The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-06
EVENING STORY
The Wedding Knives.
BY 8. B. HACKLEY.

.. D. Il<ASIA1<E
They were very beautiful-those
delicate trifles-of the ancient wedding
toilet Of the seventeenth century bride
the wedding knives of Mistress Anne
Hogarth.
Margery Byers took them reverently
from their faded green brocade
sheaths, and, running her fingers over
the deliberately chased blades, and the
quaint pearl set handles, handed them
to Stephen Palmer. The young ply
sician turned them over curiously.
$50 these pretty trinkets were neces-
sary to the bridal toilet away, back In
the days OF your grandmother ances-.
tress, Margie?" he remarked. Il don't
remember of ever reading of them"
Margery's brown eyes sparkled with
interest and admiration.
why, dent you remember, Steve z!
she cried. Juliet wore them at her
Rirdle when she was in the Friar's
cell, and she had them on when she
was about to take the sleeping potion"
What did they symbolic? ~ asked
Palmer.
''They had something to do with
severing the, knot of love. I believe
answered Margery vaguely. anyway
whatever they meant. they were beau
tifu1 things to wear"
And you, Margie, I suppose you'll
wear these when you're married Z!
Palmer hesitated a little over his
Words.
When a girl has a well-defined. rela-
tive-implanted idea of engaging her
self when she gets to the seashore
summer resort to a rich man she does
MT care for but who is going to ask her
to marry him, to see unexpected love IN
the eyes of the man she'd like to mar
ry, even tho disapproved OF by the
relatives, is disconcerting. Margery
turned away and replaced the trinkets
in their places before she answered
bit TREMENDOUSLY:
'My-my wedding day is long
time off. most likely. Steve. I'm not
quite twenty, you know"
'I-listen. Margie." Stephen tried to
keep his voice steady. Il want to tell
you something"
"Hurry, Margie," an Impatient voice
called from the next room. Are you
forgetting we have an engagement this
| evening""
'rm coming, mother" the girl an
swered. "Come down to the station
tomorrow. Steve" she said in hasty
good-by, "early. I'll go down a half
| hour before mother does, and we
we can talk before the train leaves.
But a man in a factory got himself
out up badly the next day an hour be-
fore Margery's train was to leave, and
Palmer was called to hold life in him.
There was not even time for telephon-
ing Margery, and the letter of explana-
ton he sent her was returned to HIM
unopened.
/ When three weeks later Margery's
engagement to Elmer Troxell was an
nounced Stephen worked SO many ex-
ira hours at the hospital that the head
surgeon protested.
| IN September the Byers family re-
turned, and Palmer could not escape
the accounts of the wedding that was
to be one of the city's social events. A
few days before the wedding. unable
to deny himself the uncertain unhap-
piness of trying to catch a glimpse OF
the b.ide-to-bc, he found himself pass
/ ing the Byers house. AS he welt by,
driving at a snairs pace, he heard
frightened screams from within. He
leaped from his car. AS he ran up
the walk a terrified maid thrust open
the door.
"Oh, DR.. Palmer!" she cried, recog-
mixing him, come in, quick!"
II Another one OF the maids had fallen,
! carrying a try of glasses. and had cut
her wrist. She was shrieking in fear
and clinging to Mafg, ry, who with a
pencil and handkerchief was twist
| ing a tourniquet about the wounded
arm. while the blood spattered her
lovely white dress.
Come away, Margery," frowned a
heavy browed man in white serge
costume, standing at a safe distance
from the maid, as Palmer came for
ward, "and let the man attend to her.
It's his business-besides you're get
| ting your frock spoiled and we were
ready for our drive"
Margery shook eff his hand. GO
away, Elmer."-Palmer detected d
note of dislike in her tone-"you are
| in. Doctor Palmer's way. Never mind
the drive. 1 shall stay with Sophie
AS Troxell sulkily left the room his
| foot touched something lying on the
rug. something that tinkled as with
a murmur of disgust he showed il
aside.
The next morning when Palmer re-
| TUNED to the house to attend the in
jured maid he found her crying.
I'm not scared for myself, it's Miss
Margia I'm worried about" she told
him. ''He-that man amt fit for her
nor anybody else. Miss Margie told
him yesterday she was going to wea1
her great grandmothers wedding
knives (maybe she's showed them to
YOU'D at her wedding. and he got
awfully mad-asked her how she
| would look, standing up there in. her
bridal robes. before all bis friends with
| those absurd things dangling at her
belt. like housekeeper's keys!' And
he threw them on the floor, and when
1 came in with the tray 1 stumbled
over them and fell and cut my arm"
Palmer paled |as he listened, and
| tho he made no comment he> had to
| set his teeth to keep the words that
| came in his mind.
Two days later Palmer read the fol-
lowing paragraph in the evening pa
per:
"Troxel1 Neglects to Get License
| ran the headline. After being sup
posedly Joined in matrimony at the
most elaborate society wedding of the
year at noon today, with the Rev
Robert Clinton and Bishop Phelps of.
ficiatfng. Miss Margery Byers and Ell.
mer Troxell were informed by County
Clerk Veal in the most matter-of-fa &c,
way that they were not married al
all. They had been married without a
license"
| The paper further stated that the
guests had left Miss Byers' residence
after the reception. when the vita
omission was discovered. A messenger