The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-03

give you your freedom I can not
marry you. I think we were-you
Were-too young. Our lives have
grown apart. Ny thoughts are not
your thoughts. and you-we-wou1d
not be happy" She was vehement in
nsr speech, utterly unlike the gentle
Elaine She looked at him a moment,
then turned ard almost ran from him.
Don't you--dare come after me,
sne said breathlessly. tI-could not
| He stood looking after her, and just
as she turned the corner a young fell
low in white fannels and straw hat
joined her. 1t was Ed Stanton
So Anne had been right She had
| written him that Elaine seemed to be
interested in Stanton. Jerry threw
himself, face downward. on the grass
and tried to think 1t out, tried to make
himself believe the girl was not in
| earnest. Evidently she was, and it
| was uhbelievably cruel not to have
| given him hint in her letters, to have
| feigned the same unchanged love for
him that she had showed for years!
Presently he arose and. went home.
He had not seen Anne yet, and she
WELCOMED him royalty, surrounding him
with home attentions. And after din
ner, when twilight was falling, she
asked him:
"And your-marriage Jerry?"
He answered shortly, There will be
none-Elaine has just broken the en-
| and caught something like triumph in
! his sisters face. "I suppose, Anne,
that you were right about Stanton. I
have neglected her-and lost her. 1t
| is my own fault. I could not expect a
girl like her, infinitely above me"
The sister interrupted Indignantly.
She was never your equal, Jerry. The
world knows you could have married
Alma Torriss any day. You can now.
What surprises me is that Elaine
should have the sense to see things as
they are and set you free. Well, per-
haps helped her see it hope did"
Her brother stiffened to instant at
tention. TELL me just what you mean,
Anne" he said with a strange quiet.
We'll. at the circle this afternoon
somebody brought up the subject of
college men coming back to home girls.
We spoke of Mary Stevens and Don,
and the failure of their marriage. He
married her because he had promised
to, and because she had not the sense
to see that he wanted his freedom and
to give it to him. When I began 1 did
not think of Elaine. and then it was
too late to stop-it would have been
worse than going on. 1 said that any
man who has lived four years among
thinking college women rarely comes
back to the girl at home unless he is
promise-bCun that she has nothing
but mere youth and a dog-like faith to
give him, whereas he needs mental COM
partnership and real help in his career
/ could see by her face that the thought
had not occurred to her. though she
has been with Stanton so much lately.
1 daresay it made her think
But her brother had snatched his hat.
Il daresay it did make her think" he
remarked az he hurried out of the room
and went down the street as If time it
self We're at his heels.
Ten minutes later he painted into the
Waite grounds, through the pretty rose
garden and up to the front door. Mrs.
Waite welcomed him like the son she
4 h
good lady had, as yet, heard of no
change in the situation.
where's Elaine? 1 want to see her
immediately
while ago-yod will probably find her"
Without a word he STROBE out. She
sat on the rustic bench in the rose
arbor, her arms over the back, her
pretty head bent down upon them. At
his step she jumped UP and faced him
in the gloom.
s'Elainc, you dismissed me, but you
did not say it was because you no
longer love me. Tell me. trutkfully. that
you do not love me, and | will 60 but
until then I never will. I love you as
I always have loved YOU, only thou
sand times more. You are tearing my
heart out of me. girl. Did neglect
YOU, until you have fallen back for love
on-Stanton?
That brought her, with a little cry. to
her old, dear place in his arms where
she could tell him all about IT, 1t LOOK
a long time and there were many in
terruptions.
Finally he laughed. But I don't want
to marry my equal want an angel,
my superior in every way! I want you!
/ want a real woman who loves me
not somebody who loves her work first,
herself second, and her husband third.
I'm not birthplace man, Elaine-I
want everything. Do you see?'' 1t was
very dark in +ha summer house, but
light dawned or Elaine.-(Copyright |
1910 by Associated Literary Press.) |