The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-31
E0ening Story
On the Way to the Elm.
BY LILY wANDEE.

/ of her neat little attic bedroom and re-
I read the letter-a proposal and the
very first one she had had. And prob
ably the last. ''she told herself without
bitterness. When you live on little
farm miles and miles from nov here
and are not very attractive and are ex-
| tremely bashful and hard to get ac7
quainted with, what chances have YOU
4 in the ma trimonial line?
1t was a short letter, to the point.
| signed James c. Hines. He was their
neighbor, a splendid man, everybody
| liked him and Nettie knew him well.
saw and chatted with him every day.
She admired him enjoyed talking to
him. respected his advice and felt
little flattered that he wanted her. OF
| course she had seen it coming this
proposal. There had been all kinds of
| little forerunners. Little packages of
| her favorite seeds, and baskets of ber-
i ries or specially nice fruit. Then he
| had asked her once or twice how she
would like to live on his Hines farm
The family had noticed and teased
at least brother VIII had remarked
| guess some day we'll have Nettie as
a neighborl" And-father and mother
| had smiled approvingly.
1t was all very nice except that he
| was widower with six childreni And
| two were older than she! True. she
ndu KNOWN IneIn all neT lie out Indt
| made it all the more difficult. Ned, the
| oldest, was an old playmate. Now he
was counting Sally Watts in the village
and Jim, the next in age, had been
| away from the farm a good deal and
in the last years Nettie felt strange to-
| ward him. Jim seemed to Avoid her
| and that hurt so much that sometimes
| it brought hot tears to her eyes. Such
an odd feeling came over her when
she saw him saunter along with Ned to
! the Watts house. Sally had younger
| sister. very pretty and jolly and why
should not Jim go there?
Nettie folded her letter and placed it
| IN her top bureau drawer, still think
| ing, considering. SheSwas to meet him
| under the old elm around the twist
| in the lane fiber answer was favor
able. Meet him at o'clock and now it
was ten minutes to the hour. Mentally
| she went over his good points again
/ but always bobbed up the six children.
| lima CINE having Jim at the table every
day and being called mother! 1t was
acknowledgements!
But she liked him immensely.
He would be good husband.
a very kind one. and in spite
of being twice her age she had
looking and full of fun. Only yesterday
| he had helped her plant dahlia bulbs
and how they had joked and laughed
together. The day before he had liked
| her swing. He was always doing those
little nice things that count so much
in everyday life.
! Il know she decided finally, "Pll
ask mother! All my life she has
solved my problems and given me the
right advice. Isn't it the most natural
thing in the world that L go to her
with this very important question p
Mrs. Emmett sat on the leaf-covered
back porch knitting. She looked up
with surprised smile when Nettie.
very grave-faced, stepped out and
without a word placed the letter in
her mothers hands.
my dear girl" when she had fin
| ished reading it, I'VE all have ex-
pected this for some time." She
laughed happily and took one of her
and nervous you are, dear child! What
| is it, Nettie ?"
81 want to know, mother. shall 1
accept him?' in a low. tense voice.
"Nettie. you know that yourself. Ali
1 can say is that 1 would be very
pleased if you would. dear. You
know him so well and he loves you
very dearly. Don't you love him,
PETE"
"I don't know" answered Nettie in
muffled, feeble voice.
Her mother laughed Il believe
you are head over heels in love and
don't know it,"
But all the children. mother
blurted out Nettie despairingly.
What children -
"oh. you know very well Esther.
Ned, and the rest!
ooh, don't let them bother you.
Most of them are grown How foolish
you are. Nettie!''
I see all the responsibility that comes
with such a marriage"
Mrs. Emmett drew her daughter
down on her lap. ''Nettie. look into
! Il.
you. Many a foolish little girl has let
! her right man slip away because she
weighed and considered and judged
and wanted to make SO cock-sure of
| everything that she lost all If you
are so excited that you cannot think
clearly and really want mothers ad-
vice, let me tell you-go to the old elm
and decide there Hurry, too, because
| it's fifteen minutes past now"
Nettie gave her mother quivering
kiss and ha Stoned down the path. For
! the first time in her life she felt dis
| appointed in her mother. as tho in
/ this turning point of her life she
/ had failed her. Oh, she felt like hid
/ out and not going to the old elm at all.
( She was on the lane now. just before
/ the twist and a tiny. footpath lay to
I her left. 1t did not lead to the elm
| She stepped into it. hurried tear
blinded along and bumped into some
thfng-son ebody-Jim,
'.Nettiei" She was in his arms. her
| cheek on his rough coat Il waited
and waited-yeu did not come. You
/ did not mean ii for no, did you2
/ love YOU so that it hurts-for years.
Nettie. I never could get up courage
Yesterday 1 spoke to your mother"
/ He stopped to find her lips and then
! looked questioningly down in her eyes
"Oh, / was on my way to the elm.
Jim: truly was You can ask mother
| when We 90 back to the house"
(copyright, 1920. by the Mcclure News
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