The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-20
THE EVENING STORY
How Mr. Nickerson was Won.

HOW Mi. NICHOLSON WAS hhOAs
The Nickersons had been literary
people for generations. One OF them,
who admired Thackeray above al au-
thors, named his only son Pendennls
He would read no authors except those
who were only appreciated by CRIT
icaI few. He was rich in his own
right and had no need to laborZJust
the man whom girls looking out Tor
/ love in a chateau are disposed to angie
for. Among those who angled Tor Mr,
/ Nickerson was Miss Lydia Marble ana
she angled methodically.
Miss Marble believed that the glrl
I Mr.. Nickerson would wed must be IN
! tellectual and by all means literary
Having procured a list OF MS 1avor-
1 tie authors, she glanced over some OF
their works (sle was much bored IN
doing SOD and amiFed them IN MI
| Nick erson's hearing. N1ckerson was
charmed at the discovery. He had usu-
ally found his girl friends devoid OF
good literary taste. How refreshing to
meet one who could sympathize with
him in his like and dislikes!
Miss Marble went to the mountains
| for the summer. and Mr.. Nickerson
followed her He carried with him
| "Muchmore' a book by a new au-
thor that critics of the highest grade
/ pronounced a. wonder. There was no
/ plot. Nickerson detested all except
realistic novels. but the English in it
was simply perfect. N1ckerson gave
/ the book to Miss Marble, who seized
upon it with well feigned aV1d1ly,
though she was much chagrined at It's
/ length.
Now, the stories Miss Marble most
4 loved and the stories Mr.. Ntckerson
most detested were detective stones
! Unfortunately she had Just got heF
hands on 1.-The Mystery of the Munro
/ Murder" a maze out of which the
real cuIprit emerges IN the last CHAP
4 ter, having done the murder at Inc
bottom of a we'll with u gold tooth
pick. The book was incased IN a
flaming red cover and easy 10 be lee
| Cgnized. Miss Marble felt that great
| care was necessary in order that MI.
! Nickerson should not stumble upUli II
while she was reading 1t. she IIst
/ SKINNED ''Muchmore," making notes
upor certain points; then she was
ready for keen enjoyment with lie
1 Mystery of the Munro Murder.
There was at the hotel where hf.
/ Nick rson and Miss Marble We're stay
ing a pink checked blue-eyed little
girl so demure that it seemed butter
Y ouldu't melt in her mouth Her
name KittIe C1Overlejgh, was as gen
/ tie sounding as she was gentle-looklll3-
Miss CIoverleigh cast longing eyes on
the intellectual Mr.. NiCker5on- He HAD
noticed her as d delicious bit # 1esh
1 and blood whos if devoid If lntellect,
! was surely very kissable. One morn
I ing Miss Cloyerleigh went 10 The MIR
1 bic rooms and there on (. table saw
a cosy of "MuchmoTe,' with notes III
pencil Miss Cloverleigh, believing ~
the adage, "Alls fair in love and
/ war" appropriated the notes 5ni
Learned that Miss Marble had gone to
the cliff to read. The cliff faced the
hotel from across a valley ABOUT Z
mile wide
Miss CIoverleigh the evening before had
/ noticed in a periodical criticism OF
'.AIuchmore'' by one of the most criti-
/ cal critics of the day. Armed with Miss
Marbles notes and a study of this
criticism, which she did not understand,
/ she sought Mr.. Nickerson, who was
reading a review called THE Critic Of
Critics on the piazza. She began to
scintillate with opinions Oh his faVorlte
novel. '4Muchmore- Nickerson was
/ astonished Miss Cloverleigh's. simple
beauty had attracted him. now her sub
4 tie analysis of a book that no one could
( quite understand charmed him
On the piazza was a small telescope
! swung on a tripod used by the guests
! of the hotel to look at the neighboflng
| mountains. AS soon as Miss Clover
leigh had impressed Mr.. Nickerson
with her powers of criticism she pro-
posed that they should amuse them-
/ selves with the telescope. She soon
turned it to the cliff.
why, declare" she exclaimed, If
there isn't Lydia Marblei"
Indeed said Niekerson. What is
she doing2"
Reading. The book has a red cover.
1 wonder what book it is?''
Miss Cloverleigh turned the glass over
to Nickerson, who looked at the uncon-
scious Miss Marble sitting on a rock
devOuring a book which from its cover
he readily recognized as The Mystery
of the Munro Murder"
she's reading that detestable detee-
tive story he exclaimed.
rs she?" replied Miss Cloverleigh.
Il don't see how she can read such
trash
At that moment Miss Cloverleigh-
possibly she thought he was through
with the instrument-tried to look
through it and their cheeks rubbed
against each other. Both drew away
and, both mistaking the others inten-
tions, again attempted to put an eye
to the telescope. The result was an
other meeting of cheeks
This was the beginning of a change
in Mr. Nickerson's attentions In vain
Miss Marble endeavored to attract his
sympathy by her book talk and adnIira-
ton for literary style and that exquisite
handling of the English language with
iout which no book could be to her taste
The pink checked Miss CIoverleigh had
captivated him and there was no de-
taching him. Miss Cloverleigh, having
put in an entering wedge, dropped book
talk and resorted to such means as she
had put in practice when Mr.. NickersoU
had inadvertently rubbed his cheek
against hers. The result was that when
she LEFT the mountains she and Mr.
Nickerson were engaged.
BLANCHE T. CARRUS.
QUAKER REFLECTIONS.