The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-21

They were about to be married when
one moonlight night at the edge of q
lake the knight asked the lady who
she was.
1.-THE Iady's eyes were ocean blue; her
her brow was lilies fair;
Her lips gave forth the roses hue,
and sunlight was her hair
sang the ditty. But when she opened
her rosy lips and told the knight that
she was a humble peasant maiden he
was so enraged that she should think
of marrying a knight of his degree
that he clapped his hands and sum-
moned a mystic boat. which carried
her over the lake into darkness and
oblivion.
What an awful man to have for
an ancestor thought Celia. 1.-The
story would be good reading, but it's
only legend, I suppose. I just won't
put it in" So without this romantic
addition Celia forwarded the geneaiogy
of the proud house of Macpherson and
waited for summer.
In radiant expectancy Celia went to
the mountains and took all her aunt's
advice and seedlings with laughing
good grace.
Andrew arrived as he had planned,
and the two weeks of his vacation
were even happier than he even dared
hope. Celia welcomed him frankly,
ana as the Gays passed InSlI friendship
progressed so far that Andrew took
heart.
He had the modesty to leave his
family tree at home, for he realized
that 1t would seem like idle boasting to
show it to Celia. But he never told
her how poor he was. He knew it was
cowardly, but he could not tell her
Celia, who seemed to have every
thing that money and riches could give
her.
Csa1io ra,,a,ba-ad how o,,pf,s odvioa
and guiltily kept still about her work.
How could a man like Andrew Mac
Pherson, prosperous and well to do
as a man must be to spend his vaca-
in a girl that had to look up other
peoples genealogies to support her
self?
The last day of Andrews stay came.
and he and Celia spent the evening
canoeing on the lake.
Celia" said Andrew, as they stood
together a. the waters edge, taking a
last look at the moonlit lake, Il am
going back tomorrow. Before I go l
must tell you what came up here to
tell you. I didn't suppose there was
any hope for a man like me-you,
with money, and friends. and every
thing any one could have. But you
are so different from every one else
up here; you're SO genuine and honest.
AS you stand there in the moonlight
Celia, you're like the sunshine and the
| ocean and everything that is whole
some and true"
Celia stood rigid. A moment be-
| fore she had known what she would
say when Andrew made his plea. The
fact that he did not know she was
poor and worked did not seem to
matter. But the words sunshine and
ocean brought back the untimely fate
| of the poor little peasant girl, and
| Celia seemed to see, not a pleading
young American lover, but a grim
Scotch knight before her. The lap
| ping of the waves seemed to be the
| oars of the mystic boat which was to
| bear her to oblivion once her identity
was known.
Don't" said Celia. ooh. please
take care of me-" she whispered as
the wind blew the water splashing on
the shore. Don't you see, 1 cannot
| listen to yours? I've been deceitful
| I'm dreadfully poor, and I have to
| work to take care of myself. I do
genealogies. L did yours. I'm P. o.
box 172. But 1 didn't want you to
know I was poor"
Celia" said Andrew, taking her in
his arms, Cecilia, you're not poorH'
Then, as she struggled, sobbing, to
free herself. Cecilia, I'm glad. I'm
poor, too
Some day. said Celia, a few hours
later, "I'll tell you a story of a knight
and lady that belong to your geneal-
ogy. "-(Copyrighted 1910 by Associat-
ed Literary Press.)