The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-05
Etening Story
Loss and Gain.
BY MARTHA McC. WILLIAMS.
Rosalind sang softly as she choe

buds of the clearest dawn pink.
| Glistening white Canterbury bells and
royal blue larkspur went next into her
basket; also trails of fine, feathery
green. Her thought sketehed picture
of how they would transform the cot
tage, clean and drab. in which Nine.
Vane had found haven. But she had
no consciousness of the picture she
herself made as she clipped her largess
somehow the charm of the flowers,
their grace and glory seemed to have
stolen into her and i1iumined her face.
Thus TRANSPORTED, she took Royal
Vane by storm when they met halfway
up the narrow walk running to the
cottage door. She had seemed to Elm
always aloof, cold and high-very per-
feet after her sort-a sort that repealed
him in spite of beauty or cleverness.
Rosalind, he knew. had both, along
with blood, breeding and riches, yet
until now he had rather dreaded even
casual contacts with her.
up before the sum-" he said, noting
the dew on everything. She nodded.
1T is sinful to cut June flowers any
other time she said; "give these to
madame, please doubt if she is
half awake must run home to my
bfeakfast-but tell her I meant to
hang the basket upon the doorknob in
honor of her birthday"
THANK you for reminding Yne-I
had quite forgotten" Royal answered.
"She will understandable flowers
myself could" Rosalind said over her
shoulder-she was halfway to the gate.
Royal wanted run after her-to en-
treat her to stay, breakfast with him
and go idling along the river side in
the delicious early freshness-but
within the cramped dull entry madame
cried midway the steep stairs: Are
you a wicked robber? Or did my
name-fairy come to bring me luck?'
With the last word she had the
basket in her arms almost grading
it looking down at the blossoms as
a mother might look at tiny child.
"That dear Rosalind!" she muir
INJURED. when I told her how we
children believed in our name fair
dead even yet in spite of motors
and wireless and all the rest Of it,
"'Sure to come true-when you
have the power to make them"
Royal answered, a tinge of bitter
ness in his speech Miss Ray could
have made it come true by speak
ing ten words-it was fine and gra-
eious in her to take thought for the
day her very SELF
Madame smiled, still looking at
her flowers. Her joy was in some
thing deeper than their beauty. She
had caught the new note in Royals
voice-he was not of her blood
but she had loved her husband so
dearly, she loved any who bore the
name She had been grieved that
the opposition of their like fiber. II
only they might come to see clearly,
truly, she had felt all along they would
make each other blissfully happy.
Royal had genius, with sufficient
money not to smother it, yet to save
him from the specter of want. He
was moreover ambitious, but in
fine high way-as he had shown by
turning his back upon easy early sue
cess in comedy and light opera to
strive for better things. Not that he
was scornful of those first achieve
ments, but that he found them un-
satisfying to his realest self.
He had not told Madame the whole
story of the turning-yet she knew
intuitively that it had cost him
woman's promise-a woman who
reekoned opportunity in dollars and
cents, so had said: Possibly you are
doing very fine thing. To me it
seems instead-very foolish; We
now, before i'll comes to worse
Something in the morning brought
back to Royal the minute of their
parting. God! How it had hurt! Less
to lose her than to find her sordid of
soul Idly he wondered what Rosa
lind-then caught himself up sharply
and took Madame into breakfast.
After it he planned a small festival
for the day-to gather everything I'M
der twelve within a radius of two
miles, and give the gatherings happy
afternoon with games, sweets and
music.
Rosalind, he was sure. would help
he caught himself up sharply as the
name slipped Familiarity over his lips.
But he found himself a prophet-she
40 n iv1cy-
with a result that o'clock found the
backyard, the adorable old orchard
adjoining it, blotched and splotched
with girls and boys, too full of joy
and candy for anything but rolling on
the grass and now and then sauealing
delight.
They'll never dance if we bid them
do it," Rosalind said to Royal. But
if we play-real lively old tuneS-we
shall have them capering in no time.
They are as full of shyness as-ef
other things" smiling family. Judi
cious letting alone right now is what
they need most"
Most things are helped by letting
alone-most ills cured" Royal an
swered, smiling at her. His thought
was that by sinking his heartbreak in
hard work he had ceased to suffer
the pain of it. Looking up he sur
prised something of comprehension in
Rosalind's eyes. He wondered wheth-
err she knew? Very likely! There had
been very broad hints in print regard
ing the broken engagement. Specu-
lation was idle-he snatched the ban
10, gave a merry rattle and sang out,
Ready" as Rosalind drew her bow
across her violin strings. Benton. the
young rector. had brought his flute
a choir boy had shyly produced a tri-
angle. So the improvised band made
up in earnestness all it might lack in
accord. secure in the knowledge of
hearers wholly uncritical.
Rosalind knew the audience. In
side ten minutes it was up and doing
-capering nimbly to all the blessings
of fiddle, flute and banjo. Then when
the Instruments swept into familiar
songs the shrilly-sweet unframed
voices echoed them in vital rhythms
and harmonies. Singing. the children
still danced after a fashion-nothing
set, the pure EXPRESSION of rhythm on