The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-27
The EVENING STORY
The Sheffield Tray.
(By Temple Bailey.)

terson said. ST want to be sure when !
set my tea cup down that I'm not |
going to leave mark. It's all very
we'll for you careful housewives, who |
have time to polish your mahogany. |
But I have to leave such things to |
my man, so I'll take metal one, |
please. If you can find it for me-"
Careful housewives" Mrs. Car
rington reproached him. Can any
one be a careful housewife who lives
in an apartment of two rooms? ?"
''WeH, you keep everything shining |
and perfect" Patterson told her. ITS |
an index of the way you would manage |
a big house."
''But I don't want to manage big
house." Mrs. Darlington protested
lived in a barn of place She shud- |
dered.
Patterson spoke quickly. "But love
wasn't there. It wouldn't have seemed
barn-like If your husband had been
congenial."
please, ''-Mrs. Darlington held upl
her hands in a little gesture of entreaty
l-"Please, We won't talk about it,
Patterson Kept rebeliiously silent. He
hated the attitude of her widowhood.
| her husband and rem embe- only his
virtues. Everybody knew that Car
rington had been a brute, that Mrs.
Darlington had suffered and that
death had brought her release.
/ at is so coy here she said hur-
riedly, land / picked out just the
things loved best from my big house.
The old mahogany was my mothers.
The books were part OF my fathers
| library, and the pictures l selected
myself"
Patterson noticed that there wasn't
| one article of her husbands choosing.
where did you get your tray?" he
asked abruptly.
"This ?" Mrs. Darlington moved the
fragile teacups SO that the oval OF
its best. 1t had rim of metal and an
inIaid star in the middle. my hus-
band gave it to me. We bought 1T at
an auction in those first days" Her
voice faltered. 81 have kept 1t be-
cause it marked the high tide of ro-
nance. 1 remember the dim store
with it's array of antiques. and the
auctioneer's droning voice. Arthur
wanted me to have this tray. He really
paid fabulous sum for it. far in ex-
cess of its value
"He mad money" Patterson said |
bitterly yet here I am limiting you
to a paltry fifteen dollars" He hesl-
tated, then plunged in boldly! But
after all, why should we have such
multiplicity of trays, WREN. if you
could only see it my way, we might
share our belongings for the rest OF
our lives
"Don't," she begged. 81 am glad
to have your friendship and it pleaseS
me that you should ask me to help you
furnish your little apartment-put
cannot share it want to be free:
patterson stood UP. st know" he
said. "Your husband made you feel
that marriage was bondage, but II
would be different with me-.
ooh she smiled up at him bright
Nv. t.let us just be friends, and III help
YOU pick out your old mahogany and
YOUR brasses and your rugs, but you
mustn't expect anything more OF me.
When Patterson went back tnat
night to his bachelor home he was de-
messed with the futility of his efforts
II make it cor, fortabi- IN his return
from the Philippines he had been full
of enthusiasm over his plans 1or com
Portable living. He had talked OF the
superiority of masculine housekeeplng,
and had congratulated himself upon
the possession of a japanese servant
who could be more to him than VIE
or housekeeper. Then ne nad louiiu
that Rita Darlington was free, ana
Immediately the sense OF the glory OF
his life he had loved Rita, but she hao
chosen Darlington, and the rejected
sutton had gone far away TO nno Ior
getfulness in a far country. =,
He had discovered that ne coulo
hold Rita's friendship best by means or
practical things. She would not talk
| romance. but she would talk OF rugs
and antiques and mahogany; nence ne
| had commissioned her TO Duy MIN
many things. 1t gave him an oppor
tunity to talk to her over the telephone
| and to call on her frequently. They
had many things in common, such as
! samoyars andirons, candlesticks and
lfirescreenS.
1t was 10 o'clock the flext morning
! that Rita called him I'D ABOUT the
Sheffield tray.
sWhere do you think ! have found
ONE she asked. mot at an auction
house this time, but in an Engllsn
family. The janftor told me ABOUT II,
the woman won't sell it without her
husbands consent. He will be at home
tonight, and I want to go there VIII
| you go with me?"
| Patterson jumped at the chance.
"At 7 O'Clock sharp Is that 100
early?'
1t seemed that the husband ate a Z
O'Clock supper, and went to bed soon
after His wife thought they had bet
ter come before sleep overcame MN.
| Hes not anxious to sell II. Rila
stated. He may need a little coax
ing
They went on the trolley car. Pat
terson would have had taxicab, but
Rita protested. I'VE want all of your
spare money for that Sheffield tray,
she told him, land you're not rich"
You needn't rub it in" Patterson
remarked.
| She laughed. I'm not rich either,
she told him. ttArthur's money went.
you know: bad investments and all
that
s.It isn't any wonder, Rita, that after
the luxury of your life you don't want
to come down to my level" Patterson
said.
/ She flashed a reproachful glance at
him. You know it isn't that: 1 am
afraid-afraid that our romance might
end-as the other one did"
Then Patterson's anger fared. "Why
should you judge me by him? % he de-
/ manded.
Aren't all. men alike?" she asked
They found the young Englishman