The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-19
THE EVENING STORY
April Rain.
TBy Edith Gray.1

lane, the woman heard the persistent
coo-coo of some one calling to the bos-
sizes from beyond. without. the April
rain dripped ceaselessly from the WIN
dow frame and a branch of one of the
orchard trees creaked mournfully as
the wind moved it, with gentle mono
tony, back and forth, beneath the caves.
1t was dull day and a heavy one, with
no suggestion of brightness.
The growing darkness seemed to dis
turb the woman at her desk, for after
insistent urging onward of tagging
pencil, and closer stopping over en-
Swallowed pages, she suddenly rose from
her work and walked impatiently
toward the window. She flung back the
lattice, ostensibly seeking more light,
but with the simple change of cramp-
ed position she Immediately realized
that she was unusually tired, fatigued
in body and brain. Mindless of the soft
drizzle. she knelt upon the floor. her
toward the distant haze Of woodland
beyond the rain-soaked fields.
She was tired-she fully realized
that. She also knew that she was
the floor while the cold penetrated to
the very marrow of her bones. Spring
rain was lovely enough and undoubt-
eddy poetical, when viewed from the
other side of an old-time dormer win
dow.
The woman knew that she was i'm
prudent, yet she laughed at the outer
chill, for, with the relaxation from
mental labor, the cold emptiness with
in her heart overwhelmed her with a
fearsome blight, compared with which
the outer dreariness was as naught.
1t was all very well to write-to &C
off when town pleasures began TO IN
terfere with concentration on art, to
bury herself at this old farm, away
| from the annoyances of flattering ac-
| quaintances, in order to gain full con-
| troll of latent faculties-an very we'll
| theoretically, but, for all practical pur-
poses, 1t was dreary and unutterably
| lonely at times.
In spite of repeated commands. old
| friends would persist in writing and
renewing old scenes. stirring up mem
cries that would otherwise have died
| long since. 1t was lonely, when she
| compared her fame, her several novels
and the tiny book of verse, the drama
yet to be, and the stories of her dreams,
with the love, the warmth and comfort
which she had sacrificed for them.
Was it worth the price?
Then. in spite of an afternoon spent
in fierce determination to forget, the
words Of a disturbing little note re-
| ceived a, few days before, flared, as in
| letters of fire, across her wearied brain.
Dear, I have found where you have
hidden away. I would not hurt you by
my presence, but write if you want
me. I will COME it said.
The woman knew that this mans
words rang true; that as he spoke. so
would he act. She valued real worth
and she realized that in spite of the
| fowery Establishments of her many
| followers this man with his frank SIM
| plicity, his marvellous tenderness, was
| spiritually as we'll as physically head
and shoulders above them all. She
| cherished and wondered at his friend
ship, but his love she had always
| feared. 1t was so strong. She trem-
| bled, lest in abandoning herself to her
ever growing desire, she lose her AFT
and losing her art, her self, the key
note to her own development. She
| abandoning herself to the old question
| ing, the old despair. And without the
rain poured down, renewing its
strength, no longer the mist intangible,
| but the beating of all elements
For long she knelt, then raised her
| head as over the green fields resound-
ed again the coo-coo Of the homin5
| call
Joseph, the farmers son, had a Won
drous voice, full toned, powerfully
sweet. She remembered how, at the
Sunday worship a few days before. mis-
| f1awless rendering of the simple ll<fnns
| had filled her heart with peace, and
| how at her questioning the proud moth
| err had confided that Joseph's voice had
! charmed Won Sta-l, the great musician
| from the city. He had tested Joseph
during his summers visit and promised
great things if he would but go with
| him back to the city.
But he will never co. the mother
| had said, and shrugged her shoulders
as with annoyance as she pottered on
about her work
| What reason could he have for re-
| fusing the great Won StahIs so gen
erous offer? Was it entirely stupid
| ity, or was there some deeper cause
| for his Indifference to this opportun-
| ity for betterment?
Below in the orchard now. the boy
was letting down the bars. The wom-
an watched, through a break in the
trees as the cattle wandered content
eddy onward. steaming, dripping
| chewing eternally as they strolled. She
dripping calf things, and the mothers
nozfng them as they went.
| "Coo-coo." came a harsher voice
/ from the direction of tee barn, and the
boy put back the bars and whistled
as he worked. Then he reached up
ward with his great strong arms, and
with the care and insight of an artist
selected a slender spray of soft pink
blooms. He shook away the great
hanging drops, and a few petals drift
ed behind him as he came. his huge
boots sIushing through the RAIN bowed
grasses. his heavy shoulders swaying
| as he walked. He was but a peasant
youth, but-the woman marve1ed!
What light was in his eyes as he
held the dripping blossoms to his face!
/ The rain was softer now The mist
above the trees was vanishing Be
meath the caves. a tiny bedraggled
Isparrow hoped and chirped expect
antly The sky had grown brighter,
the rain had ceased. and the little
| sparrow Droffered a CHEEKY. heartfelt
trill to the fresh washed world
| And rs the darkness lifted. door
/ below the left wing of the great
kitchen extension opened and from
lher window the woman smiled as little
Elsa, the rosy checked dairy maid,