The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-20
The Weight Of a Feather.

ITS a mighty fortunate thing. said
Mrs. Schuyler Ledyard, to her friend,
Mrs. George Ganzevoort. that Philip
has money or rather viii have it when
he's a year older and comes into his
4stkers estate. He certainly never
would earn anything at the profession
which he has adopted Think OF it, Mrs.
GanzevOOrt he's nothing but q natural
ist and he says he's proud of it, He
goes incoming through the fields every
day ogling birds with an opera glass
and catching tadpoles in a tin cup
II cried my eyes out because he
wouldn't be a lawyer or something use
1uL But it was no use He kissed me,
laughed at me and said that the only
possible interest he could take in law
yers was in their capacity as leeches,
and then they might make interesting
study. Mercy. the boy win come into
$4,000 600 ia d yeer, and while ne knows
a lot about everything ne likes to talk
about nothing but tree toads and tit
mice.
"Oh, yes. know, Mrs. Ganzevoort. he
Is awfully good and sweet to me and all
that, but you haven't heard the worst
He's been digging ferns and scraping off
hchens for q month with Mary Martin.
Mary is a perfectly proper and very
pretty girl / know, but mercy me, her
fathers the village carpenter and sup
pose Philip should fall in love with her?
Why the Ledyards for ten generations
back would get up out of their graves
and forbid the union And do you
know. Mrs GanzeVo0rt / fear the mis-
chief IS done already. for when I spoke
TO Philip about it and said something
about his going botanizing with a car.
penters daughter he got angry with me
for the first time i'm his life and said
that Mary Martin was fit mate for
king and was better bred and knew
lot more than some people who were
always talking about money and family.
well, he must obey me for another
% al
him away tomorrow to cure him of his
lnfatuation You know I had set my
heart ON his marrying Josephine Bat
ties. She has blood and money. Philip
has only seen her once or twice. but
think he was taken nightly with her
appearance, for She is a striking looking
girl. you know; BLACK hair. red lips and
superb eyes I think Philip got q little
angry with her once when he gave her
q leaflet that scme bird society publish
ed and she read it and said it was SEN
umental nonsense. Tt had something
about feather wearing and cruelty in
II. Wen, as I said before, he viii go
away tomorrow fer year and when he
comes back can assure you Jose
phine Battles win be here TO welcome
him. 1 think know her feelings in
the matter pretty we'll"
So 1T was that Philip Ledyard found
himself sentenced by his mother to
years Punishment. He was a fine
looking fellow just out of college, ath-
letic, given to tramping the fields ana
to looking at every form Of nature
with sympathetic eyes. AS a child he
had played with Mary Martin because
in childhood, especially in village life,
ranks are leveled
Philip Ledyard back from college
with mans heart and to some extent
with mans head did admire pretty
Mary Martin He thought his heart was
stin we'll within his own keeping, but
when he heard his mothers edfct Of ex-
lie band his thought turned to a little
cottage in the lane leading to BobOlink
Meadow he was not quite so certain.
Philip Ledyard told Mary that he was
going away for a year. Mary said
goodby 10 him with her eyes clear and
with untrembling voice, but tears fell
that night in an upper room ia the car
penter's cot.
Philip Ledy9rd went to southernfeids.
He studied botany and ORTHODOXY in