The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-20
THE EVENING STORY
The Christmas Bride.

Just in time for the wedding. Give
Wish you merry Christmas! Gee, but
it's bully to see you home again. Three
years since you walked on this old
platform, waiting for the down train.
How have they treated you down
East"
Fine, thanks. Mr.. Dunkley," Give
answered, heartily. Whose wedding
am I in time for? 1 want to load up
with gifts
Guess you'll have to. It's in your
own family. Bob finally got her.
Give turned quickly as the old sta
ton agent went chuokling toward the
express office trundling truck of bag
gage. He followed him. his dark eyes
keen and troubled.
Got who, Mr.. Dunk1ey? I haven't
heard any news from home for weeks.
I've been abroad since June, and just
got back in time to catch the express
west for Christmas. So you see it's
all a surprise to me-
Surprise to all the town. Never
thought Bob had the nerve to ask a
girl to marry him, let alone that
spunky little Lawrence one"
The name struck Give like a whip
lash He called goodnight and hur-
ried over to where the old station hack
waited.
The driver called a CHEEKY Christ
mas greeting to him, and he answered
it, but as they swung up the long rock
hill toward the town, he leaned back
and shut his eyes and wished he had
never come back.
Not that he had any hold on her.
There had never been formal en-
gagement He had no right to ask a
girl to marry him when he was only
young cub just out of college with his
standing to win first. But she had
known, ah, but she had known Well
where he stood, and how he loved her.
He could see her now, small and
slender at sixteen, still ir- short skirts,
her dark curls flying in the wind, deep
dimples at the corners of her mouth,
and the swift flashing smile that eyes
and mouth and dimples Joined in. Yet
it had been more than her beauty that
had held him true through the years.
There had been look in her eyes, a
look of abiding faith and clean,
trusted. The memory of that look had
brought him back over the sea, to find
her this Christmas and tell her that
now he could claim her.
BobI Stolid. good old Bob. While !
he had been playing globe trotter, try !
ing to catch the flying heels of mad |
cap, hayward fortune, Bob had stayed |
quietly at home and won the girl he
loved.
There in the dingy, chilly interior of
the old hack Give fought out his bat /
tie with himself. He would be game, |
he said; he would not mar their hap !
piness with one word or look He
could not go back There was his |
her merely because Fate had given
him a knockout blow, not exactly in
the solar plexus, but a trifle to the
left
''All out" shouted the driver jovial-
ly, pulling up short before the great
old mansion on the hill, with its bar
ricade of tall pines, heavy now with
snow. wish I was in Bob Patter-
sons boots tonight Turned on some
didn't they? And. oh,
listen to the band Thank you, sir.
That gives the missus and kids at
home little extra celebration.
Give picked up his two suit cases
and swung up the gravel path. hesi-
tated at sight of the brilliantly lighted
rooms. and turned quietly around to
the side door he had had occasion to
use many time before when he had
been out late larking.
It was unlocked, and there was no
one in sight 1t was still early about
$780, Probably the family was at din
ner. Yet some one was playing softly
in the long music room south of the IL
brary. He stood in the dimly lighted
hall listening, old memories sweeping
over him 1t was only little quaint
Christmas carol that Fay had always
loved. Years ago, when she had first
come to live with them, a little forlorn
xiddie, orphaned and with no one but
lis father to act as guardian, she had
owed that carol and always sang it at
holly time. He heard her voice now I
md gripped his hands as he listened. l
Il onraIc =
Glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild '
She saw his figure reflected in the =
lail mirror and rose with a half :
frightened cry.
Don't. dear" he said. brokenly.
to meet her. He forgot Bob
md all he had heard, and saw only
Ter. Il just got in-nobody knows I p
IN here yet-why, dear-dear-'' t
She was sobbing on his shoulder, e
Ter hands, wrenched from his grasp, I
leld his head against her cheek Give
aw she was dressed in white soft satin I
hat crushed under his clasp like
,ruised flowers: he felt he was rob
ling Bob, and yet there in the dear old
DOM they both knew so we'll in the
ender winter gloom, he held her
lose, and kissed her-lips. hair, wet
forgot all except the
plendor of the might have been.
They won't miss you she man 3
ged to say finally, pushing back his :
ace and holding it in her hands at a
afe distance I'm SO sorry-but you 0
ee I was thinking of you, and-and -
wanting to see you SO, and then sud- h
emily I looked. and you We're here, n
light here. with me- !!
land too late he added bitterly
''Oh, no. you're not, Give" she Y
ashed back earnestly. "They haven't;
Il r-1.A