The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-29
The Euening Story
A Broken Lance.
(By Stella Avery. }

Edith Vantine nodded, all her gay
ETY. sobered by the terrible fact. Jim
says the doctors thought they could
save his sight, but the optic nerve is
paralyzed. It's good thing Lorry
isn't poor
Nancy Blake smiled wanly. What
man could be poorer than Lorry
without the use of his eyes-those
beautiful hazel eyes?
| Blind-and all due to a quarrel with
Frank Edgarton on the verge of the
cliff at Roselea. Frank had pressed
Lorry to the edge of the cliff, the
earth had given way and young Ora
ham had fallen forty feet to the beach
below Frank had reeled home, still
intoxicated, to give a garbled account
of the affair. He had disappeared for
awhile, but now gossip said he had re-
turned to lay siege to Nancy's heart
while Lorry Graham was blind!
No one, save those two, knew what
the quarrel had been about 1t was
known that Frank Edgarton was in a
drunken frenzy after the club dance;
it was certain that the two had dis
agreed, to Lorry's defeat.
After Edith Vantine had impaired
the news to Nancy she moved along
over the putting green; Nancy
watched her with wide open, smart
ing eyes.
The golf links, the dazzling white
of the club house, the distant glimpse
OF the SOunQ all DluTIoQ lOSelHeT III d
Pickering rainbow. How she missed
Lorrys tall, whitehead figure swing
ing across the field, his deep voice.
the fire in his glance when their eyes
met
And now that glance was dead
forever
With a choking sob Nancy brushed
away the tears and swung a club to
her shoulder. She grounded it clum-
silly as Frank Edgarton's voice sound
ed close beside her.
Good morning, Nancy. Waiting
for me?"
No said Nancy, carelessly. I'm
just thinking
Il have a penny to spare" he sug-
gested.
You may have my thought for
nothing. I was thinking about Lorry
Graham. They say he is blind
Edgarton paled under his tan. He
was a dark, lean-jawed man with
onyx black eyes and hair. His brown
hands fumbleo- nervously- with his
clubs ---s-.-.=5s s..
His own fault, he muttered sui
lenly.
What did you say?" asked Nancy.
His own fault" repeated Edgarton
not to drink so much that night of
the dance. Then when he tumbled
over the cliff people said 1 quarreled
with him and pushed him over!''
nat ala you quarfel ABOUT!
asked Nancy quickly.
"You!" he flashed back, and then
bit his lip with chagrin. and added
hastily: That's just joke, Nancy
Believe me, we didn't quarrel about.
any one. Graham simply staggered
over the edge
rs that the truth, Frank Edgar
TONI" Nancy looked him full in the
eyes.
ION my honor!" he declared trag-4
ically, his glance shifting.
The girl laughed contemporary.
Don't swear by something you
haven't got!" she retorted, and turned
her back upon him. 81 pity youi'
Edgarton stared at her red coated
back for some time. His face snarled
in an ugly frown. Suddenly he smiled
sardonically:
''They say pity is akin to-a tender
er feehng!" he insinuated.
It's sometimes close to contempt"
was Nancys last retOrt, as she saun-
tered back to the club house.
She sank down in a corner where a
high-backed settle hid her from chat
ting groups of people. Voices reached
her now and then. Once the clear
tones of Mrs. Amory came to her,
holding her captive in her seat, an
unwilling eavesdropper.
.'Lorry Graham is not; only blind,
but he is poor as WELL" said Mrs
Amory. It's hard luck,'
"Poor!" echoed a mans voice
thought he was as safe as Gibraltar"
my husband told me this morning
that Lorry was bankrupt; that's all 1
know about it. Isn't it dreadful, on
top of his blindness? Certainly, trou-
bles never do come singly.''
Nancy slipped out of the nearest
door, her heart in tumuIt. Lorry
Graham not only blind, but poor as
WE'LL
She crossed the lawn and entered
the woods beyond which lay the estate
owned by the Grahams. If Mrs.
Amory spoke truly. the great landed
property would go to strangers.
Nancy slipped through the hedge
and entered the grounds. Under a
wide-spreading maple she discovered
Lorry reclining in a hammock chair
and leaning over it's back was his sister
Mabel.
Mabel saw Nancy coming, put a fin
ger to her lips and tiptoed away meet
ing Nancy out of earshot of the man
under the maple tree.
GO to him, dear" whispered Mabel !
Hes awfully down and he would
rather see you than any one else''
Nancy squeezed Mabel's hand, and
the latter went toward the house
Nancy approached the lone figure un-
der the tree, her heart in a tumult of
fear and pity.
She had always liked Lorry-they
had been firm friends, and there was
even something more than ordinary
friendship ON the way when the quar-
rel on the cliff with it's disastrous re-
suits came as a sinister Interruption
That you, Nab % asked Lorry's
deep voice as she came up to the back
of his chair. Before her voice was
steady enough to risk an answer he
went on: LAS L was telling you, Nab,
Edgarton was drunk-plain drunk,
and he made a sneering remark about
Nancy I resented It, of course, and
he threw himself against me and
bowled me over. Rather humiliating
H. l.