The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-18
The Epe,,i,,g Story
Lucy's Conscience.

you not to Fly IN tho 6Aco OF your
uncle's wishes" sneered Dick Curtis
disagreeably.
| Lucy grew white at the thrust. That
and another reason tell mo that I
should not marry you. Dick. Ny
lheart-
| His laugh cut her words short. Don't
confuse your very practical head with
your heart, Miss Woodard!"
| He bowed low and went away quickly.
Lucy was still standing there. with a
! stunned look on her pale face when
her mother glided into the room.
Il met Dick in the hail. said Mrs.
Woodland in her cool. impersonal tone.
| HE seemed rather iii haste
yes intoned Lucy vaguely.
| Il wanted to ask him about his
mothers neuralgia" went on Mrs.
Wcodard. sinking languidly into q deep
leaving for the west in the morning and
wanting to catch the limited express.
Where Is the boy gctng?''
Il don't know. mother" said Lucy in
a frightened tone. He asked me to
marry him and did-as you wished-I
told him must comply with the terms
OF Uncle Eben's will or we would be
penniless."
We'll, don't make such q fuss over
it." complained Mrs. Woodland. I'm
] sure almost any other girl would be de-
lighted at the idea Of marrying young
Ebcn Vane and having all that money
divided between you. Just think W
a qualification it will be to you to know
that you've made Eben happy-and
| that you've made the rest OF your moth
er's days happy and tranquil and en-
tirely free from financial cares!"
II have thought OF all that, mother. -
said Lucy sadly. but am unhappy
''Ungrateful girl" scolded Mrs.
Woodland. closing her eyes. "Run
pretty-Eben Is coming to pay call
ON his fancee." She smiled content
| eddy, a selfish woman who had al
| ways sacrificed others to her own
wishes; q woman little loved even by
her daughter. Her husband had long
| since laid down the burden Of life, q
martyr to her Whims.
Lucy went slowly UP to her own
room, her heart rising in strange re-
bellion against her han Nne mother.
| Why, her Laother didn't even care
whether Lucy loved Ehen Vane,
whose rich father had tried to buy a
wife for his Maynard son in the per-
son. Of Lucy woodland, his niece's
lovely daughter.
Marry Eben and you get half my
money; refuse and you get nothing"
That was tie gist Of Mr.. Vane's &C.
centric will.
After a great deal Of pressure Lucy
whom she did not care at all. And
then, as If to mock h : sorrow, Dick
Curtis had asked her to marry him.
| Now he, unreasonably bitter toward
her. was going away. Her thoughts
followed him to the glorious freedom
| Of the great west. She saw his manly
form astride a horse covering miles
of rolling country; gradually the Bit
terness would leave his heart and un-
der the gentle influence OF nature
and time-and perhaps another girl
maybe an honest-hearted girl who was
not afraid of marrying a poor man
for love. Lucy broke down and
sobbed bro.1en-hearted1y.
When Eben Vane, reckless1y happy
| in winning the girl he loved as well
as the possession OF half OF his ia
Tiers great estate when the old man
had threatened to cut him Off without
a penny, came to call on his fiancee
that evening he found a very pale and
woebegone little girl. She shrank
away from his embraces, pleaded q
headache and escaped to her room,
where refusing admittance even to her
angry parent, she never touched her
head to the pillow.
When morning broke her door was
wide open and her room was empty.
Lucy had vanished
l
| Dick Curtis halted his horse at the
creek and staring straight ahead into
space forgot the noble panorama OF
hill and plain. All he saw was girls
slender form.
II ought not to have spoken to her
that way" he muttered, for he was
still thinking of his interview with
Ta,cv. although several days had passed
The horse lifted his head and whin-
MED sharply.
From behind came the thud of hoofs
on the grassy plain. There was some
thing about that untamed gallop which
told Dick that horse was running
away. Surely it could not be that one
of those cowboys at the ranch. who
rode like centaurs, had met lis match
ut last.
back along the trail. AS they topped
the rise Of ground above the creek he
saw the horse and recognized it as an
ugly little broncho from the ranch.
4 The animal was coming straight to-
ward him, with foam-necked mouth
and crimson nostrils. On his back
swayed the slight form of girl In
lone swift flash he decided 1t could not
be any one from the ranches. for she
was correctly attired in a smart black
habit and hat. and she was not riding
astride.
While he realized this Dick fast spur
ring toward the frenxied pony. finally
heading the animal little by little away
from the dangerous dechvity that led
down to the creek.
Hold tight!'' shouted Dick. TN get
you or In a momentv'
The girl turned back a white face
land he shouted her name incredu-
lously.
| Lucy"
..rm crazy!'' he tolc himself. as he
gained the side of the runaway. "Just
because q girl looks like Lucy-there
l-there-I've got you!"
He had pressed close beside the