The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-08
The Epe,,ine Story
Her Goasen welsdine nay.



little old lady's golden wedding day.
nttle old LADY, eoiden wedding day. The
hig house. from cellar to gaxret. diff
fused an air Of suppressed excitement
Of subtle secrecy. tense with the hurry
ing of eager tee9 signaling eyes ana
scheminx heads that chung together fn
|it all the lttle Old lady tried to wend
nary unconcern She pretended NOT 70
see the suddenly df1rupted, Whispered
conferences that occurred whenever
she entered q room; appeared 10 take
NO notice OF the miscelIaneous boxes
ard bundles that were forever being
whisked from under her eyes, with the
cruoGst Of apologies. before she had
chance to inspect them. and was SEEM
1ngfv deaf wien all manner OF tra0ee-
people called on the telephone Tor vcr1-
Gus members Of the family who .lways
answered In low guarded tones. usually
contriving to switch the call onto an
other telephone. away from the little
old lady.
Tho strangest part of 1t all was that
whenever she nodded in her chair one
OF the children, or foolish. adorable OLD
dad himself, was always myeteriousiy
lowering near the chair when she
awoke. If she opened her eyes with
placid unexpectedness beloved, sollci-
tous face would be withdraw IN mo-
mentary confusion. or an equai.to-tne-
occasion voice would observe with dis
mother mine. thought yon fast
asleep, and was, just about to prop
your pillow a bit.s
|. when the little old lady sat In state be-
side her great, big foolish, old grandad
who looked twenty years less than
his Age-to receive congratulation and
beautiful. extravagant keepsakes from
the children and the children's chill
dren.
1.-The big thurprith it'll not to be
given until thith afternoon" gravely
lisped three-year-old Dorothy. the little
old lady's favorite grandchfld.
After luncheon Margaret and her hus-
band invited the little old lady and
grandad for a ride in their new limou-
sine. The little old lady was told what
to wear. W
1.-THE new gray silk. grandma. dear,
and the point-lace collar, and the
cameo brooch that Katherine gave
"oh. dear! Oh. dear!" demurred
the little old lady with well-feigned
petulance. 'ff only you children
didn't always want to be dressing me
up as though I were thirty years
gray hair and my lettering frame ?"
she asked with good-humored toler-
ance, more spry than her devoted, at
tendant daughters in reaching for her
bonnet box and wrenching the shoe
buttoner from the hands OF the f1us-
tered maid = indignantly asserting
that she had always buttoned her own
shoes until there was 50 much money
in the family that nobody knew what
foolishness to invest in next.
Margaret and Katherine wanted to
help the Independent little old lady
doyn the stairs. but she acurried past
them toward t1ss library. where she
found her foolsh old grandad nod
ding over a paper. sHe caught the
twinkle in herae4es snd calamity Of
AS the car glideds out into the coun-
try places the little old lady squeezed
grandad's Afm in an ecstasy Of de-
light The dky was So sunshiny, clear.
and .t they paased SO many beautiful
.Tnere.s q rose o, seharon standing
by the gate. just like ours used to
stand! That white gate there she
cried exciteday,- giving grandadS arm
another squeeze, and pointing child
like with q jumping forefinger.
viii I ever have q real sardsn
body nesting closer to grandad,s in
the luxurious depth Of the leathered
upholstery.
Margaret furtively nudged her hus-
band. but when she spoke to the lit
tie old lady it was with mild reproachl
in her clear, crisp tones.
why, mother, dear, didn't gram
dad have that beautiful roof-garden
made purposely for you ?"
"Y-yes-s," reluctantly assented the
little old lady But" she added
out neighboring gardens and trees and
a brook somewheres, and q long,
winding road that leads to the woods
or the hills"
Here we are" called MarRaret's
husband, briskly springing through
the opened door and turning to help
the others.
''why. daddy. DEAR" chirped the
little old lady, perking her head from
side to side in an effort to see all
parts OF the red-gabled. white-stded
sit looks exactly like our shabby old
honeymoon nest all done over"
why, bless my heart. SO 1t does!"
'Your acting hasn't improved a
Bit" good-naturedly chided the little
old lady under her. breath. She
Rose o. Sharon at the gate. A mist
descended upon her blinking eyes as
she placed it in grandad's coat.
Inside the children and the chill
dren's children pounced upon her
from all corners with huge shrieks of
delight, breathlessly demanding how
she liked her surprise, leading her
from room to room and wanting 20
know II everything wasn't furnished
exactly the same as it was when she
was a bride-only better, of COURSE
"Oh. how happy we were in the
little house!' thought the little old
lady. but she wisely held her tongue
and said nothing OF the treasured
memories OF the past. And yet-ev-
erything was soi wonderfully like and
yet 20 unlike the home she had come
to rs q bride fifty years ago.
II just couldn't stand it II you
weren't here" faltered tho little old
lady, dabbing her eyes with q fragile