The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-23
TIE EVENING STORY
Vvanteei-A Man.
TBy Martha McCulloch-Wiillar

Malcolm for his daughter. The squire
was a choleric person at the best of
times, but this morning his humor was
f1endlsh. Orestes, Of course, did not
know that.
There was a reason for the mood
slight to be sure-but any reason was
sufficient when the time came for one
of the old gentleman's RACES. He was
or his daughter, and felt 1t a personal
1 insult If anybody else presumed to have
melons earlier. Yet here were those
miserable Dawsons, outlanders, city
4 bred at that, sending him q melon, fully
ripe, with their compliments and all be-
cause he had laughed at Dawson and
! his gardener when they had talked 10
him about certain extra-early kind
| Now, it would be quite ten days be-
fore he could return the sending.
Want my girl-eh? Isn't there some
! thing else2 Don't be mealy-mouthed-
A SIX for my eye-teeth-or the farm, and
roared at poor Orestes, who stood nerV
/ ously shifting his feet. BY George,
sir, I'm amazed at your moderation.
! OF course I've raised Edith just a-pur
pose to see her throw herself away.
Don't interrupt me, siri I know all
your re going to say-you love her and
/ money than any other girl around. I've
/ heard that from better men than you
are. / tell you as I've told then1-shes
not for any such cattle. 1 want her
/
it's going to be to a man. Be off with
you now, sir-and don't let me see you
here again-not unless you're willing to
swear there shall be no more of this
nonsense"
I'm going" Orestes said hoarsely
turning half about But what you call
this nonsense is going to last-with
me and with Edith, too, believe
/ Wen wait q year, to let you come to a
better temper. But I'm going to see
4 her-across your gate-every little while,
l won't ever set foot on your land
again, though, unless you ask it,
do you think I'll have such scandal
Gus behavior" the squire shouted. A
hand fell over his lips. Edith had
crept up behind him.
Unless you will have it, I shall go
with 'Restes right straight off" she
said, with set of the mouth. and a
! lowering of the brow, that made of her
/ her fathers daughter. In suffocating
anger that forbade speech the squire
waved the pair away. Edith would
/ not go. She held out her hand to
Orestes, saying: 'I'n be at the gate to-
night-well settle things there Then
as the young fellow strobe off, she
fetched cool water to battle the
squire's head, famed him. and made
him sit under the grape vines saying
no word to him until he had come to
a semblance of reason. When she saw
| his head droop thOughtfuIly, and his
| cane make faint plunges into the turf,
I sick, father. You know you can't real
" say anything against 'Restes-he's
as good as he's ugly"
Hes a Molly oddle-brought up
at his granny's apron-strings, the
squire interrupted.
Then like molly-coddlesA
I've been brought up to know men. -
she said, running away to see about
dinner. The squire looked after her
with a scowl that softened at last to a
sigh. He thought the world Of her
love was indeed at the bottom of his
scorn for poor Orestes.
Fate had hard lines ahead of the
squire. Edith went duly to the gate
every wednesday evening at sundown.
and spent an hour there in earnest
talk with her sweetheart. Even the
squire could not bring himself to ig-
more Orestes completely when they
met; but he never went bevond the
gruf nod, all the three Sundays before
he was laid by the heels. Obstinacy
l-Of man and beast-brought that
about. BIicky. the buggy mare, took oc-
casion to balk just at the top of the
lane hill, and instead of humorins her
By walking up what remained Of the
rise, her master sat tight, and tried
| to make her pull him. The result was
much backing. kicking and at last an
upset vehicle and a broken leg for the
squire, with the prospect of spending
| a month at least fat on his back
He roared and ragged If by any chance
Edith was out of his sight. For two
weeks she did not see Orestes. but when
the third Wednesday came she put on
her bonnet, with the air of a person not
to be gainsaid. At the door of the
souire's room she paused to saw ssTf
you want anything, father, ring your
bell-its right there a hand-and Sally
will come in. You'd better ring it every
little while-else she'll go to sleep I
hate going-but there is no other way
not unless you"
She stopped tentatively, her eyes visit
full The squire glared at her his eyes
full of fury. "Soi This is your notion
of duty" he said thiclly. ''Ve+y well.
Go your gait! I'm old and helpless
but there are few things I can do -
tYes-you can ring for Sally and
scare her out of her wits" Edith said
trying to laugh as she walked away.
At the door steps she was tempted to
go back but the thought of Orestes
waiting SO patiently at the roadside was
too much for her
The squire lay for ten minutes. tense
" brooding, his face drawn and lined.
Then he sat up and began recklessIy to
, hitch himself out Of bed. Within reach
: | were the clutches which he Was TO es-
say tomorrow. Once he put out his
hand to the bell, but drew it back NUT
| tering: mol BY the Lord III do it all
myself I'll show them they can't run
over me-not quite" Then still NUT
! Cerlng and mum Dnn8 ne Wrapp2u MINI
self in his dressing gown. reached for
the crutches and swayed and staggered
across to the door
The squire sat down heavily upon the
second step Of the broad stairway and
began craftly going UP backward. He
| lifted himself from tread to tread then
| drew the clutches after him. BY some
! whim he had kept his desk and all his
papers in the big south chamber that
had been his wife's He was going there
l [ n ID IN 111-
he would leave behind a new will-one
that would come near to disinheriting
: his rebellious child. 1t would do more
, than that-it would set forth her rebel
lion, her neglect of him, in such fashion
as to shame her. here where honor to