since she had danced-in-
stinctfvely her mind flew to last years
partner. Would she ever see him
again? She had met him away from
the neighborhood, upon her one
heavenly but brief vacation. He had
danced with her only, all through the
long afternoon, and at the very last,
waltz since the days of dancing school.
But she had not thought of him as
a. lover while they foated together
of nothing, indeed, save as the COM
ponent of something too exquisite to
last. Afterward-a parting he had
kissed her hand, and looked down
into her eyes. Ever since, she had
been dreaming of the glance-won-
dering if her own eyes had said to
him as plainly: 81 love you, love you,
love youi"
Tranced in memory, she foated
through the first dance, the second,
the third. She was hardly conscious
that John was waving away other
partners. But presently, when he
drew her away and sat down with
he a hicr lad eI, "a
with a start to sense of something
impending-it might be a crisis in her
fate.
Intuition did not deceive. Briefly,
haltingly. yet with a ring of deep feel
ing, John told her of his own awak-
ening, and asked her to be his wife.
For a minute after he ceased speak
ing she could only look at him help
lessly, her wild roses fading to white.
At last she said breathlessly:
Don't, please. Things are-hard
enough already II ann
WHAT" John asked a little I'M
steadily, as she stopped, choking
She locked her fingers hard. 81 am
trying to see straight" she said.
you can't know the temptation.
when one is tired and burdened, to
right"
ST don't see John began, be-
whereby.
she flashed round upon him, all her
struggle gone. "No-and you never
will understand she said almost
saucily. tYou see. you are-both a
temptation and an opportunity To
take you or to leave you-is very up
setting. Either way I am bound to
be sorry. Whatever made you do it,
sir? AS long as I knew there was
no escape I worked without whin-
ing
Therefore it's my duty to say-you
sha'n't keep on working" John said
masterfully. possessing himself Of the
locked hands. She blushed beautiful
ly, but did not draw them away. He
got up saying still more masterfu11y,
"Now I'm going to take you back to
the arbor-but mind, you are not to
dance oftener than every other set.
I don't think, either, I shall let you
dance with any other fellow on the
ground-then everybody will under
stand"
Eyes. sirI" Elizabeth answered her
face the pattern of meekness, but a
wicked twinkle in the bottom Of her
eyes. She tried to look unconscious.
to ject as gaily as ever with the 9TH
ers, but in spite of herself her color
What pity you settled things
right off the reel this way" Charley
Gray said teasingly. sitting down be-
side her. John had left her for a mo-
ment. Charley. his best friend. was
graciously excepted from the rule
against other partners. Lindsay
Holme is coming after dinner on pur-
pose to see you He told me SO only
yesterday-you must have bewitched
him for fair. A hard-headed citizen,
old man Lindsay; but say. he's moon
ing like a calf over a picture he's got
of you
E1izabetf's heart beat madly. Lind
say Ho1me, the partner of her
dreams! She turned imploringly to
Gray, saying: ''Take me away! Quick!
Home! Anywhere. John must not
know"
GRAY looked hard at her-some-
thing in her face compelled obedience.
Soon they were whirling away to the
Walker homestead. but fast as they
went gossip had gone faster. Miss
Abby sat stony faced upon the piazza
with the blind child wrapped and