The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-05

H HE KEVOkl OF
VERA SANDERSON
BY JANE PHELPS E
VERA RESOLVES TO BE A BET
TER DAUGHTER.
CHAPTER 62.
I was SO pleased to hear Keith
speak as he did about showing re-
spect to father, that it seemed to
| make everything look brighter for
the moment. He tried to be fair,
and yet how unfair he often was
and all because of Margaret's influ-
ence. Would the time ever come
when he would break away from her?
They moved out of hearing after
| the conversation about father, and in
a little while Keith came up again.
wen start now and take it slowly.
James, the porter, will take your lug
gage, but we will walk. 1t will do you
good
I babe Margaret goodbye, the usual
cold Unconditional goodbye to which I
| had grown accustomed. I will say
| this for Margaret, she was no hypo-
| crite-she never pretended to like me
| 4 knew she never had. Never had
she offered to kiss me or in any show
any affection for me. At first I had
been hurt by her GOODNESS, but soon
I grew thankful. 1t helped me also
not to be hypocritica1. I also did
not have to pretend a feeling I did
not have.
when will you be back?" she
asked.
Il can't tell. think tho. soon"
Don't hurry. I will take good
care Of Keith"
| II am sure of that"
We each understood the double
meaning in our respective remarks.
! For as we'll as if she had said it, I
/ knew that Margaret meant she would
do all she could to have my absence
go unnoticed by Keith. And she
knew I understood. But well as he
knew us both, Keith seemed not to
place words, and tucking my hand in
his arm, hurried me away.
Mrs. De Isle had called goodbye
from her window, and Mrs. Green had
once again put me up q dainty
| luncheon.
Keith and I scarcely spoke during
our walk, and very little on the train
going into town. But he kept my
hand in his, and was strangely COM
| forted.
"Shan you miss me a little?" I
asked.
"A great big little"
I'm glad. I want you to miss me,
Keith. If you didn't should think
| you didn't love me-"
We crossed the city in a taxicab.
and then in short time I was alone,
| speeding westward on my sad err
rand. Keith had remained on the
train with me until the last minute.
He had a compartment for me so was
allowed to go aboard. 1t seemed aw-
| fully extraVagant to buy two tickets
and only one in the compartment.
! but he insisted that I should travel
as comfortably as possible at is the
least I can do for you. so long as I
cannot CO." he said when I objected.
| Alone in the Compartment. my loss
and thoughts of father filled my mind
to the exclusion of all else. He had
been a good father. kind and as in
dulgent as was possible in his circum-
stances. I wished had shown him
| more affection, Lad been better
daughter. I thought of many things
| in which had been romiss as my
mind wondered back to my days at
| home. 1t was too late TO change any,
thing now as far as he was concerned,
thoughtful of mother, to write her
| oftener, to let her feel I loved her.
had loved dad, but had taken for
granted his love f ~ me-what he did
for me. as a matter of course.
Youth is so thoughtless. 1t is only
when sorrow comes, or trouble that
youth stops to think. 1t is truism that
| youth is cruel. Internationally SO, per-
haps, yet cruel all the same.
So I determined to be better
daughter to mother than I had been.
because fathers death had made me
realize had not been so good a daugh-
ter to him as I might have BEEN 1
wept a good deal on that lonely jour-
ney, and felt glad that Keith had as
sured me privacy even tho it was
bite extravagant.
1t was as Keith had thought.
Fathers long illness had been ex-
pensive. 1t would take some time to
know just how the folks stood finan-
cially. what mother and Sailie could
do The checks Keith had given me
were really needed, and felt SO CRATE
full to him for his Kindness and
thoughtfulness that 1 almost failed to
think of Margaret. of Mrs De Isle.
or any other disturbing factor.
remained at home two weeks after
we had laid father away in the little
cemetery in the churchyard. Mother
seemed to want me to be with her, SO
I scarcely left her a moment save to
sleep. L had long talk with her the
day after we laid dad away I told her
how felt-that intended to be a bet
ter. more thoughtful daughter than I
! had been, that it was not lack of love
/ for dad that had made me thoughtless,
and that I was grieved that had not
| told me so.
HE knows it now, dear" mother
| replied, land I think he always knew
you loved him. Do not blame your
self too much
! Mother wrote Keith a long letter
expressing her gratitude for all he
| had done for her, and he replied in
such a nice way that I was proud
and happy-for the time being.
was very economical on my return
! trip. had spent so much I thought
| it my duty.
Tomorrow-Keith fails to meet