The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-30
EVENING STORY
Wasted Years.
BY LILY wANDEL.

| depot waiting for the train that was TO
take her back to the home she had
left reluctantly and heavy hearted
nearly twenty years ago. She dreaded
the return, 1t was not home to her;
home was what she was now leaving
forever. She hated TO go back and
see what might have been, the happi-
ness she could have claimed if she
had stayed. If she had not listened
to what she had thought was the
| call of duty. Twenty years of wasted
effort, yet she had told herself that
she was happy; but now she knew
| differently, her eyes were opened. She
had given up the best years of her life
and now. no longer needed, unwanted,
she must go back and pick up the
remnants of the old forgotten life.
Sitting there in the bustlin9 waiting
room she remembered her girlish at
tachment for Clifford Holmes, now
! magnified by lonesomeness and spin
sterhood to a great love. No actual
engagement had existed-merely an
understanding, the unbinding country
keeping company" And Bretna had
Dove like a premonition of what
would be realized. Then came the
crisis in her life. In a distant town
her sister died. A letter followed from
the despairing husband, william, the
father of five small children.
After a night of agony of indecision.
torn between duty and the thought of
losing Clifford. Bretna wrote that she
would come for few months. She
had hoped that her sweetheart would
speak before she left. but his words
were vague, unsatisfying. In a few
weeks came a letter from home link
ing the names of Clifford and Nancy.
The children having the measles pre-
vented her rushing home. Shortly
after their recovery came Clifford's
brief confirming note. Nancy had
stolen her sweetheart.
After the death of her parents the
following year she cut all communica-
ton with her home town. more than
ready to yield to the new life and for
get the old.
Bretna looked back at the wasted
years of toll, unselfish burden-bearing
"a life sacrificed. And for what pur-
pose? To be dumped aside now that
her labors were no longer needed. The
youngest and last of the five children
had married and William had decided
to make his home with his favorite
daughter. The house, grown so dear
to Bretna, was rented. There was
nothing for her to do but go back to
the village and witness the happiness
that might have been hers.
And she had loved them so dearly.
Stuart, the oldest. and the twins,
Frank and Lee. Jimmie, her favorite,
and the youngest, and pet. little gold
en-haired May. Oh, she would tear
them all out of her heart, even Will
liam, who had always been so kind
and good.
Bretna found the little cottage. her
inheritance, and began in a half-heart-
ed way to clean up and keep house.
She was lonesome, desperately home
sick and ashamed Yes, mortified to
face the old friends and acquaintance
who knew of her love affair. She re-
scented their pity. Every time she ner-
vously\ entered the village store she
caught Yes. Nancy stole him away"
and poor girl" Then all the more
she enveloped herself in a mantle of
ice and kept everybody miles away
with the coolest of mods.
Most of the day she worked in the
stony vegetable patch and the evening
sat alone and desolate in the vine-cov-
cred porch trying not to think of Will
Hams CHEEKY voice and Mays light
laugh. or hear the old familiar creak
Of the garden gate announcing a visit
of one of the married sons
Wasted years, wasted years. croaked
the distant frogs. and Bretna's trem-
bling lips repeated the words even up
in the low-ceilinged bedroom far into
the night.
Then came the berry season. and
Bretna, with pals and sunbonnet.
wandered over the wooded hillsides.
In the heat of the day she sought a
shady spot to partake of the simple
lunch she carried. Occasionally, an
other berry picker would attempt to
be sociable, but Bretna refused to re-
spond. But one very hot noon hour
a gray-haired woman, bent and tired
looking, awakened her sympathy; she
offered the stranger a drink OF cold
coffee. The woman extended her red,
ork-stiffened fingers. staring. but
made no move to grasp the cup.
LAS 1 live. it's Bretna Sterrett"
BreGna opened her eyes very wide.
She honestly did not. recognize the
hollow-eyed. shabby dressed woman.
''Bretna, don't you remember me.
Nancy Dove?"
the old bitterness sprang to her lips.
You. who stole" and stopped
quickly flushing.
Eyes, I took Clifford away from
YOU" finished the woman listlessly. Il
got him and all that went with him.
gambling, the debts. disgrace and
shame, even abuse! And you-I know.
Somebody in the village met May
Brownly, they told me how happy you
were, how the whole Brownly family
adored you, how you brought up the
children. won their love and respect!
oh. what's the use of talking about it,
Bretna. who stared in amazement.
suddenly felt something in Nancy's
tired voice pull at her heart. She
took one of the roughened hands
within her own. Nancy" she asked
softly, you have not been happy"
Happy" interrupted the other
woman rising. "Bretna, such poverty,
such wretchedness as mine, you have
not known! l must be going. No.
don't live in the village. 1 won't tell
Observation-Disclosures
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