The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-06
THE EVENING STORY
Their Little House.
(By Harmony WelleS.)


heavily and drew in a deep breath of
the subtle perfume her presence had
exhaled-
II cannot tell her." he smiled grim
ly; sit would only lose me her re-
spect. My business acumen is evil
IDENTIFY a redeeming feature in her
. eyes, Rogers strong leonine head
went forward on his arms. For the
indomitabIe will whom his friends
knew.
The ringing of the door bell brought
Rogers to his feet. He went into the
great library to receive his brother.
and his eyes were only hard and his
smile grim.
The woman on the other side of the
door stopped in her progress toward
the outer world. 1t seemed as if
something more than curiosity, as to
whom her husband was speaking to,
held her a listener.
Sybil Rogers held her beautiful
head proudly. yet something even
tragic lay hidden within the depths
t of her eyes. She remained where
every word within that closed door
was given to her ears.
NO. her husband was saying, 81
will not ask my wife to sell the home
that have given her. 1t is her prop
erty and I will not take her from the
life to which she is accustomed
But my dear man it would only
be for a year or two until you are on
man; she would not hesitate to live in
some coy place until the tide comes
in again. Rogers leaned persuas1Vely
nearer his brother. Tell Sybil that
you have lost everything-tell her that
if you take up this offer to sell the
estate you will still be able to look
all men in the face and go at the
fight again.
his tone sent the blood out and away
from her cheeks.
mo. I will not ask my wife for
one scent of her property. have
speculated unwisely, and in so doing
have forfeited my right to her re-
spect.''
Rogers arose suddenly and faced
his brother. 1T am going to trust you
ically, land tell you that Sybil will
no doubt rejoice when she knows
that have left the country. She"
his voice wavered and was caught up
with hard effort, docs not love me
not in the least
The woman listening swayed un-
steadily and reached for the arm OF
a chair Her brother-in-law answered
almost Immediately. His voice was
deliberate.
you are wrong, Jimmy" he said.
IF there is any love lacking it is you
who fail. You treat Sybil as If she
were some rare bit of the flower
kingdom that might wither if you
touch it, You scarcely realize that
you and Sybil are drawing apart
merely because you spend all of your
time making money"
And losing it, put in Rogers with
a dry laugh. There is no good argu-
ing I am going to get out bag and
baggage three weeks from today. No
one can touch SYPHILIS property. She is
we'll provided for even if I fail to
strike a gold mine in Australia"
Australia" It was Sybil's voice
that scarcely breathed the word. Her
brother-in-law's voice came back so
suddenly as to startle her.
Jim, you don't love your w1fe!
For a moment the silence was so
intense as to palpitate.
Love her?" There was something
in Rogers voice that sent a wave of
warm blood through SYPHILIS veins. Il
love her so that 1 am scarcely strong
enough to leave her That is saying
a good deal for me when know that
she doesn't love me-" He looked up
and his face was haggard. am
leaving her because 1 could not stand
the loss of her respect"
There was another silence then
SybiI heard the question put to her
husband.
"Then you will not consider tell
ing your wife of Archbold's offer to
buy the estate?"
my mind has been made up for
the last hour she heard her hus-
band say. ST will not change it,
After that she fled swiftly upstairs
and along the great corridor to her
boudoir Before another ten min
utes had passed Sybil Rogers had by
word of mouth sold her vast estate to
Henry Archbold. The lawyers with
their deeds and signatures could be
seen in the morning.
Scarcely a half hour later Rogers
saw his wife leave the house and
take the walk that led through the
woods and down by the tiny vine
covered cottage at the foot of the
hill. He sighed and wished that he
might follow and with his arm about
her waist tell her that he loved her.
During the following week Sybil
went about the house with light
heart Often there was bit of song
on her lips and she laughed from
time to time as if at some secret
joke.
In his misery Rogers looked on
and wondered. Occasionally he had
received a caress that seemed sud
denly to warm his entire life, yet he
did not break the silence that mad
been theirs for the last year.
I'VE have not spoken of love for
at least twelve months" he told h1m-
self bitterly.
A gentle tap sounded on his door.
When it opened Sybil was there A
flush was wavering in her cheeks
and in her eyes something lay hid
den yet ready to spring.
Are you busy, or could you take
a little walk with me?" she asked
him.
Jimmy Rogers arose because Sybil
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