The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-09
EVENING STORY
His Fault.
BY SUSAN e. CLAGETT.


| the woodland road with the cabin
branch murmuring at their feet.
Rachel wondered why he had returned
to disturb her hardly won serenity. for
she was frank enough with herself to
admit that she was disturbed by his
proximity. Quite naturally their steps
had turned toward the tree that had
been their objective point during that
summertime when both were young,
but there had been little talk between
| them.
! She wished to avoid personalities.
yet she could not bring her mind to
bear upon the trivial things that would
make conversation. Emotion that had
I long been buried, dominated her. and
she was conscious that resentment
more than any other feeling had held
her in its grip; resentment and the
memory of months of suffering, now
long past. but still capable of moving
! her, and it was against this she re-
| belled; that he still had power to
cause her one , moments aistr psaao,nb
Galbost For the time being he had
forgotten past transgressions and was
feeling to the full her strong person
atty and yielding to the JOY OF seeing
her once more. He flicked the golden
rod with a switch he carried, tossed
| a chip at a chattering chipmunk; his
| eyes sweeping the fields, the col
oring woods. only to return and rest
upon her face.
| There is little change" he said at
last. THE sumacs are beginning to
color; there is the same simmer OF
silver in the<leaves of the beech over
there, and I verify believe the same
minnows are flashing thru the water
He leaned over the bank peering down
into the branch. Look, Rachel" His
voice was excited and he caught her
hand, drawing her forward. Look.
There is the same old mullet we tried
so hard to catch, and he is playing
the same old tricks, darling in and
out the roots. catching tadpoles as he
can. No. Nothing is changed" He
picked up pebble and dropped 1t
that extended across the narrow
stream. Nothing. except Rachel Tai
bort, and l am accountable for that"
His voice had altered. All the light
ness was gone. You have no reason
to give me a kindly thought, Rachel,
yet it was the hope you still feel an
interest that has brought me back;
that has kept alive the little spark of
| good there is in me-"
Her voice was low, slightly hesitant.
generalities, Randolph. 1t will be
best
| "Gene-alities! I have not come
from the ends ot the earth to talk of
anything but ourselves. i was in
Egypt when l heard of your fathers
Cairo that night and was fortunate in
catching a steamer for Marseilles. 1
did not even pause in Paris, such was
my haste to reach you. And you ask
me to talk generalities. We will not
talk at all, if not about that which
| brought ne here"
| II had no reason to believe you
| would come to me-"
| That is true. But even before 1
knew you were in trouble 1 had de-
pened. Material as 1 have always
been in my beliefs, years in India and
| Egypt have cast their spell upon me.
now give heed to many things that
before would have aroused derision.
1t was ,aiy a dream, and I heard you
| calling me, calling in great distress.
Not one night. but night after night.
: became obsessed by the fear of 1
| knew not what and made arrange
ments to leave. Then 1 heard of
your fathers death Do you think 1
will talk plalitudes after that ?"
She smiled somewhat sadly MS she
watched squirrel scampering across
the wood path. II still think it best
not to ,ook back. There is nothing
to be gained by doing so. and person
aiities VIII MAKE US emotional. some
thing TO be avoided
I'VE will have to face that, for 1
have come to ask you to give me an
other chance, Rachel" For an in
slant he laid his hand over hers.
You are I sclf-controlled, self-con-
| tanned woman. while L have always
been given to extremes. For you 1
gave up my old companions and
forced myself to walk in that straight
and narrow path whose straightness
and narrowness needs a powerful in
| centive at the further end to make a
| f0II
caprice of the moment, keep in the
| middle II 1t. Yet for one small lapse
you shut the door in my face, shut it
and the greater temptation was await
ing me-"
"Oh. beg of you," she interrupted
in stified voice. why bring it all
back?"
Il must. I do not mean to be cruel.
but we must talk this thing out; talk
it over from an entirely different view
realize 1t now. Then 1 thought differ
emily. for the accursed spirit of opposi-
ton that made me obstinate in wrong
had full possession of me. The years
that have passed between now and
| then I have lived in the Orient and
have had opportunities in plenty to
| sound the very depths of remorse and
| despair. I did not deserve that shut
door. Rachel. but pride and obstinacy
kept me silent, for appearances were
| against me. Yet I loved you then: I
still love YOU"
She had turned so that he could not
see her face and the silence lasted so
long he touched her to attract her
| attention.
| IT wrote to you," she asid at last.
! There were often times 1 felt that
nothing mattered but your nearness
You did not answer. You did not
come"
when the letters reached me my
own hurt was too recent. I had but
| one thought. To make you suffer as 1
was suffering. Oh! my dear. 1 do not
seek to justify myself That is not
| possible. left your letters unan-
| swered. knowing well you were fight
| ing distrust You know my weakness
and what they have cost me in friends
| and success in life. and knowing