The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-01
The EDening Story
Releasing Marian.
(By Williston Gray.)

under his door when he reached the
office, the lonesome, dusty little old
law office where he had waited for
clients week in, week out.
He picked it up and read it through
as soon as he got inside, his hat still
on the back of his head. his cane I'M
der one arm. 1t was brief, but quite
to the point and satisfactory 1t
| merely notified him that under the
terms of the will of Horace Barclay,
his eranduncle, he would receive $45,-
| 600.
After a fellow has grubbed along on
about one-hundredth of that amount
g. wear, it takes time to get focus on
sach a situation. And about the last
angle of his thoughts was Marian. OF
course there was Marian She had to
be considered, but he only thought OF
| her in vague, detached fort of way.
OF course that would clear up present.
AZ, and he would be ahle tic think
| clearly.
Tentatively he was engaged to
| marry Marian Seward. Yesterday he
would have put it differently He
would have said that some day he
was going to marry Marian. Now
even that seemed to belong to the
| man of yesterday. He read the letter
over several times and answered it,
going out specially to post it. Forty
| five thousand dollars! man might
| do worse than start off with such a
sum for a nest egg.
| Naturally, when he had come to La
grange to live, he had looked up Mar
ian and her mother. They were dis
family related, second cousins. or per-
haps third. She was interesting, too,
with her big, gray eyes and chestnut
hair and the deep, elusive dimple in
! one cheek that only showed when she
was amused. He almost dreaded tell
ing Marian of his legacy. Not but
/ g., 1T
it might worry her. Forty five thousand
in town like Lagrange was equal to
| five hundred thousand in large city.
He would be one of the leading citi-
zens. AS he walked leisurely homo
about three, he found himself ac-
| knowledging the bows of acquaint-
ances with a certain pleasant detach-
ment as it We're. Of course they did
not know, as yet, but they would.
He did not call on Marian that eve
ming. The next day when he rang up
| to speak to her, Mrs. Seward said she
was away for a few days, but would
| be back on Monday. He did not mini.
| 1t would give him time to think mat
ters over. That afternoon, as he was
passing by the City hall, Deering came
| kt1i rying down the broad steps, stop
| peg at seeing him and came over.
| u want TO have a talk with you,
Walt" he-said, pointblank. Something
impol tant-'i.
fries geniaIlyy Deering was city at
torney-not a large office in a tcwn
| like Lagrange, but one bespeakins The
confidence of his constituents. Even
a future leading citizen might do
worse than keep him as friend.
They V ent back to the little dusty OF
/ flee, ar6 Deering sat on the end OF a
tanle while he talked.
| You see, it's this way. I'm in love
/ with Marian. l guess I've been in love
4 wit n
/ I'd have stood a show only that we had
a little quarrel and l went away, like
a fool, to the northwest. When came
back last spring l found you here, and
you had the inside track. But I know
she still cared for me-" He held his
head up. and there was a ringing note
of surety in his tone that bothered JEFF
fries. Marian had never mentioned
Bob Deering.
"Well?"
We'll? I asked her all over again
last night at the university lecture,
and she told me she was almost en-
gagged to you. Is that right?''
"She asked me to wait ar" said
Jeffries. IF she could care for me in
that time. we We're to be married.
''EXactly-if! Well, she cares for
me, Walt That's all there is about it.
and it's breaking her heart to have to
tell you so. She's gone away for
4 few days, and I made up my mind I'd
come straight to you like a man and
have it out. If her happiness is at
stake it doesn't matter about us, does
1t?"
''You mean about me- said Jeffries
dryly. NO. l suppose not 1 would
! be the last to stand in Miss Stewards
path
Now don't get upset and wrathy
about it, We're both about equal
when it comes to chances. I'm getting
$4,000 year, and they owe me six
months salary. You're waiting over
~
line. want to marry her next month
/ if you'll release her from that hap
hazard half promise she made"
Does she know that you were COM
ing to me?"
But you're sure she cares for you ?''
Il know it, always knew it,
i Jeffries smoked in silence minute.
He felt uplifted and magnanimouS. He
would give happiness to Marian. Of
course when she knew the truth-that
he had forty-five thousand-she would
perhaps regret. but that was not his
| fault. He smiled.
GO ahead and win her Bob, and
good luck to you"
Two days later, Marian returned
home, and that night Bob told her. She
listened in silence, and flushed as he
added the news that had spread over
the little town of Waits legacy.
Il feel like a dog now to have inter
fered, dear" he said. Il didn't know
he'd fallen heir to this fortune |
only knew 1 loved you and wanted
you released
He was quite willing, wasn't he ?"
asked Marian. teasingly. 1T would
have been drag a rising young
lawyer with wealth behind him to
have just little me for a bride, don't
you think so?
II don't want to think anything
about him. I want you to marry me
| in a months time"
Suppose you went on, from one Of
flee to another and became very sue
| cessful Pr
IF 1 became president I'd have the
sweetest and best wife in the whole
blamed country" said Bob impetuous-
ly. Wen live on my salary when the
| town feels like paying it, and wen be