The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-17
The Two Thomases.

Trout her money when she dies, an.
no o6ious person whom ] shan have L
I. marry TO keep the property undivided il
the family No. sir. mot a sir wa
hearing the case; it was simply Ms.
Bertha's manner OF speech. No, sir
! IN wash first"
But as proof that she did not near
to embrace such an extreme measure
she applied for the place as governes
TO two notherless children-sweet dear.
offset by a far, elderly father with Z
bald head
Aunt Betsy Trout was furious wher
she heard It, You have disgraced the
family name" she wrote, and hence
forth are a stranger TO me. MOI one
cent Of my money shall ever descend tc
YOU CT yours.
Miss Bertha sighed little and cried Z
little now that il was all over; anu then
washed her face OF al emotion, busted
little powder over, and went to i've
in the household Of the fat old gentle
man.
You are very young" said the ,old
/ gentleman with a critical frOwn.
Nineteen. said Mss Bertha, prompt
/ " "but speak three languages, besides
! teaching music and drawing Why should
/ I be old. sir?"
At the end Of the first week
! the old man chuckled at his shrewd-
/ ness in securing the services OF
/ high-priced teacher at $ a week
At the end of the first month ne dehb-
/ erately doubled her wages At the end
/ Of three ne thought much OF his lonely
I condition, and began to fancy the gov
/ erness resembled his former helpma e.
Z who. an estimable woman, had weighed
nearly 200 pounds, and had red hair. and
/ just here the fat old genteman's son
came home.
Just in the nick of time" reflected
that worthy astutely, ito save the old
gent from making fool Of himself and
marrying a penniless gOverness Not If
l. Thomas Money bags, Jr., know iti'
At the end of the first week Thomas
Jr., was devoung his whole time to ex-
aiming applicants to his advertisement
for a lady to assume whole charge and
education of two children, between the
ages of, etc. etc" At the end of a
month he had withdrawn his advertise
ment and was beginning to take an in
terest in the younger children's educa-
ton. At the end of three he was madIy
jealous of Thomas Moneybags, Sr.. and
inwardIy determined to put him in an
insane asylum If he persisted in his mad
course.
Il should be eternaly obliged to you.
said Tom to his chum, IF you would
come up evenings and play checkers
with the old gentleman Between You
and me, he's disgUstingly in love with
the governess, don't YOU know"
SO Thomas Moneybags, Sr., and the
chum played checkers evenings, the old
gentleman displaying an absent-minded-
ness that more than often cost MIN two
kings at jump, while Thomas, Jr.,
conversed on educational topics with the
governess.
So these twin courses of true love jog
ged along over uneven beds and rocky
bottoms until something happened that
converted them into a roaring and united
waterfall.
A boy with a stubby nose and bleached
hair delivered at the door a bunch Of
American Beauty roses for the goyerness.
without word or sign from the donor.
And thereafter, every morning the same
boy stood on the step at the same hour
and pulled the bell to deliver fresh
bunch to the same young lady
Great Scottr' declared the younger
Thomas at length with American
Beauties at 81 a dozen. tool There
no limit to the Old IDIOTS foolishnessp'
And he proceeded to take his parent to
task.
7 beg to remind you, sir" he be
gan. formally, "that 81 a day, while not
much in itself is $50 q year, a neat lit
tie sum for howers-and $3.50 per ten
years, without interest. have been
raised to some modest expectation of
future inheritance, sir. and I hate to
see money wasted on a woman who
doesn't care a rap for you; no, sir not
q rap"
Young man," shouted the older
your fmpudence cannot for a
moment blind me to the true state OF
anairsl have stood your college
scrapes and your yachting extrava-
gances, but this, SIR. [ cannot and Will
not, tolerate. I'll cut YOU of without
a cent, sir-without one red cent"
And when all the smoke of the battle
had cleared away the two Thomases con- /
fronted each other with blank looks and
remarked i'm mournful concert There
must be another!"
Lets go and confront her with her
peTfidy," said the young Thomas, and
together they repaired 10 the drawing
room, where the governess was bending
her pretty mead over the newly-arrived +
bunch Of roses.
I'VE have reason to suspect" com T
menced Mr.. Tom. chat you are giving
improper encouragement TO an unknown
admirer. a miserable, underhanded fel- /
low"
Miss Bertha II haven't the slightest .
idea who he is, but can't help Hkng
roses. You know"
Don't know who ne ISL echoed CIR.
Tom incredulously Never thought to .
ask the boy, I SUPPOSE"
"Why. it's the florists boy" protest
Ell Bertha meekly. ''No, ] never asked .
the florist"
81 saw them 60" said the Chum. walk
intend to marry you in the very face
Of them"
NY 7 never thouEht-you--' STAN
nered Miss Bertha covering her Grim .
son face with pretty hands.
What" echoed the Chum, after an
the roses I've been sending sou. too2
q take care of your hands. 9Iiss Der
-ha. and you give me your answer But
et me FIRST tel YOU. e II hadn't been for
you 7 might have married young lady
and had an Inheritance from an eccentric
relative for so DONG.
why. now strange" said Miss Bertha
If-f ] hadn't cared fer you I might
have baen driven 20 take mv Aunt Eet-
SIS offer long ago and married person
- keep The money in the faui
WHO IS eour relative ' demanded each .
1f The other. breathiessly and together
-ley made solemn answer airs. Betsy
roul
st his astonishing crisis the TWO
l1nlases came home
.}Eeye been 70 the florists" said
l1Ecs Gcueyoags. jr shaking hands
T-a tho -hum. "a11 we're RE v
.T1e a-t Hdn't know his NAME sg
be lbs description ch.ue5 80
1-ua- 1larevaaEs 81 ro-r ~
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