The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-03
The EVENING STORY
Her Beautiful Rival.
(By Lucy Medford.)

@>N>~-@~A-<A4
! (By Lucy Medford.)
You got awfulIy sunburned today
Jim," said Jim Lancaster's nice little
wife as she handed him his cup.
| guess I have. My hat blew of
just before quitting time, and
| wouldn't come down from the rock.
for it" He leaned back in his chair
/ Mrs. Holman has company" he
announced
Has she? who?" Nan looked
/ you can't guess" He was teas.
ing her.
mo. can't I'm not good al
guessing. Tell me, dor
We'll. it's AIRS. Abner Mcclure"
Nan sank back in her chair
You mean Molly Stewart ?'' she
asked.
Jim nodded.
When did she come ?" Her voice
had changed.
This morning. She brought q
trunk. so 1 Judge she is going to stay
quite a SPELL
| Nan caught her breath and looked
! at her husband, eating his supper
| and apparently all unconscious of the
strife which he had suddenly renewed
in her heart. Long ago, very lone
| ago, in the days when she had only
| loved Jim and never expected to be
his wife. Molly Stewart had been his
| sweetheart
| She was a rare beauty, one of those
| to whom nature has given and given
until it seems she can add not one
| thing more. And she had ways. Nc
other girl could charm as she could
| or dance or sing or laugh.
She had never known what came
| between him and Molly. He said he
| had not asked Molly to marry him
| and she had limited that he had and
| W0uJd nf n
l. Nan remembered the first time he
| walked home with her from church
and how the people stared. She was
not pretty. like Molly. and she had
not Molly's good clothes or Molly's
way of wearing them. She was just
a sweet. dainty-looking girl. with a
heart capable of love and happiness
Jim had always been her ideal. hel
hero. When he turned from Molly
| Stewart to her she could not under
/ stand it.
| Molly had married Abner Mcclure
soon afterward and had gone away
with him. She had now been away
seven years and still people remem.
bered and spoke of her young beauty
| which had reached it's transcendent
! point on her wedding day. Now OF
| a sudden she had come back The
news oppressed Nan; she did not know
why.
4
| the evening.
i mo; is he?" Nan returned in VIVA
| she tried to make careless tone
| Then she rose and went into the mex
room for something.
A little while afterward he said
you needn't put up any luncheon
for me tomorrow. I'm going to ca
at Holman's. There's some timbe,
| there that I promised to look at lon,
ago. and I guess I'll do It tomorrow.
The hot day subdued itself into /;
hot night. Jim slept heavily, but MAI
could not. She lay looking out of tn.
| window at a certain star which strug
| gled YEARLY to free itself from a cob
web of cloud in which it had become
entangled. Varied and very bitter
! were her thoughts
| Molly had come back a widow. Nan
could see her in her black things
with her vivid face and coppery hair
1t was said Abner Mcclure had money
| and Molly always would dress well
| anyway.
Nan had heard of what a beauti-
| full widow may do, and tomorrow Jim
| her jim was going back to Holman s.
straight into the cid net that had en-
meshed him. She cIinched her hands
| in the darkness and prayed.
Toward morning she reIr asleep. AT
Jim aroused her. He had been up
an hour.
ST let you sleep as long as I could. u
he said. Don't fuss over the break
| fast Just make me a cup of coffee
and give me some bread and butter.
| I'm in a hurry today, dear"
| Nan got breakfast. She did not eat
any herself. She kissed Jim passive
ly at the door,
whats the matter? Aren't you
| feeling well this morning, Nan p" he
| asked anxiously.
Nan watched him up the hill. Then
| she lay down on the lounge and had
her cry out. Noon came. She made
some tea and drank it, 1t braced
! almost feverish. 1t came to her that
she would not endure it moment
longer. She would go there, too.
After noon a breeze sprang up
| which relieved the hot day. Nan
dressed carefully in white lawn
band admired. She loosened her hair
about her face and let it drop a lit
tie lower toward the nape of her neck.
She felt that she was girding her
self for battle and she meant to have
no weak spots in her armor. Then
she locked the door, called Shep to
follow her and, raising her umbrella
above her bare head, set forth.
The walk put heart into her. She
| felt ready for anything as she cross
ed the last field before the Holman
| house.
Mrs. Holman greeted her with a
kiss.
why, Nan, how do you do? I'm
| right glad to see you. I suppose you
know Molly Mcclure is here? Jim told
you? Yes. Wen, sit right down in
/ this chair. Wen stay on the veranda.
for it's cooler than in the house" She
stepped to the door. Molly" she
called. She'll be down in minute.
She's most through dressing" she
| said, coming back to Nan. "How nice
you look in that dress! You're one of
| the few women ever knew who could
wear pink and keep their complexion
| in,