The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-24
THE EVENING STORY
His Hearts Desire.
by Philip Kean.l

by Philip Kean.l
Did you have to give up anything to
come to me?' asked Margrave's moth
er. anxiously.
las if I would not give up everything
to eat dinner here said Margrave.
But did you?''
WELL yes"
Who asked you?"
Stokes was to have a stag affair
and then there was Mrs. Pennington.
Who is Mrs. Pennington"
Margrave stretched his hands over
his head. He looked like a giant in the
low-ceiled room, with his long, loose
figure and his broad shoulders.
Mrs. Pennington is simply Mrs. Pen
1iington. It is Miss Pennington who
Miss Pennington? Do you love her.
Philip"
He looked down at her and laughed.
III 1 say yes will it break your
hearth"
She met his eyes bravely. 1T isn't a
thing to laugh about-but of course |
have always expected that it would
come some day"
her. ''She is almost as nice as you are
Mumsie. But l don't dare to fall III
love with her. She wouldn't look az
me-
His little mother bristled why not %
"Oh-Im poor. dearest. and her faith
er owns half the world
Il don't see what that has to do with
it,
..Of course you don't" he kissed her
again, you live up here in a pastoral
democracy, where money doesn't count.
But in the city Miss Pennington is a
little princess-set high above the rest
of us by her millions
yet Mrs. Pennington invited you to
dine?"
Because I am the lion Of the day
my book has walked people up-and they
Mrs Pennington displays me as the
latest freak, exactly as she would dis
rlav a vaudeville dancer-only she gets
me free of charge.
Il shouldn't go under Sucn conoi-
tons. if 1 were you"
you would go-to see Marthe-"
..The desire of the moth for the
star?''
here. To get my balance. I want to
think it over To know what to say to
Marthe.'
''Then you are going to tell her."
s'Why not?"
If she loves me she must come
here with me-and live the life you
have lived, mother"
Her face shone with an inner light
"AlI her millions could give her no
more of happiness than have had.
They ate their dinner in a low, dim
room where the portraits OF men IN
knee brooches and of women in wide
skirts hung in furnished frames
Through the long windows they mad
glimpse of the pink of peach trees,
with an amethyst evening sky beyond
IF L could stay up here" Mar
beauty of it, 4 might be great some
day. The city STILES me- want to
get out into the wide spaces
ssThen why not come?
Dearest, will you understand
could live here only with the woman
They talked about it, sitting in
front of the fire, he in his dead ia
Tiers great chair, she In a low rock
er with faded cushions.
At last he sent her to bed. 4 must
think it over he said, but you must
sleep, and. if you Will, you may re-
member me in your white little
prayers
sharing that illumined hearthstone;
of Marthe climbing the wide stairway
up and up, until she was lost in the
shadows; of Marthe in the east room,
where the dawn showed pink through |
the latticed windows. and where at
night there was drift of stars
What would she think of it-this |
plain home of his forefathers3 what |
would she think?
why not ask ACKNOWLEDGEMENT?
He looked at the clock. Eleven. The |
dinner guests would be gone
The telephone was at his elbow. He
picked up the receiver
He got the house. her maid. and. at
last, Marthe.
without talking to you
She, too, could not sleep, she said. J
She had missed him at dinner. Where
was he?
ttAh.'' he drew his breath quickly. IF
YOU could see this little house. It's
gray outside, but within it is the heart
of a rose. In the great fireplace a
spark CLOVIS pink among the ashes like
an opal: there are faded roses on the
wallpaper, and the old carpet has big
roses. And there's an old-fashioned
pfano-how 1 would like to hear the
touch of your fingers on the tinkling
keys, Marthe. And there's a broad
hall and the stairway has two landings
and a mahogany rail, and from the
second landing you turl into the big
rooms One of them faces the river
and the west and at sunset it's opened
wide. But I can't see you in that room.
AIarthe-, there's another that faces the