The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-16
THE EVENING STORY
For Spot Cash.

INV LAA4S EenGEallOu discounts
That fine piece OF Bulwer's senttimen-
tality- Women nowadays have got past
signing anything. Instead, they say
things-and behold, the things are
DONE
Which means, if anything. that
you're dead sore" Marvin retorted,
pulhng hard at his pipe. 4 don't Won
/ Qer at IT, he went on. you were so
Immortality certain Baby Curran would
make ducks and brakes Of her venture,
when 10! she's succeeded in a way to
astonish everybody"
Wrong, as usual, . Norris commented
Marvin shook his head with a lazy
! 1augn' saying: George! but I'm glad
! Daddy Curran left nothing but debts
ana a livery stable to his flock Of
children. There was nothing for Baby
70 do except keep on with the BUSH
There was. She might have mar
ried me-" Norris Interrupted. 'She
knew I'd look out for her stepmotl1er
and the kids
NO doubt" Marvin broke in. "But
lnaL isn't BdbyS way. Don't you re-
member hovE at school she wouldn't be
/ told in class nor have her sums done
Tor her? Honest independence is her
! ruling passion-so much so, indeed, I
4 reared to have her 60 into this. Daddy
/ Curran never thought of doubling any
! Dody's word, until he had to. thought
I Baby was off the same piece. So she is,
/ but she's got something else in her.
| Her spot cash conscience she calls it.
heard her explaining to old Major
Axtun that the way to avoid bad debts
/ was to have no debts at all, and let the
bank do all the bookkeeping.
Norris drummed hard on the table.
/ m fool to keep on caring he burst
out. She puts me aside like a last
/ year s bonnet; won't hear to marrying
me until the debts are paid and
/ Benny-boy through school and ready
/ to step into her shoes That means
| four years at least Meantime there's
the devil to pay with my people
| Theyr re not purse proud, but who can
! blame them If they don't want to well
come as a daughter headstrOng
young woman who has made herself
the talk of the county, not even though
she did it with the best intentions in
/ the world. My mother was at me yes
/ terday, asking me if I wanted a wife
1 who had grown sharp at bargaining
| with half the horse dealers and team
sters in the countryside. It seems
| Baby is setting up to buy saddle
''I don't know anybody with better
i right. She knows horses better than
4 the most of u.s. Martin interposed
I And all things considered, it is a good
| thing. She has her market ready made
| as If were. Those city folks take every
| thing Of class she can find them, and
| pay her a handsome profit"
You seem to hold brief for her, :"
| Norris said. sulkily, a CLEAN Of suspi-
cion in his eyes. 1T might-be well for
you to join hands with her. You might
make more at horse dealing than you
ever did at the law
Very ikely=if had Baby's chance.
But certainly I shan't scheme to ta1 :
1t from her" Martin said steadily;
then. flushing a little. he added. Il
would be only too glad to join hands
with her in anything ~ and for life.
But she has let me know that's out Of
II the question when she set you free
she left, herself -bound-litde as you
deserve 1t.
The last word was flung over his
shoulder. He had risen and was strid-
ing toward the door. Norris looked
after him. half angrily. half shamedly;
then glanced about the handsomely APP
pointed Office with a scoWling sheer
His grandfather had been governor,
his father was a senator, his mother
led society in dillingham; Naturally
she looked high for her only son, much
higher than bankrupts daughter
who had taken upon her shoulders an
unWomanIy burden. Still she had not
set herself openly against her sons
choice. She had even approved, though
mildly, his intention of constancy
How, then, should he suspect that she
was planning to upset that intention
The hinge of the plan was Miss Althea
/ Roswell.
A beauty. Miss Althea. if one could
have overlooked her nose Unfortu-
, nately 1t stood out so boldly, overlook
| ing it was impossible even in the effuI-
gence of her many dollars. It was the
nose as much as anything else, that had
made Granville Norris fell Sc
much at ease with her She had
come for a long visit, and Al
lingham was making much of her
Yet somehow she had not been
brought face to face with Baby-Baby
who had nowadays little time and less
money for ruf1ing it in the town
gaieties. Norris himself saw her but in
| little snatches - she went and came so
uncertainty, and at such odd times he
! could not Waylay her and calls were out
of the question The little new home
was so crowded it was impossible to say
I | anything there without having it reach
{ all ears. Norris felt that there was
much which ought to be said. but
l somehow had not yet brought himself
to the pitch Of saying it.
J He glanced out of the window, his
? ewes Frightening as they fell upon his
: mother. driving her pony chaise with
: Althea snug beside her. He rushed out
to greet them and almost dragged them
{ inside. Very shortly thereafter he went
away with them-upon an errand ne
{ did not in the least relish. Miss
Althea had heard of Baby Curran' S
venture; further, she had lost her heart
to a fine saddle mare Baby had just
bought and sent out to exercise. She
l m cant to have the creature at almost
s any price, so Norris, perforce, went
Il along to see the bargaining. He did
{ not 90 quite blindly. Though he had
/ never let himself acknowledge It, he
: was not insensible to what he would
gain If he could bring himself to marry
Miss Roswell. If he meant ever to do
that it was we'll not to set the new
: fancy beside the old. He writhed at
! the thought, hoping against hope for
/ some miraculous chance to take Baby
2 away. But most inconsistency, he
felt a flooding gladness at sight Of her
2 smiling welcome from the door OF
the neat dingy ONCE.
she was sorry, dreadfully sorry. but
Black Leezy was not to be bought
She had been bought, indeed upon q
special order from the city stable. and
would be sent there as soon as ever
q she got a little wonted to the hustle OF
! atreels Yes-she had got a fine com