The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-13
EVENING STORY
The Pearl Beads.
BY S. B. HACKLEY.

y
ing the little car down Monteagle
street, asked of the girl sitting behind
her.
To agree with what was in Eloise's
mind was the easiest way of getting
along with her. and unless it was in
matters of grave Importance or some
thing that concerned the happiness of
other people. Laurestine never dis
agreed with this spoiled foster sister.
"Sedley's have the best necklaces"
she said now gently.
IF only mother had not lost her dia-
the young driver. Aunt Ellen says it
was perfectly beautiful, and mother
said l should wear it at my graduation
party. She put it away for safekeep-
ing somewhere one day when she left
the house. and she could never re-
member where! can't see why father
isn't willing to put as much money in
one for me nowi"
Laurestine saw why. Corey Farnum
did not believe in the eXtravagant style
of dress in which Eloise and her moth
er reveled, and tho he usually gave
way to the mothers demands, at a
time when the hands of millions of
hungry little children were stretched
out in piteous appeal. his generous
child loving heart could never sanction
a IS, 900 pearl necklace Tor his daugh-
ter's graduation gift.
Somehow Eloise would never under
stand nor sympathize with her fathers
ideas. Laurestine, the girl adopted at
three was more like him than this
child of his blood, born the next year.
At the corner a little old man, stopped
and slightly lame, wearing clean blue
overalls and jumper, started across the
! street. Eloise, frowning heavily, was
| inattentive to her driving and the old
Irishman was knocked down and ola
| not rise At the hospital to which
| they took him the two girls, shaken
and troubled. waited to learn the ex-
| tent of his injuries. When he recovered
consciousness Laurestine. against
Eloise's protest, insisted on seeing him:
AS she bent over his cot and a pair OF
| bright eyes, as blue as her own. looked
lup at>her out of the white old face she
burst into tears
| TT breaks my heart to think we
| hurt you!" she cried.
| Don't redden your swate eyes for
| me-" he whispered. IF die twill be
| becuz me time has come"
He put his hand in his bosom and
drew out a little package. 4 found
that yesterday in the linin' of an old
amt worth much, beloike, but they're
uncommon purity beads, an I said to
meself when 1 found 'em. they'd look
purity on me garlie's neck. i were
I'd have the happiness to put 'em in
yer hands meself! Could we kiss me,
me daughter fer We are me daughter
l-jist vance before We go?'
your daughter" she cried out.
"Yis, me dear" he answered. "Whin
Nora, your mother, died I gave we to
the rich folk that I knowed 'ud give
We a thousand times better chanst
than poor Tim Malone! 1 promised to
| keep away from We, and I've done ut
slant to hold me little CROWN
daughter in me arms, but as thot cud
| not be, kim to the city where she,
lived, SO cud sometimes let me eyes
fer the railroad until 1 got lame; now
1 pick rags. Vance in a while I've
stint we a present unbeknownst. Do
we mind the bunch O. American Beau
ty roses whin We graduated"
Laurestine remembered. She had
thought Bob had sent them and had
not wanted to put his name on them.
for that was long before Bob knew
she loved him. Crying softly Laures-
tine kissed the withered cheek many
times.
TIL be back before in the morn
| awake then"
Sure will, me DEAR" he smiled.
EN- yen kiss me vance again if I'm
sleepin' eternal. and yen wear 'em,
| won't We, yer old daddy's beads?"
That afternoon Laurestine was
| called to the telephone.
We've got orders to move in the
| morning at g." she heard Lieut.. Vim
cent saying. Sweetheart. I'm coming
| up for a short half hour this evening"
Tomorrow-Bobw was going tomor-
| row. They had not dreamed it was
to be so soon, And she had promised
him. if her father would consent, that
she would marry him before he left.
! Her father!
| Bob was a Kentuckian, West
Pointer, and proud. What would he
say il she told him her father were
I living. man who said "ut' for it, and
picker!
That evening Vincent wondered at
| her white, stricken face. She had al
ways been so cheerfully brave before,
when they had talked Of his going.
Smile. Laurie" he besought her;
to marry me in the morning, as You
| promised, aren't you? Can you be
ready by six for the ceremony"
| At six! At six she had promised to
go to her father!
Then Mrs. Farnum's high-pitched
voice, at the telephone, reached them.
You have my lost pearls! My daugh-
| ter brought them in to be cleaned, you
| say? Somebody on the street handed
them to her? My monogram on the
clasp. Can you come right up and
bring them"
She burst into the parlor, and
| Laurestine managed to explain how
| she came by the necklace. When Mrs
| Farnum, in great excitement. went to
look for Eloise, Vincent turned to
Laurestine.
I'D try to arrange for our marriage
this evening, my sweet, but I've got to
| go back now and work about all
! night. to get things ready. Why,
Laurie, what is it?''
She had drawn herself ouE of his
md CT 20 1t
| spot on each pale cheek.
| Bob, you've known that my par
ents are adopted. but you don't know
kfrom what people I came, Until to-
day, I supposed my real parents were
| dead-hut that man at the Hospital
who found mother'st pearlsLhe's an
| Irishman. old and ignorant, and a rag
| picker, and-my father! But he loves