The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-26
EVENING STORY
The Life-Work of Nancy.
BY INES MACDONALD


BY INES MACDONALD.
Copyright. 1913, a By Mcclure as Newspaper
After seven years everything looked
strange to wilkinson. Spaces. were
smaller, distances seemed shorter.
The town had changed but little-and
Dan Wilkinson had changed a great
deal. sPerhaps that is why his home
coming was somewhat of disappoint-
ment. He strolled down Main street,
turned west on Washington and
walked on down the hill to the old
home, where his welcome was royal
one. But still it all seemed strange
and unlike what he had expected.
He had come home neither famous
nor rich-neither failure nor poor,
but entirely conscious of the success
that was beginning to be his. altho
quite unconscious of the fact that the
breadth of mind and body that had
come TO him had improved him vastly.
His aunt could hardly believe her eyes.
He was SO manly, and yet 500 gen.
tie that she wanted to hug him when
ever he came near. Such a frank
twinkling boy-man, that he seemed
almost like her own-the son she
might have had.
Adroitly. that first evening, he drew
from her the history of all the old
friends, asking about this one and
that. But the question which he most
desired to ask kept lodging his tongue
until there was no one else left to in
quire about.
And what ~about Nancy Lane? 1
suppose she's married, too" he sug-
gested, rummaging aksently thru
stack of old music
That she isn't" said his aunt spir-
itedly- She's at the head of the new
library, # you please, and a grand
success she's making of it. Seems to
have been born for it, and says she's
going to make it her life's work"
And late that night Dave Wilkinson
lighted his pipe and strolled out and
along the once familiar streets. Final
ly he turned a well remembered cor
ner There it was, her home, the
fourth house down. He remembered
well the last time he had stood on
those steps and said good night, which
had also been goodbye. That night
they sat together on the piano bench
In the front room, singing and play
ing over the songs of the day. She
was twenty then, and he was twenty
three. Ever since he had carried about
with him the troubled glance that had
come to her grave. grey eyes when he
had told her that he loved her.
why is it, she had said, that be-
cause of this thing called love L must
lose all my friends? 1 don't want to
marry anyone-and I don't want to
lose them all. And you will do just
as the rest have done, either go away
and never come near me again, or else
poster me until 1 have to send you
away. What am 1 to dog" There was
a youthful bitterness in her young
voice that touched him. and later, on
the steps he had taken her two cool
hands in his.
Til not poster you, Nan, dear. nor
shall go away to stay, for some day
I'll be coming back to you" And a
week later he had gone west
So tonight he stood there in the
shadow of a great tree and smiled as
he looked at the front of the darkened
house from across the street She
hadn't married, and he wondered
why? Because of her LIES work,
perhaps. .---
Just after five the next afternoon
Nancy left the library and hastened
home. On the way she met Emily
Marsden. who laughed a greeting.
And have You heard the latest,
Nan?'' asked Emily.
Dan Wilkinson's home on a visit"
Really"
Yes, and Dora Worthington and
are going to have the old crowd over
at her house tomorrow night. We
wanted it next week, but Dan told me
over the phone that he was not sure
he would be here next week, SO we
decided to have it right away. of
course you'll come -
When she reached home her mother
called from the dining room where
she was setting the table.
"Oh, Nanny Guess who just
phoned-Dan Wilkinson! 1 asked
him over to supper but he wouldn't
come. Said his manners were SO ter
rible from living on a ranch that his
aunt wouldn't let him eat out Ridic-
ulous boyi Just the same as ever, al
ways jollying somebody. Said he'd
come over after supper for a little
while"
''That'n be NICE" agreed Nancy, go
ing upstairs, where she changed into
cool, soft dress and rearranged her
hair. Finally she sat down before her
mirror and studied her face for a mo-
meHt.
'T wonder if he remembers" she
murmured.
She wondered the same thing after
supper when he had held her hands
in his and looked down into her sur
prised eyes. He was changed so
brown and strong, with that atmos-
phere about him which gave one the
impression that he would reach out
and take love or anything else that he
wished, without asking. For a mo-
ment she thought he was going to kiss
her-and when he didn't she was al
most disappointed.
They played and sang the old songs,
and they sat on the porch and talked
ana talked Till late Try as she would,
she could not turn the conversation
from the subject of herself and her
work. He quizzed her persistently
about the library and the nature of
her work there. That seemed to be
the thing uppermost in his mind And
for the first time in her life she found
the subject wearisome. Her Life
Work. she had acquired the habit of
calling it 1t had been so fascinating,
so suited to her temperament. and she
had succeeded in no small measure.
But he seemed obsessed with the idea
that she cared for nothing else, and
fas the evening wore on he grew more
thoughtful more graYe=and when he