The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-16
TIE EVENING Story


pied cherub, patting the bald spot that
spread like a. small shining desert in
an oasis Of thick blonde hair on Bingss
Well-shaped head.
Whltlock grinned.
Mammals pet mustn't be naughty
SAID the pretty widow, turning her
Drown eyes alphabetically on Bings.
come to mamma, dearie. Mr.. Bings
isn't used to babies
But the dimpled cherub, otherwise
Baby Mohatt, who had purposely, and
AFTER many backslidings, climbed upon
the rustic seat occupied by Bings, for
whom she had evinced a decided par
TALLY from the start, only Struggled
the closer to the secretly delighted
Bings, and cooed. Baby owe Bings.'
Then as a happy afterthought, Mamma
owe Bings." At which frank and who'll
~ unexpected revelation of her small
daughter, the pretty widows face riy-
Whitlock guffawed. ..Now's your
chance. Bings." he urged, with mali
cious levity at his rivals discontinue.
But Bings, with a hasty adieu, ned,
leaving the cherub disconsolate.
Bings metaphorically kicked himself
all the way home for not taking ad-
vantage of the best opportunity he had
sneering Whitlock, and for his coward
~ desertion of the pretty widow to
Whitlock's caustic rallery.
Bings paused at his own gate and
gazed miserably at the big silent
house. He shut his eyes a moment and
imagined he saw the pretty widow and
the cherub sitting on the front porch.
1t was a blissful vision, but Bings felt
that it would never become a blissfuI
reality unless miracle happened.
Bings was a bachelor. Bings was
big and blonde and bald. Bings was
bashful. In fact, Bings was a whole
swarm of IBIS" He narrowly escaped
being beauty, with his baby com
pteMon and innocent blue eyes. His
size was the only thing that saved him
from this terrible fate. Moreover,
Bings was a bargain fiend. No woman
could scent a bargain sale farther OH
than could Billy Bings- Incidentally,
BILLY" was the climax to Bings' woes
But no persuasion on his part could
convince his friends of the absurdity
of calling a six-footer BILLY"
Bings' bachelorhood was a condition
of neither birth nor achievements
was thrust upon him. During his evo-
luton into that state there had been
any one of a dozen maids and widows
that Bings would have been only too
happy to have endowed with half his
worldly goods, but for his excessive
bashfulness. Never yet had he been
able to screw his courage up to the
point of proposal. though he had made
almost superhuman efforts in that d.
rectiOn.
This seemed a pity, for Bings was
undeniably cut out for a benedict. he
thought all women angels and all
babies cherubs.
AS he started uptown on the momen-
tous morning after his precipitate fight,
Bings had particular cherub in mind
pretty, brown-eyed, dimpled cherub
that he would have given half he vas
worth to possess, and the other half to
possess the cherub's pretty, brown-cyed
mother. But. so far, every glance from
Mrs. Jessie N1offatt's roguish eyes had
produced the unfortunate effect Of IN
Simultaneous paralysis of poor Bings,
tongue, so that he could only stand
dumb or blush and Stammer like any
silly schoOlbOy.
This was not the first time. by any
means, that Bings had performed that
netaphorical feat. It had been at least
a semi-weeISiy- occurrence for several
months past. Each time Bings vowed
that the next time he would not act the
fool. But he did. He had reached the
#point where the inevitable mental feat
was copiously punctuated with Wig
orous ejacula ton that would have
shocked the pretty widow, had she
heard it.
Bings felt his helplessness bitterly So
absorbed was he in this thought as he
picked his way along the shady street,
that he failed to observe the widow a
block or so ahead of him. A deep gloom
enveloped Bings' soul that bright June
morning.
''Confound it!'' he muttered. IF some
thing doesn't Happen soon, I'll
"Going- -gone!"
Bings pricked up his ears and hasten
ed his steps. An auction. and he rot
to know it? Turning a corner he came
full upon a familiar scene Just as a
table was knocked down to the highest
bidder Bings' eyes gloated over the
unusual display Of household GOODS
spread before him.
Fifty cents,' bid a voice in the
crowd, as the auctioneer held up an
article It was Whitlocks voice Blngs
wrath famed up, and before he had
time to think he was bidding furiously
against his rival. Fast in the grip OF
bargain feVer'e and Whetted on by
Whitlock, Bings rapidly became pos
SCISSOR of various articles that were OF
as much us to him at that period OF
his existence as a celestial harp ana
a Dair of wings. Had Bings intercepted
the exchange of winks between Whit
lock and the auctioneer, he might nave
been more cautious. As 1t was, the
barricade around Bings grew and grew.
-going-gone!" shouted the
auctioneer. "Dfrt cheap at that, Mr..
Bfngs. Here, Sam, wheel this peram-
bulator around to Mr. Bings.
Perambulatori Heavens! had ne
bought a perambulator? Bings wiped
his perspiring brow and glared defiant
Iy around.
why, Billy Bings!" cried Laughing
feminine voice at his elbow What do
YOU want with a perambulator?"
Bings' exasperated gaze encountered
that Of Mrs. Marston, merry-faced
woman. By her side stood the pretty
widow with the coveted eherub cling
ing to her hand.
Bings turned fiery red and caught
wildly at his hat or where he supposed
If. to be. only to find that he was fan
ming himself with it. Making an en-
barrassed bow. he began to mop his
perspiring face violently.
Here's yer pramb'lat'r," said Sam,
Iaconfcally, pausing in front of Bings.
Bfngs turned fascinated eyes on the
thing-which seemed to him to have
greatly increased in size during lts
progress from the auctioneer's stand.
And a bsby's high chair ANNOUNCED
another laughing voice, as the speaker
craned forward and inspected Bings'
barricade-