The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-29
TIE EVENING STORY.


on the yon side of 80, was married q
while back to svelte, handsome
widow-comforta under 30--from
Chicago.
She had been visiting some Wash
ington friends when the widower
came along, and it was not long be-
fore the understanding was reached.
Widowers and widows generally know
a thing or two. Therefore, in this
case, there was an ante-nuptia1 agree
ment that the widower. at any rate.
meant to have stick. He is plain
spoken man, ana before the marriage
he said:
MY dear, you're supposed to have
no relatives at ALL you know. Neither
am 1 to have any relatives. 1 can get
along admirably without them, and I
hope you can. I've had a Whirl or so
with relatives by marriage, and 1 don't
doubt that you have also, like every
body else. What do you say to both
of US cuttfn out the relatives aItogetK-
er? Thus may we be happy and wax
aniable and lovely to look upon How
about it
It was all right, said the widow.
She didn't have many relatives, any
how-only a couple Of sisters, and
they We're in Chicago, and not likely to
come to Washington. They were very
sweet girls, though, and pretty into
the bargain.
Maybe" said the widow, archly,
IF you had seen one of them before
you met me, you'd have-weH, you
might have"
''Never!" declared the widower.
And that was the last of it. They
were duly married and set up house.
keeping in a tidy Mt. Pleasant home.
For the first month they had a col
ored maid servant around the place,
but the colOred girl became a decided
I'D a y hn ri
fence conversationalist.
Fire her" said the husband.
I intend to- said the wife, and I'm
going to get a white girl. An awfuny
nended to me by Mrs. So-and-So the
other day, and I saw her yesterday.
Shes coming next week. She looks to
be a perfect gem. The only trouble is
she's just too pretty for any use, and
IN afraid
"G'way," said the husband
The new white housemaid came the
following week. Pretty wasn't any
name for her. She was a picture. Her
kitchen clothes were like royal raiment
on her. An aureole of chestnut brown
hair waved upon her shapely head. She
looked like a Vatican housemaid
Say, my dear" said the husband
threateningly, to his wife after he had
seen the new housemaid, you want to
watch out, bringing Rossetti-Burne
Jones girls around here. You sure do
Why, that girl
"ThatH do for YOU" said his wife
wait till you taste her coffee"
The new housemaid was simply a
spectacular success. She could cook like
a French chef, and she had an artistic
way of ofnamenting the dining table
and of garnishing the dishes that made
a huge hit with the man of the house
She was worker from away back, too,
and the house Immediately began to
look like the proverbial new pin. Cur
iously enough, the new girl had no call
ers.
I'D like to see any plugs hanging
around here to see that girl that's all .
| but I'm going to get a good husband
for her in time somehow or another y
Are you, dear?" said the wife. How
very good OF your
Things went along beautifully for a
couple of weeks, and the husband no
ticed, not, however, with displeasure,
how thick his wife and the new house
maid seemed to be with each other. He
often came in and found them conf
dentially hugger- muggering in the din
ing room, and what he overheard of
the girls cOnyersati showed her to be
an unusually well-spOken young woman
for a housemaid. He couldn't quite
make it out but he said nothing.
The husband and wife were sitting on
their front steps one OF those ballny
| evenings early in the week, when the
front gate was opened with a business
! like rattle, and a well-dressed, well-set-
up man of 35 or so. carrying a suit case,
came sailing up the walk. The ex-
widow rose to receive him.
Why. Ed" she said, giving him a
warm handshake, what a SURPRISED
When did you get in, and how do you
'.5owdy, sai1ie." said Ed" cheer
fully This hubby? How are you,
sir? Glad to meet you. Where S
Marie?"
The ex-widow flushed when she
caught her husbands mystified eye.
MY brother-in-law. my dear" she
said to him. "Mary's, or, rather.
Marfe's husband" she added, nodding
| mischieVousiy at the newcomer.
'Mariei oh, Mariei'' she sung up the
stairs after the "housemaid." who, in
a pretty dress, and 1ooking-as the
! ex-Widower didn't hesitate to say there
and then-just as much like d dream
as ever, was down the stairs and in
her husbands arms in no time.
marie wanted to visit me-" ex-
! planned the ex-widoWer's wife to her
! husband, land I had to write to her
about our mutual no-relatives agree
ment Then she suggested this plan.
She'd been married to Ed-Ed's on
! the board of trade in Chfcago-fo1
/ two years, and I suppose he's come
now to take her away from US. And
oh, dear me, we'll have to get another
/ girl noW!''
you're a blooming fake" said her
/ husband, grinning.
| s'Such a good master and mistress
as I've hadi'' said the house1naid t.
her husband. impertinently. when they
got around the sitting room table
and how they do hate their relatives
don't theyi Why, Ed" to her nus
! band, "how dare you? No, he dfdn'i
even try to kiss me oncei''--Wash.
ington Sire.
Real F'unny-For the Boys.
Something real funny occurred no
long since when one of our schoo
teachers was out riding with his bes'
! girl. On reaching their destination the5
| found two Of the girls small brother.