The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-17
THE EVENING STORY
OF the Old School.
(Rv TempIe RaiIey.)

(By Temple Bailey.)
The old man sat in his garden It
was a quaint old place with a tangle
of roses enclosing the space where,
near a fountain, was a stone bench
Here the old man sat each morning
and watched the gold fish in the
pellucid water. Today he wore an old
brown coat with silver buttons. His
hat was the fashion of d bygone age,
everything about him showed that, for
him, life had stopped II. the late If
ties.
1t was a hot day. and his head nod
ded over his cane; the pigeons cooed
and wheeled drowsily over the roof
of the summer house on the other side
of the hedge. The hedge was the di-
viding lines between the estates of the
very old man and his next door neigh
Dor.
But there was another sound beside
the cooling of pigeons, and, at last, the
old man raised his head to listen.
Then he moved, uneasi1y- stood up and
looked over the hedge.
A large rambler made an ineffective
screen between him and the sum-
mer house. Through its interlacing
branches he caught a glimpse of white
gown. and closer observation showed a
girl curled up in a corner of the wide
seat within, sobbing as if her heart
would break.
At first the old man thought she was
alone, but presently he heard mans
voice say, You are very silly, Mar
jorie.''
The sobbing continued. 'I don't see
why you should make such a fuss
over it, was the further masculine
complaint.
The girl sat up, and the old man had
a view of her flushed face and spark
ling eyes. ''If you love me-" she said,
''you could never have taken that ride
with another woman
'Who would have believed you jeal-
ous?" her companion tainted.
''I am not Jealous" and her voice
quivered, "only I judged your feeling
by mine I don't want to be with any
one else when I can have you, and
had hoped you felt the same way"
Il have asked you to be my wife"
Il am not sure her voice was
troubled. 81 am not sure. Bruce
when man says that" was the
cool rejoinder, "a woman should trust
him. AS I said before, 1 don't see
why you should make fuss. Mar
jorie."
She stood very still and pale in the
door of the summer house. perhaps
am foolish" she said. "but cannot
be happy when you treat me this
way"
Bruce came up behind her and thus
brought himself into the vision of the
near-sighted old man.
silly" he said and leaned over
Marjorie and kissed her.
Then from the other side of the
hedge came a voice. ''She is not silly
said Jonas Kent; ''it is you who are
a fool!''
They stared at him in amazement.
Never before had they seen the recluse
of the rose garden. People had talked
to them of him, of his almost for
al
him withdraw from the world. and live
alone with his books. He stood be-
fore them now a shaking old figure in
a shabby suit, but there was about
him dignity which made ridicule i'm
possible.
He beckoned to them with his long
forefnger. Come over here and let
me talk to you" he said.
In spite of themselves they obeyed.
He had the air of one who had always
commanded.
But when they sat on the stone
bench beside the fountain Bruce said,
''You called me a fool, sir, will you
explain why ?"
The old man looked at him
thoughtfully. 81 called you fool be-
tested a woman's love as you are test
ing this girls, and one day she re-
belled, and 1 let her 60, and since
then there has been for rs1e-nothing."
His old voice quavered. 81 could new
er forget"
Then in the rose garden he told his
little story to the lovers
'She was such a pretty little thing"
he said. I'm those days women were
praised for their gentleness and their
meekness, and L loved her because she
was different. She was a beauty, too.
and wore her hair in cur1s that fell
about her white neck and made a
frame for her face. Pink was her
favorite color, and she used to look like
a rose when she came to meet me here
in this old garden. I won her. We
were to be married in the fall. Then
one June day there came a. visitor from
the city. She was a dark beauty as
imperious as my own little lady.
From the first moment they were
friends. I think I was bit Jealous
of their liking each other. for I would
have my sweetheart think of no one
but myself. I think, too. that 1 want
ed to test her, to have the thrill of
conquest. to know the sweetness of
seeing her jealous. You know what
m can % he asked Bruce, sharply.
The young man blushed. 81 was not
conscious. SIR" he said, 'of any such
motive"
"Ah. but it was there said the old |
man. you wanted to see her fame |
and flare. You made her miserable |
that you might prove yourself the mas |
ter.
with this spirit upon me-" he went
on. Il asked her friend one afternoon !
to ride with me. We stayed late and