The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-14
When twenty-five
and Twenty
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~~
BY JUSTIN wENTwooD
IlllllIlIIIlIIlIIlIIIIlIIImIlIlIIlnlIlIInl


October the tenth-thats my red.
letter day. That is the day In my life
that stands out preeminently above
all other days. My marriage day2
Not exactly. It's the day knew
Nenda loved me, the day we held
each other In our arms for the frst
time and swore nothing In life should
part us.
Romantic fools? Oh. suppose SO.
We were twenty-five and twenty then,
and neither had been tempered in the
flame Of life. But we did know, from
observation, that love doesn't last.
We considered the cases of all the
married people we knew, and there
wasn't one couple as happy as we
thought married folks ought to be.
And so Wenda and took a vow un-
der Farmer Beans great oak tree. /,
smile when | recall IL.
So long as we lived, no matter what
happened to Gus, we'd meet once
year, every October the tenth, under
Farmer Beams oak tree. and renew
our vows, and tell each other how
the year had treated us.
Good Lord, what fools we were
That was thirty years ago. I'm fifty
five now, and Wenda's fifty, and life
has been no picnic with either of us.
Some Of these meetings have been
comparatively placid. The year had
done nothing much to us. Some have
been stormy. Wenda and | both mar
ried in the same year, and 1t was the
October tenth after that was the
hardest.
"Did she suspect that you were
coming to meet your sweetheart?"
asked Wenda.
did he suspect" countered.
We looked at each other and burst
out laughing.
How do you like being married,
Harry?" Wenda asked. mot all roses,
is it?"
Aren't you happy?" | asked. We
had agreed never to use endearments;
1t was just because we had vowed to
meet, we wanted to follow up each
others lives.
He's got a temper" Wenda sighed.
I'm very fond of her" said. but
Oh Wenda, that first evenlng-that
evening when we knew that we loved
each other!"
We kissed each other and parted.
Then came n year about three ami
versaries after. Each Of us had found
the yoke little calling, 1 remember.
you must humor him, Wenda."
You must be kind to her"
ITS hard sometimes" said Wenda.
81 did look forward to this meeting of
ours. lit gives us strength for the
year, doesn't it!"
The years went by, and somehow
we always contrlved to meet. 1t was
delicious secret that we shared.
remember the day | first saw threads
Of silver in Wenda's hair.
"We're getting on in years, Harry.
Don't you think we're too old for such
foollshness. You and |, with children
growing up2"
That hurt me. "Then we won't
meet again, Wenda," | answered. But
we were there the next October just
the same.
Three years ago Wenda became
grandmother. We laughed over that
81 was wondering, Harry" she said
chow much this nonsense Of ours has
helped us"
There was a time" | confessed,
when | tuink | should have gone
away but for ihis meeting Times
when life has seemed impossible"
II know all about that. But we've
always had each other to lean upon.
That's strengthened us. Do you real
win be only one of us to come hereY
That saddened both of us. Wenda's
hair was quite white. and mine was
pretty thlckly threaded Last year
said to Wenda:
I'm not going to meet you here
any more"
Vague alarm in her eyes. "Why?"
Because you're going to run away
with me-"
Harry What do you meant"
"Here we are, two middle-aged per-
sons-and that only by courtesy. Your
children and mine have both grown
up and left us. Two old persons. with
a longing to be happy together. Why
shouldn't we just-go Off somewhere
for-well, for long time. To Eu-
rope orwell, Florida. Somewhere
where we can have a honeymoon to-
gether and forget the cares of life.
VIII you meet me tomorrow night at
ten at the Union stationT
Harry. you-do you mean thatr'
Every word Of II. darling"
She put her arms round my neck.
"Then. Harry, I'll come"
She met me at ten o'clock, carrying
only suitcase. was waiting for
her. I took her T. Florida. then we
spent three months IN Cuba and among
the islands. That was our real honey
moon. At last we came back.
Scandal? Not bit OF II, You see,
that was the game we had devised TO
keep ourselves young and In love.
Wenda and have been married thirty