The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-24
,EDening Story
The Memory Treasure.
BY CORONA REMINGTON

"You know, Alicia, I've always loved
you-ever since we were kids together.
Remember the time 1 proposed to you
when we were fishing in the brook
down in your fathers meadow That
was a wonderful June day, 1 can
close my eyes and see the shadows
trembling on the water yet"
Alicia Conway smiled remniscently
as she glanced up at the serious blue,
eyes of her companion.
That was a long time ago" she
sighed softly. but you talk as if the
meadow were miles away instead of
right back of the house where it al
ways was"
you were ten and 1 was sixteen, but
that wasn't the last time asked you
to marry me-" he said d-sregarding
her remark.
No, 1 remember the girl answered.
Eyes, it was seven years later. and
you gave me my walking papers for
good and all You were simply in
fatuated with that Saunders fellow"
john you ought not to talk that
way-you know 1 loved him, and do
yet and / shall wait for him Just as
he promised to wait for me-"
Alicia, you may not realize it, but
you've got over loving him long ago,
and you're only keeping your promise
out of conscientiousness."
You ought to be ashamed of your
self, John Foster, and you must not
speak to me like that again. I'll ask
you never to refer to the subject after
this"
With a frigid little nod Alicia ex-
cuSed herself and went into the house.
Miss Conway threw herself onto the
couch in the living room and burst into
tears. She kept telling herself that
she must be faithful to her promise
yet the persistence of her old lovers
attentions was awakening emotions
that she had considered long ago dead
Alter an hour or more, she went to
her room and removed an old pack
a ge of letters from her trunk TAX
ing up the top one she glanced at the
poStnark-It was only six years old
yet 1t seemed centuries to the girl
and, of late, she was growing to think
| or herself as an old spinster. With a
| gesture of lmpatience she began to
read the message that she already
knew by heart. She always read this
letter when she had a fear of wavering
loyalty, so, mechanically, she let her
| eyes run over the lines once more:
| Dearest: 1 know you will wait for
me even tho it be years-and 1 will
come back to you. Charles"
She went over the words carefully
IN an effort to breathe the old life into
1 them, but somehow nothing seemed
as it should be and the sight of every
| thing depressed her. AS she glanced
! out the window she noticed that even
| the reflection of the sun on the green
leaves had a cold and lonely cast The
voice of her mother calling her down
! to supper brought her back to the
present with start
| Coming in minute she answered
| as she hastily powdered her face and
tried to remove all traces of the recent
storm.
! She went thru the meal mechanical
! ly as she answered her parents alb
sently, the meanwhile thinking that in
a very few years she would take the
! letters up to the attic where such
| things always dwell, and resign her
self to spinsterhood.
Each time John called she fortified
| herself afterward with the wornout
letter and renewed her VOW of LOYALTY.
Each time her thoughts wandered to
John she rebuked herself with vehe-
mence.
Weeks later Alicia was sitting on her
| front porch one summer afternoon
when her attention was attracted by
a familiar figure coming down the
| street. He wore a wide brimmed
floppy straw hat and carried in his
hand two fishing lines and an old tin
can of unmistakable contents.
John Foster" exclaimed the girl,
running to the edge of the porch as
the man turned in at the gate. What
| on earth are you up to now?''
Were going fishing in the meadow
behind the house, and were going to
make believe were boy and girl again
just this afternoon" he ended with
a hint of pleading in his voice.
The girl hesitated, but her eyes
glowed
Go get your hat" the man com