The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-25
The Eoenins Story

(By Mary Il. La Rue

Noria brought my second cup Of COZ
fee steaming hot from the percolator.
I could tell by her preoccupied manner.
AZ she handed me the cream pitehers
there was something on her mind
Miss Van Dusen." she inquired
How much would furniture coet3
Not for the likes OF you. but for the
likes Of me7''
1 dropped the sugar ton1s In con-
sternation. MORA I demanded in
thinking of getting married7" She had
been taking care OF my studio apart
ment and incidentally myself for 0ve
years; had come to look upon her ~
| q permanent nature in my small house.
held. / am cohsidered . bit crochsty.
believe. but she and got along very
well indeed.
Indeed ana I am. Hes been after
mo to set the day this long time.
Honest, l hate to leave you. ma'am
1t seems like leaving homo al over
again" She twisted her apron string
her class assume when they talk OF
contemplated matrimony. TITS to be
Cheusd'y week"
rs 1t that young man who comes
here once 4 month to see your Visions
arose Of an awkward lanlky fellow with
an atroCious plaid necktie, who some
times spent an evening in my Kitchen.
IRON Phila0elphy. yes, ma'am.
DanI O'Shea's his name. and a. eood
q man as ever wore shoe leather. Hes
q steady fellow and makes four dollars
a day plumbing. All the year 'round
We'll, MORA, I should be unwilling
to let you go for any other reason ex-
cept marriage. I hope yop'n be very
happy" And /, Eustacia Van Dusen.
respectable middle-aged spinster and
garded my humble hand-maiden with
something like envy. Her home. her
! man. her child, these are Z Woman'S
life. We must take our happiness
vicariously, we spinsters. ~ We take
our romance.
MORA, III find lots Of pretty things
to help out the trousseau-" We were
the same height, she and I, though
there the resemblance ended. ~ she
was some twenty years younger tnan
I. with the good looks never had In
my best days. Needless to say. my
last years clothes invariably looked
better on her. than they had looked IN
all their pristine freshness ON me.
Moira's blue eyes grew a tribe misty.
| You were always gooa to me, miss
Van Dusen. Ate that other egg. now
do. it'll do We good" she added in the
ldomineerine manner she sometimes as
sumed toward me. Later, could hear
her singing about her work, as I sat
over my painting. But her happiness
was destined to be shUrthved.
/ The next morning IL was u CWI0WOEsA
ghost, with eyes swollen with weeping,
who awakened me at g She held
black bordered letter with foreign
stamp. my poor mother Il gone-8one
III shall never zee her any more" said
MORA. between sobs. Later. when her
grief had subsidized. she made state
ment that pushed mo. Il cannot be
married now"
'sWhy not, Moira. dear7'' asked.
ST must take her place In the old
home. I am the oldest. There are
seven younger than me. I must DO Tor
must take the FIRST vessel that sails
for Queenstown. have written to tell
Daniel it's all over between NJ"
MORA, don't act hastily. Are you
sure II IL your duty to sacrifice your
own future to make hon.e for your
brothers and sisters? win they ap-
preciate your unse1flshnees? Just
think! It must be at least ten years
before the you1.er ones will be old
enough to care for Themselves. 0y
THAT time your youth will be gone.
One by one they will leave you TOR
future to anticipate. but Z lonely. ufl-
loved old age. And what about Ar.
iO'Shea? Has ne no right to be con-
Isidered? Take time to think It over.
my girl" -.
/
be right for the likes Of you to do.
lbut I know what's right for the likes
Of me. will go.
saw that further argument would
J be futile. Ind In the few days that
} ensued before the ship sailed. did all
/ could to further her plans. Every
morning she watched for the post
mans ring, bat no word came from
Dana. So IL came to paas. that the
day that should have been the we'd
ding day. saw w depart IN taxi,
laden with oundry bags and hat boxes
ana q little old steamer trunk perched
on top with the driver. Az W turned
into West street q driR11ing, rain began
to fall, She looked through the win
dow rather sadly. I thought. He
she volunteered. had been thinking
that very thing.
! Arrived at the pier. and her lug
gage safely bestowed In her tiny state
! room Il had insisted on her travelling
second cabin), We stood side by side
plank. her blue eyes wistfulfy ssarch-
ling the crowd on the pier. They were
calling sAu aboaf0!" when saw her
fAce brighten. IT'S himself" she
cried. followed the direction Of her
glance. and sure enough there was he
OF the impossible necktie approaching
on q run Ee made the gang plank
in two Jumps, and MORA was in his
J arms, laughing and crying 1t once /
saw they didn't need me and slipped
away unnoticed- found q place on
the pier where could watch them.
sentimental old maid that am. /
saw Dan1 produce large safety pin
from somewhere and tender1y fAsfen
Noira's mackintosh 1t the neck -
, that the whole pin VA In fun view Of
| the publicl How her neat soul must
have Squirmed! But such IL the pow
) or az love. she gave no alGn Of dfs-
: approval
. Already the deck hands wero pre-
Iparing to raise the sang plank. That
! foolish fellow would be lett!
81 s.1otraa" ca1lea n tn top Of my