The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-16

You're from the west?'' interrupted
the clerk as he blotted the register
where The Man From Finney had left
his sturdy signature.
Yep from the short grass and I'm
glad of it, said The Man From Finney
as he Strengthened UP from the cramp
ed position he had taken when he bow
ed his six feet to go through the cere-
mony Of introducing himself to the
dapper, starched bosomed and red tied
man behind the counter, by writing his
name; he Of the shift that works at
night.
He wisked his broad brimmed black
hat to beat the dust off. He carefully
selected a cigar-a five cent cigar of
the six for a quarter variety without
any red and gold band-and lighted it
with that critical nicely that marks a
man as a smoker for the pleasure OF 1t
and not from force of habit and of not
knowing what else to do. The clerk
displayed his gold tooth just a little at
the five cent selection
.Will you go to your room2" asked
mo. III finish this cigar said The
Man, will you join me?" and he led
the way to a couple of chairs in front
of the window. He shifted his feet to
the railing and offered the clerk
cigar, which was declined. with thanks.
for n cigarette with a gold tip
It was after midnight and The Man
seemed interested in what he saw
through the front window A rubber
tired hack rolled by and he caught
glimpse of white silks and fans and
high cOiffures and full dress suits and
silk hats. He smiled. An after the
dance party trOoped into a nearby
restaurant for lunch He glanced at
the party with a showing of interest
A politician holding a job dropped into
the hotel, looked around the lobby for
some one to buttonhole and finding no
one went upstairs to bed. The Man
smiled.
1T interests me. all this remarked
the man as if giving words to his
thoughts, but don't believe Id care
s'For what?" asked the clerk
why. I mean this city life" said The
Man. 4 can't see anything here TO
keep a fellow. Ali right to drop in and
visit but don't you get awfully tired of
it2" he asked of the clerk
MOO, I like it. I was brought up
on a farm near a country town and"
and not having to do chores suits me"
do chores2 Did you expect to do
chores on the farm all your life If you
staid in the country Why, there's op-
portunity in the country. You might
have owned a farm some day Sure
you would if you'd a stayed Do you
ever expect to own this hotel or any
other hotel?"
No" admitted the clerk. But there
are amusement here"
I know that said The Man. Il
was brought up in a city and it was
as large as this and a good deal larger.
I'm city broke, or at least was city
broke at one time. if I don't look it"
The clerk fastened to apologize and
The Nan laughed.
you've got nothing to apologize for.
Do you suppose if you came out to
Finney we'd expect you to apologize
for looking citified2 No. Wed expect
you to become country wise, just as a
horse becomes bride wise, If you stay
ed long enough"
Not much out there. IS there2" said
the clerk.
We'll. now, that's according to what
you call much. If you mean theater
parties, rubber tired hacks and all that,
why no there isn't much of that, al
though we have an opera house and
pretty good one and plenty of rubber
tired rigs but those are just side issues
Never was in Garden City, was you2
No, thought not. Never took a ride
through the valley and through Lovers
Lane so OF course you don't know
now you cant produce a stretch Of
between the rows of cottonwoods that
form an arch right over the roadway.
You 20 out that road and you see some
Of the pretuest places to be found.
There's Gartlett's place with the pref
tiest vineyard this side Of the Rhine
and there's Lee Doty's farm You
ought to see it and his 500 turkeys. but
you'd have to come before Thanksgiv-
ing to see them.
"Then you take another road and