The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-18
EVENING STORY
The Empty House.
BY FANNIE BARNETT LINSKY.

1ne Empty MUSE
BY FANNIE BARNETT LINSKY.
| The little brown car had swung with
a soft humming sound down the
smooth road, and its sole occupant was
sitting with her hands in her lap. look
| ing dreamily out at the landscape and
the rows of houses that they passed.
Many a one passing by on the sidewalk
might have envied the lovely youns
| woman sitting there. so slender and
aristocratic, in the little brown car.
but she herself was not even conscious
| of the looks, whether envious or ad-
miring. that were cast in her direction.
| If, as the poets say, the eyes are
mirrors Of the SOUL" then it was very
| apparent that Elaine Hargrave was
not happy. for the sad, far-away ex-
preston on her face told its own story.
| AS the machine turred the corner of
the street, however. she began to take
more interest in her surroundings. and
she watched carefully the houses she
passed
Suddenly she leaned forward and
spoke to the chauffeur.
stop. Jacques" she commanded
sharply. lat the house To Let"
The brakes ground sharply. and
Elaine stepped out at once. She
looked again, and drew in her breath
| quickly. A wave of crimson flooded
her face. The chauffeur wondered at
ready late for dinner, and he did not
think that his mistress could possibly
want to look at this empty house.
The glory of perfect spring day
was over, all the out-of-doors. 1t
seemed day to tempt any one to re-
main in the open. and to drink in to
the full the beauties of bountiful ma
ture, but evidently this did not attract
the girl, for she mounted the steps of
the house at once.
she had rung the bell. wait till 1
come out" she said.
siovenly looking woman suddenly
appeared in response to her ring. She
was as dusty-looking. somehow, as
the house was, and quite as detected
as she spoke:
Il want to see the house" said the
girl. Il suppose 1 can go in?"
wei. it's gettin' pretty late. mum.
; and don't think as you'd be SEEM
much" replied the old woman
| You can give me your candle"
said Elaine quickly. as she slipped a
coin Into the not over-clean hand, and
with a. little gasp, the woman yielded,
The front door was opened. and
Elaine went thru the passage and
| glided upstairs like a ghost, the wo-
man promptly returning to the lswer
regions. whence she had come Light
ing the dirty candle from a gas-jet
burning in the passageway. Elaine
went from one room to another with
quick. nervous haste. Her'face was
quite colorless. but her eyes burned
with feverish light that made her
seem very different from the brilliant
lady OF fashion that most people knew
as Elaine Hargrave. Here she was
, but girl; and face to lace with mem
ory. memory that was still alive aft
er three years of bitter struggle-the
struggle OF trying to forget.
FOR today was the third anniversary
OF what was to have been Elaine Har-
graves wedding day. but that wedding
!, never took place; and on the third
anniversary of what might have
Deen." as Elaine expressed 1t herself.
and just home from travels that had
taken her. into the far away corners
OF the world, the girl had become nos
sessed with the desire to see the place
home"
|, She stopped for a moment in her
tntting from room to room. and looked
before, she had planned to come as =
happy bride. and here she had left the
, man she loved after their bitter ouar-
, rel, called him Puritan" and ..prude u
: because he would not countenance the
wdss OF her set" How empty and
ser, she had come bitterly to realize
|. just az in her heart of hea rts she ha 4
come to respect all the more, the mar
| VINO would not bow down to them
ana now empty was her heart as we'll,
one could see MIN plainly. if she but
, smut ner eyes for a moment. az hs
stood before her that day SO long or
SO TAI ana proud. and good to look at
Sne had always taken such pride ir
ms good looks. all the more so because
. had come to the city unknown 49,
nao worked up to an enviable position
! Sne could almost hear again his "a rn.
est voice as he demonstrated with he,
+ on mat late fateful day in this house
; hno" that do not belong to this
SET that you seem to think SO much
, or dear" he caid. land perhaps tina,
Is why I find it so hard to accuston
myseh to the things that they do, bui
am certain that I have too much re.
Ssfo tor the woman who is to be my
wire TO want to see her follow in the
i,.ootsteps OF people whose chief aim In
NE seems to be to attract the attentio,
OF others. You are made for better
. ,n,ngs than this, Elaine. dear. won'i
you be guided by me in this thing
: and give these people up? Please
dear. for my sake? ?"
she recalled now how she had fluns
away from him, altho In her hear
sne mad known even then that he wal
5 to urge her not to give in: how shs
had refused to do what he asked nj
= ner, telling her that she would live
: ner life without him. and that she
reehzed now that it was a mistake 10
t expect an outsider plebeian-to
understand the ways of her kind OF
people" Even now, after three years
! Elaine still WINGED as she thought OF
, those hasty words of hers How she
must have hurt him-and all the time
y she was hurting herself as well; and
ne had let her go on without a word
OF protest. In the end gravely agreeing
: with her. and saying that he would
S never ask her to come back again
( And he hadn't. And they never met
nor wrote.
Il Eialne's eyes were opened now, but
, OF course it was far too late to give
In and acknowledge herself in the
+ wrong. Three years of time had rolled
: between them. the bar of passionate
j words on either side keeping them
apart