The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-26
The EVENING STORY
DrabS of Reality.

! IF things had gone right, this would
| 81 things had gone right, this would
have been my wedding morning"
Gertrude Triune. kneeling by her open
window. gazed with burning, fearless
eyes out into the Hlac-scented dawn.
But, oh. the difference, the awful diff
ference between the happiness that
might have been and tn drabs of
reality
| Five months ago, when she became
engaged to Arthur Dorman. they had
set the 26th of April, her birthday, as
the date for their marriage. Shortly
! after this Arthur had been obliged to
go to Portland on business, and while
| he was away, Gertrudes father, a
respected real estate man had failed in
business. The shock of this together
with an attack of pneumonia had re-
| suited in his death.
| When Arthur returned a month later,
he seemed suddenly changed, and his
tenderness so perfunctory that the SEN
sitive Overwrought girl had broken the
engagement. This meant that she. like
many another gently bred, delicately
| nurtured woman, must face the inhos-
pitable world as a bread winner.
AT any rate, 1 am making a sue
cess of my work. The principal assures
| me L have broad field of usefulness
before me. But at twenty-three who
| wants to be merely useful? We want
| to be happy!''
| Tears relieved her burning eyes, and
| she leaned her soft cheek against the
window-sill and sobbed heartbrokenly.
"Oh, Arthur, Arthur, wouldn't have
failed you when you were in trouble.
would have been faithful through
anything if the cas- e had been re-
reversed.
At last the torrent of tears was past.
GRrfrudn la nd
against the window. She wondered
where Arthur was and if he remember
| ed what this day was to have meant
in their lives. After the breaking of
their engagement he had returned to
Portland where he, had been offered a
position and she had heard nothing
from him since. Now, as always, she
had the impression that there had been
something behind his change of man
ner.
| reused to reality by sounds below
stairs which warned her that the fam
lily with whom she boarded was up and
that breakfast would soon be ready.
The school day passed with busy
| monotony much as all the rest had
Gertrude was unspeakably thankful
that few knew her troubles. She felt
that she could not bear to be regarded
with the curious pity that would have
been accorded her in her home town.
Only one person was we'll known to
her before coming to Cleverdon. This
was Willard Brent, a lawyer and an old
friend, who. after her fathers death,
had helped her settle the involved es-
tate. On him she had relied absolutely
with perfect faith in his business as
tuteneSS, yet from the man himself she
had always recoiled.
A nameless repulsion had risen up
like a mighty intuitive warning a few
days ago when Mr.. Brent had made
an offer of marriage Too surprised to
give a rational answer, she had begged
for few days grace.
Today, when the children had joy
ouSly filed out at the close of school,
leaving Gertrude alone in the room, her
tired thoughts reverted to this subject.
Surely a school ma'am may relax
after o'clock and think of her own af-
fairs she sighed and stretched her
tired arms. then dropped them heavily
on the desk before her and glanced
YEARLY around the deserted school
room where the bright April sun made
long beams in the chalk-laden air.
After ALL why do L fell this way
about him? There is absolutely moth
ing against Willard Brent. He would
give me kindness and comfort and
above all else a home. Love has failed
me, and that is over and done for ever,
so why not take this half a loaf rather
than drift into being colorless crea-
ture of the school room
willard seems sincere and change
of fortune from an heiress to a penni-
less working girl has made no differ
ence." Again bitter tears started to her
eyes. "Oh, Arthur Arthur, why couldn't
you have been man enough to stand
by me when I needed you most?"
She started to lay her head on the
desk for relieving cry when the |
sudden motion of her arms knocked |
to the floor a book which was near
paper whose writing left her very !
pale.
The handwriting was Arthur Dor
mans. AS she picked it up her own |
name caught her attention and she |
read: If as you say, you possessed |
Miss Triune's love, even while she was |
bound to me, I have nothing to say. |
Her proposition to break our engage
ment would bear testimony that she |
did not care for me as I thought she |
did. But one thing sure, Brent, you /
must prove you were square in your
settlement of her fathers estate.
edness-an easy thing owing to the
tangled condition. At any rate it left
the girl penniless, and the pinch of
poverty is the strongest coercion of
all. Her love affairs rest with herself,
but L shall see that she is fairly treat
ed in a business way. For God knows
I love her STILL The letter ended with
a formal conclusion and bore Arthur
Dorman's signature.
For a moment Gertrude stared at
it. Then she picked up the book
from which the sheet of letter paper
had fallen. She saw it was a law
hook she had recently borrowed from