The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-19
TEE EVENING STORY

(By June Gahan.)


a scowl and a mutter. She hated it
hated anything that kept her in
doors, now that it was fine April
weather. To say the truth, she re-
beHed at tasks of every sort, except
play to her. She was not like Bee
Beata, who sat stitching and smiling,
away from the window.
| Lucia ran to her, snatched the gar
lment from her fingers, tossed 1T upon
the bed and said with a stamp of the
foot Come with me! You must!
Else mother will call me back. 1
shall die really die, if I let all this
first sunshiny day go to waste"
But the children need clothes
everything Bee protested. Mother
will sew for them If we do not-and
you know her eyes"
She stopped there, her voice break
ing a little. Lucia flung up her
head. "Only for a little while,'' she
pleaded. Il will sew tonight, till
midnight if I can keep awake. Do
come, Bee, I must go-and mother
will be so fretted."
"On1y as far as the creek. We
must come straight back" Bee said,
reaching for her hat.
| Bee, too, felt the call of the green
| ing world, the ruffling south winds,
the white clouds high in the blue.
But it was not strong enough to
Danish thought of her patient mother
who had sewed and stitched and
sewed for her flock until she had al
most sewed away her sight. Lucia
and Bee, twins, eldest of the flock,
alone could help her-three boys
coming next could not be spared from
the farm, even had it not been out
of the question to set them at what
was understood to be woman's work
After the boys came two small girls,
one six, the other three. The farm
was small and not overrich, and the
master of it neither driving nor spe-
cially thriving. His wife had never
complained of that, although herself
of a more energetic mold. She rated
truly peace, love, kindly consideration
and happiness. Other women with
more money to spend often lacked all
of these.
Lucia was the mothers child, Bee
the fathers. Thus the twins had
grown up the best of friends. Lucia |
had indeed a stronger strain of I'M
rest than inhered in her mother, and
unhappily lacked the industry that
tempered it in her elder. But in the
main she had not given much trou- !
BILE, thanks mainly to her mothers |
understanding, and Bees loyal sister
love. Between them they had hu- |
mored her whims, shielded her va |
carries from the tongue of gossip. IT
don't want anybody ever to say you /
are wild, daughter" Mrs. Bane had |
admonished. Il know you'll never do |
any real wrong things-but take care |
not to have folks say you do
Lucia and Bee had been two years |
away at college, when in the Christ
mas vacation they had discovered |
to keep them from knowing-had in
sisted that they go on. But at term
end both had come home, saying with
smiling obstinacy: I'VE are going to
pay to stay at home-give you grand
mothers money, instead of giving it
to the college"
Mother had all but broken down
then-the remnant of the legacy had
come just in time to clear up the
debts of disastrous season. But the
materia! relief was as nothing beside
the loving thought of her children.
Could she ever repay their sacrifice?
She knew it was a sacrifice, espe-
cially to Lucia, the reflex of her own
girl ambitions.
But she would not spoil the flavor
of it by grudging acceptance All the
late winter, the raw early spring, she
had been very happy with her chill
dren. Now with the stir of sap, the
stir of youthful pulses, she grew ap-
prehensive. If Lucia had known, she
might have let her sewing lie forever
without mourning even a
look from her mother.
She half ran. half danced down the
|
above her head, her slim youthful up
rightness swaying, weaving, as
though in answer to the wind-kisses.
Bee walked quietly, smiling at her :
sisters antic progress. Suddenly Lucia
began singing-snatches of a Jacobite
ballad she had learned in the cradle.
Her voice was true and pure-though
all untaught, it was full of melody, !
and carried like the note of a fine fid-
die. Thus it reached the ear of
man going IstIessly along the highway.
Instantly he checked his runabOut,
stood up, peered over the hedgerow,
saw the singer-and listened as il I
spellbound.
Spring incarnate-and the very e
voice of it," he said to himself at
The road ran toward the creek-the
.wo girls were evidently going to it. \
Timing his progress carefully, he {
came upon them as they left their
,ather's field, and stood looking at ]
he stream still running bold and g
,Iue, though no longer in flood.
IF only we could cross-the other +
tide looks like heaven itself" Lucia
vas saying plaintively as he came b
Upon them. f
He lifted his hat. smiled and asked:
Won't you let me take you over? o
I'm sure the fort is safe-and I am b
7ery careful
How should we get back-it is too Y
old yet for wading,'' Lucia answered q
milling, before Bee could speak.
The stranger also smiled. "Give Il
-ou my word of honor to fetch you G
Jack safe. and deliver you, not just L
where I found you, but where you
i've. I am sure you are not nymphs n
you must live in a real house. d
cou1d 1 get lodging there for the 81
light? 1 am a stranger. you see, lc
,ent on exploring your country"
Mono. We can't go!' Bee pro- q
ested in terror. f.