The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-11
THE EVENING STORY
In Lilac Days.
[By Gertrude Mansfield.

Eth, what's that?" Alan Berresford,
tail, athletic. good looking, swinging at
rafting pace down the city streets,
looking around as an odor-faint, frag-
rant, delicious, assailed his nostrils.
''Lilacs, by Jupiter!"
Lilacs, in truth The street stand at
the corner, brimmed over with them
great, purple, swaying plumes of sweet
ness among their cool. green, smooth
neart-shaped leaves.
'Lilacs, sir?' The swarthy-skinned
young Vender evidently expected lib
eral purchaser.
"Yes-no; wait a minute!" And this
prosperous man of affairs, whose die
tum could shake the Board of Trade
building over on La Sale street to its
foundations, stood looking absently at
the hoWers-lost in retrospectfon.
Lilacs! He saw all at once the quaint
nome IN pretty, peaceful country
town He saw, too, the overgrown old
garden, where the peonies and goose
berries interlaced silken stems and
still-just where the emerald slopes of
the orchard came gently dimpling down
"a secluded green stretch of pathway.
AT either side row of lilac bushes
grew higher than a mans head-a way
of bloom and beauty. of overwhelming
fragrance. Lilac lane they called it.
And when the moon rose and set
shifting shadows about the place,
luminous mosaic of moving leaves and
silvery lights where he and Elsie walk
ed.
'Lilacs. sir?''
Yes-a lot.' Berresford pulled him
self together with a start. All, that all
seemed so long ago! Had he been let
ting himself drift into a sentimental
dream-here, in broad daylight, on one
of the most crowded streets of a great
city? He glanced around half guilt
lily.
Then, with little cynical smile and
shrug of his shoulders, he turned to the
my hotel" He motioned to great
earthen jar full of the beautiful blooms.
He penciled name and number on his
business card and handed it to the man
with a bill.
Then, receiving his change, he walked
on, the scent of the lilacs still seeming
to perfume the surging city street.
"Hello, Berresford!"
But the man addressed apparently
did not hear. In this place of blare
and hustle his thoughts had gone
astray. He was no longer walking
down the street of a western
metropolis.
He was walking with a girl in a
gown of palest rose and green through
the changeful lights and shadows that
f1ickered over Lilac lane.
"Hold on, Alan! What is the mat
ter with you? You'll get run over the
first thing you know! Can't you speak
to an old friend ?'
Berresford swung around. An old
friend! ALI the dreaminess went out
of his eyes. His jaws were set-hard.
Yes, Judas friend! One who could
and did betrayi And that now, just
now, in this crowded city street he
should loom up! He, who had been
responsible for such disillusion, such
sorrow, such loneliness!
Ronald" he cried in scorn. "How
dare you speak to ?"
Amazement was apparent on the
face of the man who had addressed
him. "Alan Berresford. have you
gone clean daft? Why should I not
speak to you? We who sat side by side
in the same school, went swimming in
the same creek, went sweethearting
together"
Berresford controlled himself with
an effort. Men were passing whom
he knew-whose salutations, deferen-
tial and admiring, he mechanically
acknowledged. The. necessity for
self-control was obvious. I'VE must
not attract attention" he said. Let
US walk on"
And walk on in silence they did. 1t
was not until they had gone several
blocks that Berresford could control
himself sufficiently to explain his re-
pudiation of Donald Dever
1T is a queer coincidence" he said,
''that you should have spoken to me
just when I was dreaming of the little
manhood" He had himself so we'll in
hand now that he spoke almost dream
lily.
"Of course, I was thinking most of
the Rivers home where we both used
to visit. You probably know that L
was engaged to Elsie Rivers when that
fortune-which is the cornerstone of
my wealth today-waS left me and L
was obliged to go abroad to claim it."
The other gave a startled glance. mo |
4 never knew that!' he said.
Berresford pressed his lips tightly to- |
gether before he spoke again. TT was
midwinter when 1 left-springtime
when 1 returned. And of course 1 went
at once to our old home town. Elsie
was out, her mother said-somewhere
around the grounds. 1 went Immediate
ly to our old trysting place in Lilac
lane There was the same familiar
walk, all odorous with bloom, and the
moonlight falling in a thousand shift
ing lights and shadows-just as 1 al
ways loved to remember
His voice broke curiously. His COM
panion. a slight, dark man, younger
than he, looked at him with frank
anxiety in his eyes.
"She was there went on BerreSford.
so was a man whose arm encircled
her as they walked. Her head almost
touched his shoulder. Her dropping
face 1 could not see distinctly, but the
whom had called my Elsie. believe"
With a sudden chill change of tone,
that is all I need explain. Dever?'
MOP said Dever quietly. 1t isn't
lutte all VINO was Her eSCOA "AiO
vas the MANI"
A great wrath shook Berresford from !
1ead to feet. He whirled around upon
lis companion white to the lips. Your .
lie cried. ''You-Ronald Dever! saw
zou distinctly. You were the man!'
Dever spoke in level and command
ng voice. Come! Let US walk still a
title farther. Neither you nor l can
lfford to invite public comment.
zone to prove to you that you have 1
been mistaken 6
Startled. but incredulous. Berresford ac-
epted the suggestion /,
tlTn-llk0 another