The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-04


It's hard loving and losing just
through pure pride. If 1 had known
but at 20 you think everything Of
your own way. John said I was 20
only by the book-the big Bible. where
all our ages were set down. He would
have it, outside of that, was Just
about 7. But he thought I was old
enough to marry him..
Somebody else thought SO. too-Allan
Waite, the sources lame son. We had
gone to school together, all three-John
had always helped Allan on and off his
pony, and in class 1t had often come
my way to make things a little easier
for him. A good lad he was, in spite
of being SO sadly spoiled.
1t hurt his people terrible to have
their only child cripple. He had
been born straight and lusty as any
body's child-it was fever that gave
Except for them, he was fine and well
made, with face like picture. But
some way, when / looked at him,
Johns face always came between
good ugly. So face with the kind
est brown eyes to light it.
/ loved John all the way up from
spelling booIs-yet he never cared for
ne, except as a little lonesome girl,
until I was rising 10. All. at once it
came to him that he couldn't live with
out me. He told m so right away
If joy ever killed shouldn't be living
now. But here came in the foolishness
Il torrnented myself wondering if he
hat not sensed how I loved him and
had come to me out of pity? So
hung back.
He was patient enough with me-too
patient for our good-antil Allen Waite
began haunting me, and saying every
where / was the beauty of the county.
1t was truth, though all along until
I was full grown I'd been called al
most ugly. a tearing. tomboy. as frow
sy and freckled. who cared no more
for frocks than to have them whole and
clean, and had rather play hop-scotch
and ride races-bareback on the colts
than sit and sew patchwork, or make
buildings, or darn stockings.
Aunt Jane had changed all that
she was my mothers sister, and let
me see she cared to have me look the
lady. My steprrother had not cared
roDody had Until Aunt Jane came. She
l. ade me pretty dresses. and brushed
my hair till it was like spun gold, and
took off my freckles with buttermilk.
and kept me IN gloves til my hands
the boys both loving me. But they
never held 1T against her-aud certainly
! don't. It's right down pitiful to think
of girl growing up and never knowing
what it is to play the great game.
Love is the great game. I had my
fill Of 1t that summer 20 years hack.
In early June the elders all lowered
the richest, heaviest bloom I ever saw
on them. And there were such clurnps
of them all up and down our lane, with
heat climbing and tangling every
where. loved to walk there; stop
ping whiles to bury my face in the elder
bloom. never liked to pick the clus-
ters-it seemed a sort of sacrilege. The
moon fulled as they were in prime, and
John walked with me through its shin
ing He lived a little way off, and
came almost every night. The lane
vas our refuge. Aunt Jane had gone
away for a little while. and my step
mother never opened the best room for
anybody short of the minister.
She didn't mean to be unklnd-it was
only that she loved to know and hear
all anybody said. She could see us
allking the lane length in the moon
slime. else she would never have let
me go.
She was all for Allen. thinking SO
much of money as she did. He came
in the day time-evenings his father
wanted him to stay and talk over cases
with him.
Allen had read law, but never meant
to practice, being sensitive as to show
ing himself. He had asked me to
marry him the week after John pro-
posed. Partly. from vanity. partly to
make John prize me more, I let him
dangIe on after me, telling him to wait
Il didn't know what would say to
him in the end.
That wasn't story loved John
so I went in fear and trembling. It
seemed to me beyond hope that / ever
could be his wife-and if I couldn't
we'll, certainly I couldn't live along
with my stepmother. 1t was her
house-father had left me only his bit
of money. She had said:
you're welcome to stay until you
marry fully expecting the time to be
short.
That night of the full moon the
a oil he oil n- Hon orr
more than silver-pearl. Wild grapes
were in bloom, too, and the spice pinks
in the garden. Heaven itself can not
be sweeter than was the air, and the
dew was SO heavy it showed in beads
over everything, and FLASHED down big
drops whenever the knocking birds
stirred. Three of them sang at cnce,
up and down the lane-they had nests
mates. Never was there such another
night. Now 1 love to think of it-for
years the memory was like fire.
Midway the lane we heard some
body riding in the far end of it-riding
hard. There was little rise before
the end. AS we looked we saw Allen
come squirting over it, bareheaded and
STOPPING in his saddle. He was upon
US all in Whit. and saying fretfully:
What are you doing here, Lynette?
Come back with me to your mother!".
He said 1t with authority. John STEP
ped before him, caught his bride rem
and aid, before could answer him:
sLynette will stay here as long as she
| likes-with the man she is going to
marryp'
"Liarl'' Allen cried, scrambling down.
| In spite of the withered leg he had the
| strength of a bull
| He caught John in bear-hug. foam
| ing out curses. John only smiled. With
| a shake of tht shoulders he wrenchcd
| free, half flung Allen from him, but
caught and steadied him, and holding
him upright turned to face me.
"Choose betWfxt us. little girl" he