The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-09
Egening Story
A Weak Heart
BY MARTHA McC WILLIAM

By MARTHA McC WILLIAMS
A man of moods was Michael Bond
When he was anything glad, or sad,
or ma, he was glad, sad or mad all
over. Hence all the joy OF the morning
was in his singing, as his horse paced
little log church. Never had there
been quite such n Sunday-the deep
woods were still dewy and all the
spread of them scented with the rare
sang, not too loudly. rather in soft,
broken snatches; lush young LEAKAGE
made shadow mervels on the road
earth and the sun rays were true golo.
Michael felt them shining ~ his heart
the same as on his bare hesH-for was
he not one and twenty. nee at last
from a curmudgeonly guardian, free
to speak out as became man anu
claim his sweetheart?
A wonder-woman. Helen and Troy
they had raved over at school had
nothing on her, he was sure. Josefa
Kenyon was older than himself, but
what did five years matter? Reticent
also-nobody knew more of her than
the happenings of two years since she
came to teach in the village academy
To be sure she had brought references
of the highest and had reinforced
them by walk and way wholly I'M
peccabIe The most explicit of the
references, with bishops name al
the foot said she had lost husband
under most distressing circumstances
six months after marriage. But she
had not worn mourning. But What
with all the current filter of talk
about self expression and married In
dividuality, it passed for simple
oddity; five years earlier 1t would have
been rated mysteriously criminal.
She had fine, high manners, the
most critical could not gainsay that,
any more than her low, clear voice.
her soft, deft hands-not over white
but alluring to view and touch: Sne
dressed with the exact degree of quiet
.trimness her position demanded, went
regularly to church, made neither
debts nor condolences and had but one
single friendly intimate-Sara Downe,
the least promising of her puSils. She
had gone home with Sara for the big
meeting-the Downe house neighbored
the little log church. Squire Downe
was indeed, its prop and stay, as be-
came a ruling elder of the Primitive
Baptists. who were still primitive
enough to hold fast to the yearly foot
washing as the crown of June meetin'.
Services began early-S o'clock at
the latest. Hence MichaePs journey
while the sun was still young; like
wise his choice of the wood road. The
big road was cert..in to be thronged-
cars, carriages. even farm wagons,
overHowing with happy, laughing
humanity and good cheer. Dinner on
the ground was as much a feature OF
the day as the footwashing. Sara
Downe had made sure of Michael as
her fathers guest, bidding him over
and over as she drove homeward in
the ramshackle carriage with Mrs.
Kenyon beside her.
He recalled the fact only incidental
ly to his memory or Josefa. How ne
loved the name-they would be Joe
and Mike, nt to another, in the big
died ten years back. She knew what
was in his heart-she must also know
what was in his mind. 1t must be
she who had sent him twenty-one |
roses yesterday-he had clutched them
so hard, great baby that he was, his
palm had been deeply pricked with
savage thorn. There had been no |
card, but he fancied he caught hint
OF the faint perfume all her belongt
ings exhaled in the blue ribbon bind
ing them. Faint as it was, it thrilled
him all thru. He had the ribbon
tenderly folded, in the pocket nearest
his heart.
Which makes it plain that, in the
bad, very, very bad. OF course he
was chaffed, but what did that matter?
Thrice intoxicated with love and free
dom, he was ready to laugh down all
the worlds laughing. Flinging his
reins to a black boz in wait for such
harvests he all but ran about the
shaded grounds, in search Of the
Downe carriage, only to find it empty.
The driver sp awled on the ground
hard by, stirred sleepily to say: white
ladies done gone ter listen at de
The house was packed.
but somehow -dichael crushed himself
inside, and for five minutes feasted
his aching eyes or the face he wor-
shipped. He saw it in profile, hence
did not mark the change in it at first.
It was not paler than usual, but so
tense it seemed gray As his sun
cIouded sight cleared he saw that she
n r. wNaI, \
for deadly spring. Her eyes burned
upon the harrow pulpit and the man
within it. He was ascetic-1ooking,
all, wasted. with cavernous holloWs
beneath eyes that gazed> downward,
and deep craven lines encircling
cruelly beautiful mouth.
In thrilling voice. low but reson-
INT, trained in every art speech has
,ver evolved, he was beseeching, en-
reating all within sound of it to for
AXE the world and its allurements.
rive up earth for Heaven. His listen
RS, for the most part solid, stolid
armer felix, swayed and stirred like
all grain in a ruffling breeze. Amaze
nent had begun the stir-June
Meeting was no time nor place for re-
'ival appeals But as the voice played
lpon them as a master harper upon
lis instrument, they lost themselves in
he flood-tide appeal. Foot wash
ng for humility, heart washing Tor
leansing for sin, sour washing for life
he ended suddenly, leap
ng down and almost running along
he narrow aisle. Mrs. Kenyon, sitting
'eside it, arose wraith-like in his path,
lutched him, and said. her words
ropping like molten lead: Tell US
What washing can make chfld-stealer
lean?"
A''The poor creature is quite mad
he must be- he said, trying to free
himself. 'I do not know her-has she
ny friends?"
"A hundred-rm only the nearest"
Iichael cried. He had rushed to
osefa as he saw her rise. They'll
o1low her-you come with me outside /
ven get at the truth-no matter who !
: 41lIrts."
Let me speak there in the house !