The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-04
THE EVENING STORY
A Widow for Love,

| A Widow for Love.
| (By Marian Pelham Waters.)
| you insufferable-' Ellaline began,
emphasizing scorn with a stamp of the
foot, a small foot, and light stepping.
Agnew noted it approvingly. AS good
: a way to show it any, he commented
! letting his eyes rest upon it,
| Ellaline snatched back the dainty mem
Der, saying with tremor she tried t.
hide: go on! Insult me as much as you
| like-you know have nobody"
But me-your betrothed," Agnew inter
reputed lazily, then his eyes growing grave:
| Suppose we stop clawing each other and
| talk sense for-wel, say three minutes? It
might be-profitable.''
Me most of all, I suppose?" Agnew
queried.
! She shook her head, painting out between
| set teeth: Monty name! My wretched,
wretched name! 1t was wicked1y cruel to
call any poor infant after an Aunt Ella
| and an Aunt Alkaline"
Agreed, unanimously" Agnew an
| Swered, nodding. "But-haVe you thought
since we can't change baptismal regis
tiers, there may be compensation in chang
| ing the other end?'
cor walled Ellaline. st have not been
allowed to think of anything else. Mother
is at me morning, noon and night; says L
| shall fly in the face of Providence, and
deserve all the bad luck in the world if I
| poor dead kinfolk-"
1T was odd, both those dear women
! loving and losing my father, and trying in
this way to give me their money" Agnew
said thoughtfully. Never heard of just
such another case Say, though, do you
hate me on general principles, or just as
we hate the things that are so good for
us?"
-I-beI1eve Ehate you-fifty thousand
! dollars worth" E1lalfne sobbed. You
don't know how the money has weighed
on mellow 1t has put me outside. Moth
er has said SO many times: 'Efline is go
without now That has made Tom and
Bess, and even little Florry, envy me. In
deed they almost hate me-because of the
gladly-if only I had the power"
''Sure?" Agnew asked.
She nodded. He turned away, silent.
Next minute she heard him riding away
Unaccountably her heart sank as sac
listened. If he never came again good-by
to all hope of ease. By refusing to marry
him she would forfeit all claim to their
joint inheritance. He had come for
final decision-and gone away heaped with
sne did not see him for three days.
Then his face was very grave. I've been
looking deep he said. There Is no get
ly, you know. Whoever drew it left nc
1oopholes. Unless we marry each other
we get nothing I thought, by refusing
You don't think would have let you?"
Ellaline burst in.
against-the logic of accomplished facts,
he said. Neither is that bother of viii.
My, proposition is this: Let's get married
right away-and draw straws as to who
shall have the money. 1t vests in us in :
stantIy. The knot tied, we can do as we
ike-divide, toss up, what we willard of
easy in the right state.
"a grass widow! Never! Why, think
they are horrible" E1laline began.
Agnew shrugged slightly. 81 can't do
any better" he murmured apoloset1cal1y.
''Of course-if I were mad I would make
you a real widow-for love-
Don't say such dreadful things. AS
though I would let you kill yourself Why,
line blushed bright poppy-scarlet-she
was so amazed to find there was an alter
native more horrible than marriage with
Agnew.
He glanced at her, narrowly but covert
ly, and hurried on: Suppose We toss for
tiff I win, it is marry me, and divorce
me, If you-well, the money will go
straight to the missionaries. At least-l
suppose so-you could never bring your
Let me think! Hardr' Ellaline entreat-
ed, putting her hands over her eyes: She
sat so for five minutes. then the hands
staring into the fire, his face very white.
We've need notices." she began in a
small voice rather tremulous. 81 agree
to-your plan. We can tell everybody we
qua-Teled on the wedding trip-so found
out-our mistake.
so we cam Agnew assented; then r1s-
ing, 1--WE had better make haste. Only
three weeks of grace remain-the thing
.las to be settled by the time you are
Lets get it over-tomorrow, Ellaline
said, in still that small, wavery voice.
Agnew nodded, and left her. Cur1ously,
for the first time since she had known
the destiny she so rebelled against Ella
line ran TO the window and watched him
out of sight.
Three days welded they were speeding
toward the goal-the western haven OF
shipwrecked matrimony. Since they were
coming thus to the end of trouble, of mis-
understanding, of dragging tie, each had
felt it the part of good breeding to be as
gay, as entertaining. as charming pos
sib1e. Not once had there been the least
Jar. Agnew had shown himself a prince
of cavaliers, Ellaline, the most obedient,
contented and sweet tempered of danes.
Now and then they had touched, lightly,
in entire arnity upon what lay ahead. SEE
was firm for dividing the money equally,
he firm giving her the lions share
Five thousand by way of a starter, was
all he was willing to accept He had n
little outside-she absolutely nothing.
After a while, if he prospered. he would
like to return the five thousand-the-e,
she had always stopped him and turned
the conversation.
Another day would bring the end Of the
that she was comfortably established he
would go on over the journey they had
pretended to plan. Nobody need learn
that he had finished it alone-nor that Ii
ha- been begun for purpose so fan
tastic.
Ellaline sat at ease. her head a little