The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-08
TIE EVENING STORY
The Heart Healer.
(By A. Maria Crawford.)

"Were you in love with Tom Mar
tin. Jane?"
Yes; as much as very young
girl can love, Aunt Phoebe. / think 1
localized him, and my heart now
rests more on his failure to live 1p
to what L believed him to be rather
than on his marriage. Why didn't ne
write the truth about the girl ne
married instead of pretending that lie
was just passing away the time WIN
nice little thing who seems aWfully
fond of me- as he described herr?
Il don't know, but 1 am glad that
you look at it sensibly. 1 was afraid
that you would grieve over him. Thre'
/ years of college life together, and
vigorous correspondence covering three
more years, would naturally draw you
very near a mans thought and lie.
II helped him over the hardest
years, while he built Up a business
in a strange place. Living here in
the old college town has kept me
conscious of our youthful ideals and
dreams, 1 suppose, and so l nave
passed them on to him. My faith IL
him was a sort of business buoy. 1t
made him strive to attain
II ann not surprised at his mar
riage. Propinquity, my dear, is
short cut to matrimony. When man
lives in a forsaken place like that
town where Tom invested all his cap
itaI and meets a nice girl-just nice,
understand-Cupid laughs, for he can
economic on arrows. The wedding
bells are bound to ring" laughed Aunt
Phoebe.
Don't scott at Toms hasty mar
riage. You don't know him as we'll
as 1 do. 1 feel sure that he is gen
timely in love with the girl
Now I am certain that you were
never in love with him. You won't
allow me to abuse him. If you had
cared seriously, you would want me
to believe that he has acted dishon-
orably."
But he hasn't, dear Aunt Phoebe.
He thought that he was in love with
me until he met the girl. Then he
knew
And, like as not, he'll meet some
body else and then believe that he
was never in love with his wife. l
never trust people after they fail ME
once"
Frankly. I am little disappointed
in Tom. I have never told him that
was in love with him, although
think I must have cared in a way
So what reason could he have had In
keeping the truth of the girl he mar
ried from me? He couldn't have
thought I wanted to marry him"
"Oh, yes, but he did, said Aunt
Phoebe, wisely. 81 have known men
for go years, and I have had plenty
of opportunities to study them and
their egotisn. Tom thought ne was
Irresistible. They all do"
HE hasn't broken my heart, but ne
has slightly injured my faith
IF he had broken your heart, there
is always heart healer"
''Time?" Jane smiled, ruefully.
mo. another man. Wear your
brocaded charmeuse tonight, and your
mothers pearls. Mrs. Tysons dis
tinguished son is guest Of honor at he
dinner"
81 shall array myself like Solomon
in all his glory"
mo, no. my dear. Times have
changed. Solomon wore too many
clothes to be stylish today. I think
that 1 will give you my slipper
buckles, set with pearls. I wore them
the night your Uncle Joe told me that
he loved me-"
How good you are! Perhaps they
will ensnare q. heart healer!''
"I want to tell you, Jane, that Tom
Martin came home with his bride
yesterday. You will probably meet
them tonight"
Splendid I have been SO curious
Gregory Tyson peered over his moth
ers shoulder to read the list OF
guests for the evening.
ct would like to take Jane Latham
out to dinner, mother, If it doesn't
interfere with your plans When
left here, she gave promise of being
the prettiest girl in this town and to
my idea by far the most attractive.
I've carried little schoolgirl picture
of her in the back of my watch ali
these years. Funny, isn't it?'
Not funny, but delightfully."- roman
tic! That is the only sentiment ever
knew you to entertain. I should adore
Jane for my daughter-in-law."
Didn't you write me that Jane was
going to write Tom Martini
st may have suggested that I had
heard such a rumor, but nobody took
it seriously. Jane and Tom grew up
together and she was a sort of mother
to him. She is too clever to marry |
man who depends on her. Tom is mar |
ried now to some little thing he met out |
west. I have no doubt but that she II !
make a great man out of him Jane
always thought he had possibilities. |
They will be here tonight.
Its a queer old world" unused !
Gregory. "Tom has always had a |
tendency to depend on somebody else |
and now that he has taken this tender |
young vine to cling to him, he will |
have to develop strength to meet the
world for two. The very sense Of his |
responsibility will probably enable him
to meet the demand. am glad that he
didn't marry Jane"
"She will be certain to miss his at
tention." lamented Mrs. Tyson. And |
people will talk unpleasantly, you know.
They always do"
That night at dinner Gregory said to
Jane 'T have been minister to one of the
greatest countries on the map, and I
have Travelled far and wide, meeting
beautiful women everywhere, but had
to come back home to see the loveliest
woman of all"
"a grain of salt to take with that,
Mr. Statesman" laughed Jane. There
is Tom Martin with his bride. I must
speak to them
She was so unaffected and so cincere