The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-29
The Eueraing Story

Sne startled 0er INQUIRER Jul "
lamplisht nap.
ma. I think I'm going to get mar
ried!'
Get married!'' The white-haired |
woman sat up sharply.
Yes, / think %, ma. He amt asked
me yet, but he must be going to; what
else does he call for. night after night7"
The older woman. now miles from
sleep. put on her spectacles and stared
skeptically at her 30-year-old daugh- |
ter.
Remember Cyrus Haines." she warn
ed, shaking her head. Men don't all
ways mean what they seem to mean
Don't set your heart on It too much |
Cyrilla!"
..Pshaw! But this man amt Cyrus:
Eric Trenton's got some push. Didn't
he ask me to play the piano to him
the second time he came? Didn't he
say. I know your pianos old. but I
don't care; want to hear you play?
Yes, but amt he piano agent?
Cyrilla started. For an instant her
hand rested on her humping heart.
Her eyes stared sightlessly before her.
She threw back her head and laugh
ed gayly. The idea was absurd! II
he had been working up to a stroke OF
business, he'd have shown his face long
ago. He was on his vacation now: he
was just a summer boarder, indulging
in social pleasures like other summer
boarders.
Nonsense! she broke out proudly.
walking toward the door. Hes COM
ing after me. not after my money. I
guess I ought to know. Amt he sat
night after night telling me how hard
he has to work to make money, fairly
putting out his hands for sympathy"
Receiving no answer save q skeptf-
cal nod, she flung herself through the
door and nm the nj a3rR n her. ROOM
Hes after me! I know it," she in
| sisted to herself over and over. And
| tomorrow I'm going to the city to doll
myself up-yes. sir. IL I spend every
cent of my mcconnell"
She went. Behind her, she left a
decidedly dazed old lady whose head
| was swimming with instructions.
"Cyrilla? Oh, she's Just run into
town." the mother was to say to the
young man when he called that night.
in SO often; girls must have the styles.
you know. Cyrilla makes almost all
her own clothes"
This carelessly tossed off speech
would kill several birds at once.
All the way cityward Cyrilia studied
the women about her. Across the
aisle, on the train, sat a woman who
gave her the idea of having her nails
manicured. On the street car, in New
York. she saw girl whose coiffure
she decided to copy.
"Suit, hat, slippers. dresses. neck
| lace" A hundred other items were
down on the list IT
It was a day Of days. She fairly
reeled through it in happiness. She
spent recklessly, prodigally. Then. at
o'clock, all her shopping accomplish
| ed. she took a Fifth avenue bus and
rolled up to Central park. Her train
Dreamily, she got down from the
bus and wandered through the park
entrance. She sank down on q bench
and watched the procession Of home
devoured the white-stockinged kiddies
and bright-eyed infants. One little tot
stopped at her knee and looked up
into her face with deep. mischtevous
it to her-to smother it in kisses. All
her life she had loved these little
| wonder-peop1e.
In happiness she rose at last and
! took a downtown bus. She was eager
| to get home. She knew that when she
opened the front door she would near
voices in the parlor. She knew that
he would be there waiting for her. 1t
seemed an eternity before the train
started.
| but at last she was getting down
from the train at her home station. So
eager was she to fly to ner nome tnat
she barely saw the lank form OF Cyrus
lolling on the station platform beside
her.
passed him.
She turned hastily. "Oh. good eve
ning! she sang out gayly and hurried
She would have laughed could she
have seen him take a few daxed steps
after her, then stand staring biankly
at her new suit and stylish nat Sne
had worn the new things. putting her
old ones in the suit case she carried.
She wanted to be at her best when
the great moment came. Something
told her that it was not far on
indeed. that it would come this very
night!
She was surprised, therefore. when
as she got within sight OF her house
she saw no light in the parlor WINDOWS.
"But there's one in the sitting ROOM,
she noted swiftly. Maybe he'd rather
] be in there-like home folks.
But when she opened the front door
and heard no voices coming from the
sitting room. her heart sank.
.May' she said, almost reproacn-
fully.
hesita tinKly. Her face was white ana
working. Her thin hands clinched ana
uncIInched themselves in an agony OF
silence.
she closed her eyes. She knew as well
as If she had been told that ne nao
come-and gone; that somehow ne hao
shown that he was not after her.
.sWellr' she forced out. Was 1t the
piano?''
threw her arms about her protectneiy.
| .Oh. grille! Cyrillier' she sobbed.
"Oh. my little girl! He left-left town
when he found he couldn't sell us one!
/ "He's gonew CyriIla's voice came
from q pit of hopelessness. She strug-
gled free from her mother ana 8rOpeo
toward the stairs.
Then. hearing a little mediterranean. |
she hesitated, turned Back she went
r., the protecting arms. Perhaps those
Ia rrna ~ou1d rather ho1d that which