The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-12
EVENING STORY
The Nomad.
BY JANE OSBORN,

JANE Os96oIN4<'E
The Cordovas had always been no
MAIDS, Alice always told her friends.
and she took entirely after the Cor
dovas. She could show you the Cor
| dova genealogy that proved that they
had originally come from Spain, some |
three hundred years before, had gone |
| to France and then to England. Ar |
rived in New England, they intermar- |
ried with Puritan stock and were con- |
| tent to settle down for a generation or
! so, but the nomad stock finally beat
its way to the fore Some pushed west
and some went to sea. They were new
| er content to settle down. If a CoFdova
did content himself with sitting beside
his own fireside then that was because
he took after the other side OF the fam
| lily. If he was true Cordova he was
| a nomad. Alice's sisters had not been
real Cordovas, because they had mar
ried stay-at-home men and had liked
nothing in the World better than ac-
curing a little home plot, furniture
and a perennial garden. Nor was
Alice's brother a nomad; for he had
| insisted on remaining in the old Cor
| dova homestead and Alice. as the only
1 unmarried sister, had found 1t her
duty to remain with him to keep
| house. +
So, while Alice's brother ordered
hardy rose bushes from the florist,
Alice never would consent to anything
| of longer duration than geraniums,
pansies and other ANIMALS. Whenever
the question of having the house repa-
pered came up, Alice always looked
perpiexed. 1T is all right for stay
at home" she would say. but I'm not
Interested in the old house."
As matter of fact. Alice had never
| travelled more than fifty miles away
from home. And now at "a she was
as much q fixture in the old home
town as she had been at 20, when she
first came home from boarding school
to keep house for her brother.
Alexander Burton had proposed
every six months since that time
lalways when the first crisp days Of au-
| tumn came and when spring brought
around renewal of hope with the
budding of leaves and flowers. Affects
answer was always the same.
II really do like you enough to
marry you," Alice would begin, and
at Alexander's entreaty she would ad-
nit she really loved him.
IF ! weren't a real Cordova I'd
marry you, but that would mean being
tied down, and a nomad can't be tied
down. l must be free to co.
!. Alexander stopped trying to argue
Alice out Of her notion early in his
courtship. Instead, he always brought
her books on travel and time tables
and the various highly colored folders
put out by steamship, companies and
tourist agencies. AS matter of fact,
Alexander in the course of his business
had travelled many thousand miles
more than Alice. but he never boosted
of this fact. He seemed to take a due
pride in the old Burton homestead,
and planted perenniais when he was
home like the other natives.
: But you might as well marry me
as to stay here all your life," he spg-
gested once; and then Alice explained
that the only thing that stood in the
way of her ambition was the fact that
her brother had not married. Some
) time he would marry and then she
would start to go nomading.
Affects wardrobe from year to year
} always showed complete travelling
; outfit, and while other women In the
! Heighborhoed wore filpny xjlkss and
r lowered hats to church and to go
> shopping Alice was always dressed in
: trim tailor-made clothes with shoes
v and hats that would have been worthy
: of an experienced globe-trotter.
i was whispered about that she had a
!. wonderful collection of luggage. a per-
: fectly equipped travelling toilet case
o folding umbrellas and all the contrap-
3 tons invented to tempt the habitual
: traveller. But people did not make
fun OF Alice, nor even smile at her
: fad. They assured each other, as she
| assured them. that she was real
q Cordova and hence naturally looked
: forward to travel. The pity was tina,
! Alice's brother didn't marry and re-
!, lease her. Certainly there were enough
y bands. It was funny how hard some
!, ofSeourse. WHEN he did select one
It of the incest of these girls every one
!. prised-nice enough girl to be sure
q but theX hadn't thought he would bs
u SO easily suited. The day of the wed.
!. ding was settled. and Alice. with fas
!. beating heart ana trembling hands
q spent long hours each day<trying K
Y decide whether her first trip would b
q to the Argentine. to Japan or t.
Egypt.
= She asked Alexander Burton's ad.
n vice, and as she did SO she hoped th4
Us he did not notice that her lips were
% dry and that her heart was beatin.
AZ ferociously. She tried SO hard to show
~ ture Cordoya enthusiasm over tn
g. prospects of her long planned trip.
= 1T doesn't much matter where YOU
- - begin" Burton told her. 81 suppos
81 you might spend six months in eaci
~ place the first time. I suppose 20,
won't aim to get back for over a year
ea Your brother can handle your affair
20 perfectly. am sure. and banking ar
8, rangements can easily be made 70
e. you at various ports"
a. "Oh, hadn't you expected me bacl
a. for over year?" Alice asked, grow
er ing faint at the thought and the
. wishing she hadn't said what she had
,s There wouldn't be any object
30 would there?" asked Burton. quit
,is calmly. You can keep in touch wit
IL US by letters"
"Yes, indeed" commented Alice
uy She tried to keep Burton fromlsavin
Re early that evening. She wanted. hir
y to say something that he did not
+, Yas autumn--the crisp. Indian sum
n nier days had come and were almos
to soae, anu se. ne nag hot oroushL
BIS 800. Soi sAHs nav oeeoiiie iio LUG
- There were two weeks more befor
ce the wedding and before Aliee's depart
ure. The trunks were almost packe
- and Alice had made arrangements
IF a half-hearted way TO put some fe'
~ personal possessions In storage. Ey
he cry one~was saying to every one els
nd that Alice was lucky to be able I