The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-27
THE EVENING STOR
The Lucky Woman.

ages of eighteen and nineteen it became
necessary for the two Misses Venners to
do something for themselves. They
were orphans. and they divided between
them a fortune of ESQ a year. The elder
and palmer of the two,S Ellen Venner,
took her own strong line at once. She
married dissenting minister and made
for herself a little home at Brixton.
The more vulgar of her acquaintance
said that it was no great catch.
Beatrice, the younger sister. was for
tunate enough to obtain the post of
governeSs to Mrs. Pawlingss three dear
little boys; moreover, she retained her
post, and won for herself some portion
of the respect and good will of Mr.. and
Mrs. Pawling. The three dear little
boys kicked her with almost unneces-
sary profusion and learned. very little
from her. But then boys will be boys,
and, If we are to be frank, 1T must be
admitted that Beatrice Venner had very
little to teach. She had good food, she
had $50 a year avore and above her
private income, she had occasional hol-
idays and two evening dresses, and IN
course of time a still further blessing
was to befall her.
The further blessing came when she
had been with the Rawlings for about
four years, and it was beginning to be
said by papa and mamma that the eld-
est of the dear little boys certainly
ought to go to school now. As he was
by far the hardest and most persistent
kicker of the three, Beatrice heard this
without regret; a goyerness would still
be wanted for the other two. 1t was
at this time that Mr.. Rawlings old
friend, Mr.. YardIey, came to stay at
the house.
Mr.. Yardley was youth of about
forty-five, by profession stock broker,
unmarried. priding himself somewhat
on a gallant manner with the ladies.
He was chubby, tubby and the clean
shaver. His hair was very thin on
the top of his head and he took some
thing for it. He had an income of
f2, 900 a year and the most common
place mind in the city, and he enjoy
ed both of them thoroughly. His was
mind that would rather make a for
tune or come to wrek. He was dis
tinctly satisfied with himself. do not
know whether his friends and intimate
relations had told him so or whether
he had found it all out for himself
but at the moment when he came on
that visit to the Rawlings the decision
was firm and hot within him that he
must not lead this gay butterfly life
any longer. He must settle down.
His gallant but perfectly polite eye
fell upon Beatrice Venner- In the
drawing room after dinner he inquired
if she was fond of music. and added,
as he always did, that he himself was
devoted to it, though he was no per
former. Pulled up somewhat short by
Beatrice's frank confession that she
did not care for music in the least, he
d
please, that he himself knew that there
were other things, and that he could
get along very well without it.
The conversation passed to other
topics. That day, and the next day,
and the next. it was quite obvious to
Mrs. Pawling that Mr.. Yardley was
paying marked attention to the gov
erness.
There was no illegitinate secrecy
about the man. That evening in the
smoking room he explained protentous-
ly to Mr.. Paving his decision to marry
Mr.. Pawling's governess.
Good heavens. you don't say so?"
said Mr.. Paving We'll" he added.
shes a very good girl, and this will be
a rare bit of luck for her"
Beatrice Venner accepted the rare bit
of luck with meekness and gratitude.
1t was true that she was not in the
least in love with Mr.. Yardley, but she
admired his income and his other esti-
mable qualities. Certainly, too, she was
not in love with anybody else. She re-
ceived many congratulations The let
ter from her sister Ellen was of a
somewhat sub-acid character, implying
that she did not expect that they would
see much of Beatrice down at Brixton
after this. She also added that con-
scientious scruples would not allow her
husband and herself to be present at a
wedding in a church. This did not pre-
vent Beatrice from being married in
the church, in beautiful white dress
and a beautiful lace veil, with two
bridesmaids, with the youngest Pawling
boy as page. with THE Voice that
Breathed Ger Eden and, generally
speaking, with pomp.
She was quite happy in a placid way
for some time after her marriage, and
she did not drop the sister down at
Brixton. Beatrice had no children,
thought of adopting one of them. Her
husband. kindly but firmly, thought
not. She had been married eight
years and the edge of the luxuries had
worn off; her remarkable luck had
become quite commonplace, and she
was beginning to find her husband
very slow man with tendency to
hypochondria, and one day she went to
Brixton to her sisters squalid abode to
play a game with her sisters new
baby, which was a perfect beauty.
She was late in returning and found
that her husband had already got
back from the city and was going
round the gardens. 1t was springtime-
and she found him standing in the or
chard, his frock coat and his silk hat
still on him, looking grotesquely out
prospects with gravity and with some
knowledge of the subject. TITS a
queer thing" he said, that this one
tree has got no blossom on it at all"
I'm glad she snapped furiously.
He stared at her with his Titles eyes
mo. 1 am not glad,' she added
quickly, and pressed her lips to the
rough bark of the tree and kissed it.
my dear child" he said in gentle
remonstrance. "have you gone quite
mad?"
Then She ran into the house, and he
followed Iaboriously to inquire what
she was crying about.-Barry Pain, in
the Taller.