Show THE EVENING STORY L THE OLD WRITING DESK I Copyright 1912 1012 Sy W. W Werner Marlon Marion stood by tho the big steamer trunks trunk profusely decorated with foreign labels absently twirling a bunch of kc keys kes s. s Sh She hardly was wag conscious of Mrs Stanton entering the room until slit she said Havens Haven you ou even begun to unpack Marlon Marion Collette has finished with me Dont Don't you want me to to- send her 1 In Into to help you Xo Nn 0 indeed Mrs 1 Stanton Its simply sini- sini ply the start I J dread I J am afraid l I am lazy toda today or or-or or or something All morning m mv mY trunks have been beer an ab solute n Mrs Stanton glanced keenly At t the girl Irl who had bach been her secretary for Cor Core five e years Ate Are jou OU discovering that you made a a-a a a mistake Marlon 7 sho asked Is la there a regret for Paris and Paul Picard Regret for that for that man The girl gir turned resolutely to her trunks and then them Jau laughingly paid said to the older woman Do you ou remember when I 1 returned from mj my first trip abroad how howery very ery cry eager I t was to open my trunks and nd S see e all the pretty prett odds and ends I had bought Nothing Z dont don't else chip seemed eem to o matter then then but now no 1 I I A And ind wh when n she t w was e alone aloit i she asked her her- s self elf what it was that had hd consumed her e e. ye r since they thew had r reached d che-d New York Tori Suddenly she sho turned front from the window and looked for or a long moment at a a- little old fashioned writing desk she had not opened In two years ears and aud that held lust a photograph find nd a II few letters With a r rapturous thrill she realized what hilt It was she ahe he wanted anted She SIte wanted to go so homo home to Jc Jean n th the e children and and and- Sh She crimsoned furiously furi furl o an KH she th thought of ot that other name and once mor more her eyes yes went to the desk It was t tWo n years since she had turned back on the old home homo to become Mrs Stanton's secretary She had had five years of the tho life tire she had so 80 passionately lon longed l ed for for for-a. a life of travel tra of ot luxury of o association with people she sho had re-ad re of and Idealized and Je Jean n and that and that oth oth- I t I Regret for that man I r had been stored away In a little ou out f r the theny WM way ny niche of her memory But for the past year ear the excitement ment and tIle the gayety of ot life with Mr Mrs Stanton I had be begun to pall On every hand th the old home ties seemed to rise tip Ip and b beck beck- ckon ck- ck on on and willingly glad gladly I she answered She would give u up UD for a a. time at least leut the th life lite that had seemed so 80 full of or and slip Into her het old place in Jeans Jean's home as a Jeans Jean's right hand man a as al the latter had been used ed to call her It was as all Jean and Jeans Jean's children Yet that night an as h l lay y In her luxurious bed happily thinking that soon she ahe would bo be in her own onn little room at Jeans Jean's her S eyes e turned longingly to where the light from the street danced fantastically on the old fashioned writing desk Marion Marton had not ben been in Jeans Jeane home an au hour when she b sniffed the tie company at at- at Jean Tean had received her In what whal she was Ws positive was WR her best gown The children had hl been en lined up stiffly b behind their mother In and company dresses cs looking halt half fearfully tearfully at the tho amazing young aunt who had seen fleen such wonderful things and had been ev- ev here co I Jean ha had taken her hel ceremoniously up up- up stairs stall Not to the little nook she he had bad longed for foi but to the spare room u used d only on occasions of ot state and when ah she Rhe had demurred and asked for her hor own room room Jean had looked horrified and wild said That would not do at all now Marlon Marion Th The awe Inspiring emphasis on the now told the girl that she was as shut hut out front from h her r old place In fn Jeans Jean's home Sho She had tried to break through h tho the lee Ice when she hp came downstairs and sauntered toward foard the tIme but bt at the first firs glimpse she had of ot per her coming down the hall Jean Jan had hurriedly thrown aside ulde he her kitchen apron met her half halt way ay and taken her not to the dear dut old oIl homey Jiving room tOom MarJon Marion had loved but butte butto to the ugly uncomfortable uncomfortable parlor with Its linen shrouded furniture and general genera unused atmosphere There Jean d proceeded to entertain her her mind as Marion Mation could see on things in the kitchen an occasional ook look of agony as crossing creasing her face as the children n In awed eyed wonder at tho the almost un unknown unknown un- un known privilege of ot being in the parlor parlor- at swinging their feet and kicking the t ure I And at supper aupper company manners still I In evidence The Tho best china was were on tho table a as well as the silverware only used when tho the minister annually was as en en- en It If It had not been for Cor or a. a little sad feeling that was waA creeping o er her Marlon MarIon would have hats laughed outright hl at a this ll display d arid at Jeans Jean's embarrassed flush mali as her husband camo came to the table In hi his hi shirt sleeves He lIe really was the only natural thing at that most moat unnatural i al supper When they left tho the table tabla Marlon Marioa slipped sUpped out Into the garden That at least leant re received received re- re her as of or old and she drew a a. long hr breath ath of ot relief relief- BK RII she alto leaned on the gate looking dreamily down tho the road thinking that some one ODe who used to come to-come come to her as S she waited there would know that she h was lUI the old Marlon Marion and not just company As she sho he stood there them she sho saw nw him coming along the road toward her Just Jut as as' as asor aso of or old In spite spile of ot the silence ol or almost e five years year she he knew ho ha would understand Almost as the joyful certainty came ume he lie wn was wag I tr In front of ot her coolly unconcernedly surveying sur her telling her hor he was glad to l sac see e her home again that he hf was as quite sure ure Jean had missed her sadly Badly that he he- had come come over to so see Bee h her r law brother on a II little business And so ao o she was left alone alono at the gate Later when hen she went Into nto tho the house houst he was leaving As All day dav succeeded day Marlon Marion came camo to realize that she sho as an out out- out 1 sider alder and she told herself that Jean and the others would be glad when hen she he re returned re- re turned to tn the city And why h was It S I cY S Looked I lI like Ilka a a dainty wild rose Co Could the they not see lee that kho was wan just the old Marion Marlon She glanced at herself as IUS the Question came Cime and she was Wu an an- j Had hail the old Marlon Marion ever appeared ap ape ap- ap In an exquisite Parisian l such as lS she was wearing Had Ui th the Marlon Marion ever came down to b ba a mass of ot lace and 11 rIbs rib Wa Was It an any wonder Tean Jean barred her hert th the kitchen and treated her e 8 as It tl th she should be set et In a glass cast the clock In the parlor During h her ber years years' absence had she not In her herl 1 Ii given ghen th the tha Impression perhaps that she aha had grown away the things that had once made up ui u life Ufa That now that life Ufe seemed lerned e m d Inn ly small mall and she away above it She smiled softly an as sh she h. h her trunk for a Q certain gfa m i d Some one ODe had told her one morning years oan before that she looked like Ilka a asi jj aJ wild rose rOe In It lh Somehow she had II been beeD able to throw It aside aalde Well would show Jean that It WM ws thi th th Marlon who had come back to o her hv h r l the old fashioned writing desk duke desk a h heW afraid she must put away awa to forT yer r. r She was fussing about the when Jean camo canto down in JD th the tD nun inera Just ac as she he used to toM fuss in Sn the tha old For a 8 long moment Jean looked a ti figure figure- gowned much U as a she she- was wal walan wag wag-co and an then Marion Manon saw the old flash Into h r. r e s uM Marion Marlon rion she ahA said yon ou you you 5 1 look S though you really were were were-were w r M Md With a a. happy the the- girt airl w her Now that you have actual Mi that idea Into your YOU heed head pia please k ke Jc I th there re 1 I have come to stay tay M will II t 1 let m m d t But But but that man in Pari heard heard heard- r J That man man i La fa as a a though h he b. n teer Isted Isled He Ue never did dM for tOl m m. m In ta you think Then no Roger er wa wu was mistaken H Ns-Ji Ns We won t I. think of ot Roger M said saM He H doesn't r rI gently CUt care f and and i andi'S I Doe o ut care eare ocer Jean S 'S 1 I You dont don't know what yot ou talking about He He i S f Her eyes ejes went vent peAt Marion n to tG the th window o opening into the wr tho the girl irl turn turned Just jut as AI a a. taU tail it stopped topped into the room Im going to catch the O Into Inte 1 Jean Jun I thought might ht you OU m want want paused paused and his yea eyes devou devoured the Ui 14 figure minus the laces arid ant rib You ou look hook Marion Marion- Ju Just t Marlon Marion doesn't t eh she h 3 b beamed ame And And arid and thata that's S all fw w Jj Weve We've be been n regular idiots Then ahe hs el closed ed the door hind her and the ole old fashioned wt desk came into its own l aJ |