The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-14
EVENING STORY
Lifting the Shadows.

vast gardens that surrounded her
fathers mansion. Neither artistic en-
deavor nor money had been spared
in making the place one of exquisite
beauty. Seemingly fairies had tripped
about scattering posies of every hue
that they might make for themselves
a garden of color and joy in which to
dance joyously in the moonlight.
But Lorna's eyes were Swallowed
and her lips petulant- Apparently the
fairies had not brought her happiness.
She was a creature of melancholy and
gloom as she sat and pondered over
the reason &C. hcr existence.
I might just as well never have
been born" she often told herself
Mamma and papa would have been
spared much trouble if L had been
left out of the world"
IN this last thought Lorna was right
She had been the cause of anxiety
ana worry to her parents. In her
early years her mother and father
had pampered their only child, and as
the girl grew up she became harder
and harder to please. They had trav-
eled with her; they had lived in town
anG country; they had done every
thing to make her happy. But they
enIng shadows in Lorna's eyes.
Many men had danced attendance
on Lorna, but she had tired Of each in
turn. Nothing in the world seemed to
suit her. because she was satisfied
imperfection in it
AT times she gave way to fits of
weeping Now she had begun to
weep softly as she sat on the fallen
tree trunk in the forest of her faith
er'S estate.
A young man came whistling thru
the woods. He walked with a springy
step and his small white dog shifted
at Lorna's skirts. The man stopped
and listened; he heard her sob. Lorna
then looked up without attempting to
hide her tears.
Wh-what's the matter?" asked
Bobby Lake of The stranger, sympa-
thetically.
Lorna flashed a glance at him thru
the tears. "Everything." she said.
Bobby looked wise and nodded. The
sympathy had left his expression and
instead suppressed smile lurked in
his eyes. Lorna saw the twinkle and
thought it brutal.
Il am a very unhappy person." she
said.
Love AFFAIR." Bobby said, sagely.
No. Certainly not Lorna retorted
But her color rose and Bobby liked
the effect
"a pain, perhaps, from eating green
apples?" Bobby ventured.
Il haven't even seen green apple"
Bobby laughed. "Oh-then you're
hungry" NE fastened to say. And
forthwith he drew from his pocket a
huge sandwich sprinkled generously
with tobacco from his leaky pouch.
vitality is low when one is famished,"
he added.
''Thanks-but 1 have two cooks to
prepare anything 1 care to suggest"
Lorna replied, with some hauteur.
thunder are you crying for?" He ex-
tracted the strip of meat from his
sandwich for the small dog and re
turned the bread to his pocket Vim
is glad to get my offering. He hasn
two cooks to cater to his appetite.
What is the matter with you?''
It am just unhappy" Lorna said
pensively. Il can't find anything per-
feet. I find something to criticise in
every one and everything"
Yourself included, 1 hope?" Bobby
suggested. Il suppose you realize that
you are a little chump to sit on a
fallen tree bawling for nothing at
all?"
Before Lorna could retort. Bobby
Lake had whistled to Vim and turned
on his heel and left her. The spring
in his footsteps and the joyous swing
of his rough walking stick sent some
thing akin to buoyancy thru Lorna's
blood. But she was frightfully angry
and tried not to watch the retreatfng
figure.
The next cay when she was in the
garden she tried to tell herself that
she was not constantly on the alert
for a sight of the strange and imper-
tinent young man. When she heard
his whistle and saw his dog, she felt
her pulses quicken. But of course
she answered herself. he would not
speak to her a second time.
Has your disposition improved ?"
he asked. without preamble as he re-
moved mis- tweed cap and balanced it
on the end of his stick.
MY disposition is as good as your
manners" Lorna retorted.
II doubt even that" Bobby said.
And what do you do with yourself
besides sit out here and bawI?" he
asked. wouldn't it be better for a
young woman who seems to have SO
much idle time to go about the viii
lage visiting the poor mothers and
offering them CHEEKY hours and max
ing them cups of tea? Or, maybe, it
| would suit you better to invite
home-bring them out here and tell
them fairy stories and let them enjoy
your gardens and your gifts-instead
of weeping away your life
Lorna bit her lip. Il have never
thought of-those things" she admit
ted
"Of anything-but yourself, per-
haps,' Bobby added. You would be
a peculia~ person if you were happy
under those circumstances. 1 see now
why you weep. You are selfish; yor
are sorry for yourself. YoJ are tired
of your own personality. You are so
wrapped up in yourself that YOU
! have failed to see the beauty of all
this" His arms went out and he
seemed to embrace the whole of the
beautiful surroundings. You don't
realize the wonder of this old world
that has been given to US mortais-
given to us-remember that. We
/ have not done a single thing to de-
serve all this beauty, but it has been
| thrust into our lives for US to enjoy
Lorna was silent for moment 1T
/ had never thought of that-either,' %
she said.