The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-16
THE EVENING STORY
Fortune and Burden.
(By Marie sylyestre.)

| (By Marie Sylvestre.)
| By the time she was ready to dress to
tired that she felt she would have pre-
ferred to stay at home and go to bed ear
erly for two days to this dinner at the
Valentines new house.
the time actually had arrived added to
| the sense of grievance against things In
general that had been growing very
| Mary Bowen had been married four
years and she was beginning to think OF
husband was always good and kind, de-
voted to her and the two babies, but ne
Ts she e 80 shs 1eG with the
| She felt annoyed at times at his very
goodness. 1t was positively irritating to
i have any one always so sweet-tempered
more of fighter he would probably get
not have to take ali the care Of the ba-
bies with only general girl to help
| When she spoke sharply to Will he
would look vaguely distressed, or, pat
ting her shoulder, would remark. gently:
Well, she felt tonight she was tired out.
She and her husband were going to dine
ried year before. The Valentines had
gone abroad for a honeymoon that had
baes into whole hSase tas had
and furnished during their absence and
| stood completely ready to receive them.
4
| chine that. had been one of her trousseau
| gowns. she felt bitterly that things were
not very evenly divided in this world.
Her husband came in ana sne treated him
coldiy, feeling resentfuily that ne was
WHen tey to were rer ready they left the lit
| tie house and boarded street car. Mary
felt, this was an added grievance: If she
| could have driven to the Valentines lie
1 would have looked less gloomy.
Mrs. Valentine received her guests in a
| beautiful drawing room, herself attired in
\ a Paris creation that made Marys old
4 gown seem to her own consciousness ter
Dear Mary" murmured Caroline Val
do. VIII? It seems to me you look tired.
Mary. You Know he'd never think of
himself till he dropped
"Marys the tired one,' laughed VIII
rs she? She looks as sweet and fresh
Then, a little nervously, she added: 'Dick
got home late tonight and We will have
to wait for, him few minutes He was
A slight constraint fell upon the three.
who continued to converse, nevertheless,
until at last Dick Valentine appeared.
| Neither Mary nor Will had known him
before he married Caroline. He was very
Mary an a sort ,1u of halo had seemed to hover
over him in her thought OF him as her
He greeted his guests with enthusiastic
apologies and his words had the sound Of
| a torrent. they were poured out so rap
refused to remain fixed on anything. An
unpleasant suspicion formed itself in
friend
Caroline's eyes were fixed on her in a
look of abjsct sntreaty In which merit 1I
Mary understood and with a great effort
replied to her hosts remarks in a natural
! A perfect dinner was served in the per-
fectly appointed dining room, but to Mary
|, had ever passed through. Dick Valen-
tine drank glass after glass of wine and
a MK looks h y With h au wf ezuey
Poor Gardiner she thought There
He did look tired. s as Caroline said There
cheeks looked hollow. A lump came into
her throat.
d He w sna hss x aa his f fais
while she. because she also had to work,
} complained constantly Of her lot; Who
down her burdens? And how good he
i, was to her. how he always tried to please
. AS she took part IN the general talk
! she longed to cry s ont to him: Forgive
, line went back to the drawing room and
left the men to their cigars.
) "Yes. isn't it. But the credit goes to
orators. I think 1 shall feel feel more nor, at
thought since I came Of the way you
picking out everything together, and how
you made your own curtains. Your house
thers isn ns ssnyihing really Of US IN it,
Then Mary asked about the trip. and
had her She the n o
think it's always the way it is tonight;
: all have our burdens to bear"
: Mary said: Lets walk home, The air
soGf little snd %S head saS Wn tender
y. You're tired; But it's true what
Caroline said You ,d loSs as Sweet and
the table tonight and then at Caroline.
and az 1t Thought what lucky fellow was
arm and continued: "And didn't you
fine. of course, but it reminded me of a
high-priced club more than home. But
know and there ots n s things s time
don't get discouraged"
oh Wi don't dent; You are RE killing
, while the tears overlooked and choked
I her.
t band stopped in genuine establishment
= and tried to look at her.
| 1t is just that L want you TO forgive
me. I've been SO hateful and horrid, but
e I do love you more than all the world.
Say you forgive me, Will"
She was sobbing. and VIII took her
( gently in his arms. 81 have nothing to
forgive, dearest"
Mary did not try. to show him all she
felt he had to forgive, but she pressed
her lips to her husbands In mute pledge
4 Then, arm in arm, they walked along the
= silent street toward home.-(Copyrighted
1909, by Associated Literary Press.)
New York Dehumanized.
1.-The population of New York is slowly
: but surely degenerating," declared the
j Rev. James P. Ldchtenberger of the bu-
reau of social research, in his address or
q The Place of Amusement in Maintain.