The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-31
TIE EVENING STORY



Mrs. Jackson Miner I actually
practieed writing the name. It was too
funny. I told Dick Wells TOT JUST
had to tell some one. DICK SAID ne
guessed not-ne married to "a gray
en- image like that fellow Miner he
said he'd have punched the poor mans
head if he'd asked me to marry hlfa.
Dick is so comfortable to tell things to-
Dick used to say a lot more things
about him and take him of dreadfuily.
The girls positively shrieked at them
But I'm not going to remember the
things Dick said; it's like sour grapes.
And anyway, that was beIore the heses-
papers began talking about jackson
Miner and corners in wheat WnaI-
ever they are. No one laughed after
that. Money makes such a difference.
Actually, Nell Armstrong said she
thought it bad taste in Dick to make
fun of Mr.. Miner, and Nell had
shrieked more than any OF the rest
of uS.
And fathers I never. shall forget
father. He was tremendously serious
about it. "A young woman, be SAID,
should look upon marriage rational
". When a man addresses II alheR
positively said addresses VINO cnsf-
acter is unimp eachable, whose pres
ence and bearing are without Feproach,
who can offer her wealth and position,
at is the young woman's duty to en-
acourage his advances"
I tried to catch fathers eye, but he
wouldn't smile a bit. He persisted in
going on at awful lengths. like a regu-
lar stage parent was quite fright
ened. l said I would look at marriage
anyway he liked.
But that wasn't the worst. The worst
was telling Cousin Fife. Somehow Eff
fie's the kind You tell things to- since
she's been visiting me, ana that's two
months, I've talked almost necessarily.
Fife never says much Of anything her
self.
Efie was reading Emerson, or some
thing deep. "Efie," I said, I'm look
ing at marriage nationally.
It thought you were looking at that
bracelet Dick Wells gave you, she
said.
There's no one like Dick" re-
turned, "but his character isn't unifn-
peachable. He smokes cigarettes. Be
sides, If I married Dick couldn't live
on the Lake Shore drive and have au-
tomobiles."
reading she would have learned differ
entity. But she said: 1T seems to me
that love is the only thing to be con-
sidered in marriage"
DO you think SOP I asked. I prob
ably was quite lofty. I repeated all
the parental things father had told
me. And then-it makes me i'll to
think of it said, You know jack
son Miner has been coming here twice
week for nearly two months, and
have about decided, though he hasn't
said anything yet
DO you love him % asked Fife.
Then I had to say those things about
unimpeachable character and wealth
and position all over again. "Df
course 1 said, there are some dread
full things about him. His ties, you
know. And you ought to see Dick get
off that heavy manner and the Jokes
that you just can't laugh at. But I'll
change all that" Just as il the en-
gagement were already announced
! III change all that I said.
Fife went on reading Emerson
Poor Efie! But it's all right now
and simply a beautiful match. They
can have ages and ages of that nice
serious conversation and they can col
lect deep books. They were made for
each other. I might have known
/ only Effie is SO very quiet apd-Well
/ her eyes are beautiful, but that's really
all. And when you've quite made up
your mind to be wealthy and have al
most decided upon the tapestry for the
dining room and the kind Of wood to
have in the library, it comes rather
/ hard to throw everything over.
But it was too funny-the way he
/ kept coming, twice every week and
the way I encouraged his advances.
! Almost every time he'd bring a book
to Fife. I thought it was so she
would go away quite meekly long be-
4 fore 10 o'clock and for the rest of the
evening would sit looking at him and
! deciding that that shade of tie
wouldn't do at all. There wasn't any
thing else to do. He was simply like a
clam after 10 o'clock. I decided that
| 10 was probably his bed time. I've
! heard about men who make immense
/ fortunes and go to bed at 10, or even
worse than that.
The only chance he had with Effie
was early in the evening, because she
doesn't take so long to dress as I do
4 1t got so he'd come at half past z
/ Even then-it was too killing used
/ to hustle into my clothes so as to get
down quick and encourage his ad-
vances.
If father thinks I'll ever again look
on marriage nationally, he is sadly
mistaken. When I think of last night
! I have to giggle. He wore a nice
black tie, too. and l got quite angry
when Efie didn't leave until after 10
! o'clock. And when he finally began
you always know when they're going
/ to beginzI almost trembled.
Miss GARRISON" he said, 81 think
you have already discovered that I am
4 in love. Yes, you must have discoV-
cred that I love your Cousin Fife.
/ Perhaps-
But I just whirled about and few
! after EfIie. And when I told her the
joke on me she was so humble and
! apologize I positively shrieked with
/ laughter. OF course he overheard
me and probably he thinks m crazy.
I don't care. I'm glad can laugh
about it. Dick says if I had really
/ cared for Jackson Miner I would
have known all the time that it was
EfIie he wanted.-Chicag News.