The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-09
The Eueni1,g Story
The Rubx Medallion.

anxtously at her sister. but Georgia
was too much engrossed in reading
to notice. Forgetful Of all manners
and customs of the house Of Harring-
ton. Georgia knelt ON . chair and
leaned her chin on her elbows, resting
her pretty elbows on the broad library
table,.
IT'S plain enough she retorted.
1T says here. now listen. Bah. And
to my beloved friend, Mrs. Ross Ken
ton. the jewel which has been In her
possession for twenty years. do
think it was fearfully tactless Of I'm
| Gle iris to put 1t like thai. Why
didn't he give it to her outright?"
| I'VE don't even know what 1t IL
yet. And she is in India with the
Barclays.'
! They came back Saturday. Tod
told me. She's with them. Tod says
she's more beautiful and interesting
than ever"
How long has she been a widow?"
| asked Barbara. reflectively.
-Four years."
And he says twenty in the will.
What do you suppose it is?''
well, listen. 1t will be mine some
day. probably" Georgia was nothing
| IL not direct in her mode of attack.
Il shall simply tell Tod we want to
know what it is. and he can ask her.
It's right we should know. He was
/
thing else.''
wouldn't it be better as long as
she is home again to call on her and
tell her of the clause in his will
There's the bell, and don't want any
one shown out here. Il don't see
who'd call. anyway. right after
She stopped. Curtis was showing in
Tod and with him was a lady. Geor-
gia unconsciously Strengthened herself
and looked with wide-eyed admiration
| at her. She was slender and rather
| tall. but infinitely graceful. Her eyes
were deepest grayish blue. the tint Of
| a summer sky on a sunless day. and
her hair looked dusky and brown, just
touched with gray. But It was more
| than features or complexion that con-
stttuted her charm. There was the
look In her eyes and the expression
around her mouth, the whole tender,
gracious personality that reached out
| to one at once. Tod looked unhappy,
but as one who would do his duty
or die. 80
Georgia. dear. L want you to meet
| my aunt, Mrs. Kenton." he said. his
eyes pleading with Georgia to be len
lent. ''And Mrs. Voelmar, Aunt Lii
lian."
Georgia caught the mute appeal
from her betrothed, but absolutely ig-
| nored it. Her first feeling of intense
| curiosity to look at the woman who
had swayed an influence over Tris-
| tram Harrington for twenty years
| died away as she met the woman's
eyes. They were beautiful eyes,
warm and deep, full OF an under
standing sympathy. Barbara and
Tod were busy talking about the new
carved reredos at church, a perfectly
safe. sane, impersonal subject under
the circumstances, but it left the
weight of the situation on Georgia. 1t
was Lillian Kenton herself who lifted
1t from the girls shoulders.
Il came to see you specially. my
dear. Can't you show me the roses
out yonder?"
Georgia led the way out of the side
door opening on the loggia. 1t had
always been her uncle's favorfte place,
the long, flower-twined loggia and the
garden below it. Beyond the garden
lay the sloping fields up into the long,
shadowy, pine-covered slope OF Mount
Ascutney. 1t was late afternoon. The
garden always looked at its best then.
Mrs. Kenton moved down the wide
steps. and along the winding, box-bor-
dered paths leisurely. stopping now
and then at some rosebush in full
bloom.
II always loved it here. she said,
softly. II haven't been in the old
garden for twenty years-twenty long
years.
She stopped and took from her
throat long gold chain with an oval
medallion suspended from it. Set into
one side of it was wonderful ruby.
deep cOlored and oval, too. 1t glowed
In the sunset light as If it held the
embers of some hidden fire. On the
other side of the medallion was a
miniature OF Tristram Harrington, not
as Georgia remembered him, but
young, his brown, Wavy hair upcurling
from his forehead, his eyes full of
provocative mirth. Mrs Kenton stood
looking down at it for a minute in
silence, q curious little smile of ten
derness on her face.
He was a darling lad. He gave
me this, here in the garden. Georgia
do you? It was the last time 1 re-
fused to marry him. think he had
been asking me for fully five years
since we were fourteen and eighteen"
Didn't you love him ?" asked Geor-
gia, anxious1y.
Dear. didn't know what love was.
liked him immensely, but I didn't
love him untf1-it was too late. She
looked up suddenly into the eager.
flushed face 10 near her own. You
Why, IL expect to-" Georgia
laughed . little. I'VE have awful
fusses. but we always make up"
Marry him just a. soon al you
can" She held the face In the minia-
ture nearer There nothing in all
gave me this that last day. 1 was
leaving for Europe with my aunt. She
was wealthy. and my people are not
Neither was Trtstram. NOT then. And
chance. And he asked mo not to go.
to stay here in this dear ola garden
and be his WIFE, didn't know that l
was throwing away paradise, my dear,
l didn't know. He told me IL I was
quite sure that did not love him,
$3.50 kn navsd fhfn -