The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-01
TIE EVENING STORY
NEarion's Oath.
By Charles Lee sargent.


he argued. DO you remember JUST
what it wasp
KS If I could forget, she murmured.
= I do solemnIy promise that viii not
elope with James Warder by walking,
by riding, by driving, by automobile, BY
train or by boat, by bicycle or by any
other means Of travel over land or wa
ter I guess that Is definite enough.
That's the way your father seemed 70
think" he laughed. Il was q fool to
let you make such a promise"
But he would have killed you" she
urged; The really would have done So
I know" he said. 1t was better for
all that we did not let his passions carry
him out Of himself, but you Will go with
me. lutte girl. if I can fix it to evade
those conditions?"
IF only you could she said visit
fully; but Jim, don't see how we pos
sibly can do anything We must travel
either by land or water.
II have an idea" he said mysterious
~. II think that can make that prom
Use hold good and yet take you away.
She smiled family as she turned her
face up for kiss. Three months before
she and Jim had started to elope. Years
before there had been bitter feeling be-
tween thar fathers, over a village cleo
ton, and since then the elders had kept
up the feud.
Jim and Marion had fallen in love.
and they were half way to Carrsviile
before they were overtaken by George
Halpin. He was white with anger. and
his finger twitched nervously on the
trigger of a revolver as he commanded
Marion to descend from the buggy ana
take her place in his own wagon.
There had been drive home in abso-
lutte silence, which in the stiffness OF
the night had worked on the girls feel
ings in strange fashion, and when at
last the home was reached he had led
her into the parlor where the family
Bible lay in state on the center table.
Solemnly he had placed her hand
upon the sacred book and had made
her swear not to elope with Jim. Not
content with a general oath. he mad
sought to make 1t more binding BY
specifying every means or transit ne
could imagine, and when the girl had
at last staggered to her bedroom it was
with the feeling that Jim was lost to
her. Her promise was the price of his
life, and the promise once made could
not be broken.
For a time Jim had seemed content,
but now he had suddenly changed his
mind and somewhOw he had commu-
nicated some of his hope to her she
was willing to go away with him ana
get married If only means could pc
found to escape the letter Of her obi
CATION but her father had made 1t so
binding that she could not see how
loophole could be found.
1t was not QIkl1 d lew WEElhS AosACA
that she found the explanation on her
way back from the store she encoun-
tered Jim on the road. He came to-
ward her smilingly.
i've got it all fixed, he declared,
beamiugIv. Your father made you
swear that you would not elope with
me on land or sea. He didn't say any
thing about going through the air, did
he % ar.
Hon sac hoy
sBut we can n.y. he insisted. Look
here"
He drew from his pocket a copy of a
paper, black with heavy type and cuts:
There among the advertisements OF
cane racks, powders for making
orange cider and ice cream cones was
the picture of a man in an airship.
you know he explained. l IN the
chairman of the entertainment COM
mittee of the County Fair association
Well, 1 saw this advertisement and l
wrote the chap. He gives exhibitions,
and he will be around here next Week
He says he will bring an airship that
will carry four persons and guarantee
to sail right around the steeple OF the
Methodist church.
Il don't see how that Will help any,
she protested. We have no airshsp-,
But I've hired this he exp laineq
INSTEAD of sailing around the church
we will sail past your house and take
YOU on board. I guess your father
won't catch US this time
DO you think it will be safe?" she
@Absolutely safe" was the assur-
ance. 1.-THE man says he has gone up
hundred times"
Lets try it, she said, excitedly-
1T will be such fun But won't it cost
Don't You think you're worth it,"
he countered. as he bent over her. Il
do, if you DON'T
There was a little more talk before
they separated. and when at last she
turned toward her home II was with a
| feeling of happiness she had not ex-
! perienced in weeks She did not feel
bound by the promise. except that she
had pledged her oath. She had not
sworn that she would not elope
through the air, and she saw In this
her opportunity.
A couple of weeks later a car was
backed up the siding that ran into the
county fair grounds and some mys-
terious packages were unloaded a'no
taken in the Agricultural hall
The next night the few persons who
were abroad after midnight were sur
| prised to see a huge white bulk float
/ ing in the air. Some fed, some stared
/ but none guessed what it vas
Marion, looking from her window
saw it approaching in the moonlight
/ and watched the aeronaut as he
maneuvered for favorable approach
Presently the machine settled down
At its approach the watch dog fed anG
hid trembling under the barn so thai
no sound save the soft purring Of ths
motor broke the stiffness as the bag
brushed against the house.
It was not an easy matter to ge
Marion into the car. but at last shs
grasped Jim's hands and swung ou
clear of the sill. Then he drew her VI
into the car and with a soft fluttel
( the blunt nose of the gas bag wa.
pointed toward the moon
They rose a hundred feet and theI
through the still night air they headed
for across the river. There was no ferr!
or bridge nearer than Carrsville. fvl
miles down stream. and even should he
father be aroused by the noise he coulG
not head them of in time. AS It hap
pened there was no sound to arouse hi
suspicious. and an hour later they ha,