The Topeka state journal., 1922-05-09
Epening Story
.IiItedI
81 JEssIE poUGLAs.

SSIle was a nuQQ1eQ DIIle nedD IN the
dim corner. She had cried until she
could cry no more, and even her face
seemed to smart from those scalding,
soaring tears.
Soon she would have to get up and
meet the world again. and she sobbed
as she thought of it. Life lay ahead
of Alice Trowbridge like a long pas
sa ge with neither window nor light to
make it bearable.
She went over to the window seat
and saw that the day was dying a
faint yeliowing mist hung over the
roofs of the great city and riffs of
amethyst clouds were darkening to
purple.
AS she knelt there she could see
quite plainly just how it had begun.
The little weather-beaten farm
house with the twinkling panes of
glass had seemed to her a haven of
rest. She chad crept up those clean
narrow stairs the first night to the
west chamber and had slept in the old
walnut bed, the sleep of the exhausted,
city-wracked worker.
Could she ever forget the first morn
ing when she had eaten her breakfast
in the low-ceiled yellow kitchen from
the oilcloth covered table, fresh ber-
rieS and cream and crisp crumhling
Corn-bread with country butter?
She ana Aunt gMartha'-as she had
come to call her-had fallen deep into
talk. had found themselves kindred
souls, had laughed at the antics of the
newest kitten and had made, before
the week was out, a great batch of
yellow cookies together.
You'd make some man a right nice
little wife, Aunt Martha had said ad-
miringly.
Alice had shaken her head gayly
and cried, My independence for mel
Why, there's nothing like it! cozy
little fiat and enough friends and
books and pictures and flowers, what
more could one want ~
Aunt Martha had only looked at
her sagely.
ITS ali right now. but wait till you
get into your thirties and your
Thirtiesl Alice had turned her
head away quickly to hide the flush
that burned her cheeks. She had
reached those ugly thirties now, and
where she was, she didn't want to go
any farther. Forty! Ugh!
They had both started as some one
aramped across the kitchen floor and
Alice had turned to see a young man
drop a psack on~the hearth and
take Aunt Martha into his arms.
Been tramping down thru the
Berkshires," he had explained, "and
if you can take in tramp for few
Take in a tramp? Suddenly the
house was full of laughter and sun
shine and the smell of delicious things
Norman Taylor came and went, smok-
ing a crooked old pipe, teasing them
both indiscriminately and praisinE
Aunt Martha's cooking.
Never ate anything like your blue
berry pancakes in my life!" he would
say patting her arm. And this cake!
Good girll'
Alice would laugh and flush when
she had made the cake.
In the evenings. he would shoe
Aunt Martha out of the kitchen and,
making a great show of tying an
apron around his waist, he and Alice
would wash dishes. How long it took
He would wave a knife he was polish
ing in the height of argument and
Alice, watching it fearfully, would
burst into delighted laughter.
Could she ever forget.that last walk
they had taken? With a basket of
apples over his arm they had gone
shuffling thru the riffs of bronze leaves
to old Miss Winthrop's. She had tried
to answer his gay sallies with her
laughter, but her heart had been too
heavy; on Monday he was Solns
away.
Finally he had stopped short on the
road and said. Whats the matter"
She had meant to say, "Oh, moth
saying, you're going away"
Disnay caught her and her heart
seemed to stop beating at that fatal
admission.
My own little girlY' was all ne
said.
could she ever forget it?-the
meadows seemed to be quiz ering with
light under the sinking golden ball of
sun. The windows of Miss Winthrop'S s
cottage giittered like jewels as they
came nearer. The whole world was
irradiated by her exquisite, trem-
bling joy!
They came in hand in hand, until
they saw Miss Winthrop sitting there |
and then Alice had remembered that |
a world did exist, a world where ordi- |
nary things happened and life went on |
its uneventful course.
I'VE brought you" she began and |
then looked in dismay at Norman's |
empty arm
by George we forgot the apples" |
he laughed.
They looked at each other guiltily, |
for the apples lay on the other side |
of the stone wall, just where he had |
dropped them when he had taken /
Alice in his arms.
Miss winthrop for some strange |
reason had made Alice a present of a |
linen hand drawn tea cloth, That |
came from England. in my mothers |
chestH
on the way back thru the dusk |
they had debated the question wheth |
er Miss Winthrop had seen. The |
chuckle of tree toads. the |
sleepy IW1LlerlnS OF blFOSs Itle sweet l
breath of the woodlands had come /
10 them thru the twilight
He was the perfect lover, Alice |
thought, considerate. understanding |
strong. Nothing could ever come be- |
tween them: nothing.
The wedding was to be in March |
and Alice had come back to the city /
with her head full of dreams. At /
once they began that delightful task. |
the selection of their furniture,
Alice wanted a STUDIO with swinging /
Chinese lamps and lacquer tables and /
odd shape satin cushions that were |
decorative rather than useful. Nor 1
man had sad he Wanted big COM [