The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-25
THE EVENING STORY
Burr and Bachelor.
(By Troy Allison.)

rock. lit his pipe and leaned against the
chestnut tree.
| This is the loneliest spot in the neigh
| borhood,' he said. after meditatiVe
| puff. Its my favorite place to come
alone and think
The woman raised her eyebrows quiz
ideally.
so sorry If disturb you," TRANQUILITY,
but an old bachelor never knows when
| he is favored by the gods. It's useless
| to cater to his pessimism-a woman
| more or less doesn't increase his misery
| to any great extent. 1t was too far for
me to come alone, you see."
;Oh, / don't mind you! Don't take
| 1T to heart" He fitted his back more
comfortably to the tree trunk and fixed
his eyes upon the blue ridge of noun
| tains that circled around the valley be-
meath them. II get on well enough with
women-if they leave me out OF the
pink tea business, and don't expect rap
tures-rI've passed the rapturous age.
She had put some chestnut burrS on
the rock in front of her and was pound
ing them with a small stone. She LETT
off long enough to look him over reffec-
lively.
"One might reasonably wonder If you
had ever been young enough to rhapSo-
dize-it's hard to associate you with the
idea" She put a plump chestnut be-
tween her teeth and crushed 1T with
obvious pleasure. 1T would really be
worth ones while to spend some effort
trying to make you rhapsodize- I'll ad-
nit that 1 also have partially outgrown
that stage-most women of thirty have
but it would be rather amusing to my
blase mind to see you struggling through
a proposal"
His month in the mountains had
given him a good coat of tan. but she
saw a warthy flush rise to his face:
You are all alike" he grumbied,
always wanting compliments and
wanting a man to act the fool gener-
ally. I've only known you month,
and was fool enough to think had
found woman who didn't care for
them"
There is no such woman in exist
ence dear man" She pounded open
another burr theoretically. You
needn't ever let one fool you that way.
Now as for me, have kept you think
ing me sensible for a whole month
1 let you talk about the isthmian con-
ditions and the trust problems even
fiatter myself that 1 conversed intel
ligently enough upon the subject to
pliments, 1 just love emil"
Jarvis turned his gaze from the
mountain back to her animated face.
st should have thought you would
have grown tired of them-long ago.
he said in unconscious tribute.
THAT does very welcoming from
communicating bachelor-but it
might be improved upon: For IN
doubtful :.
There the woman speaks again"
he grumbled. "She can't bear the idea
of any ones even approximating her
age Now I know you have been a
widow seven years. yet you would
probably be pleased if I refused to be-
lieve you were a day over eighteen;
She gave little irrepressible gurgle
.sWa don't marry quite so young in
our part of the country; but even SO,
it's better than reaching the forIorn
state you have achieved"
at is rather an achievement, ne
said compIacently, when all one
relatives and friends seem ALL q, icteup
with mania for matchmaking:
'"Then you should not be SO fascin-
ating," she said with impudent sar-
casm.
He sat erect, bracing both hands on
the ground beside him.
$50 what?" he shouted in mirth
that set the rocks echoing.
She beat open another burr nom
chalantly.
".Oh, well-you are rather good
looking, YOU know. If your manners
were a little better you might BEER
a tiny bit fascinating. am not
speaking about your achievements
hastily, "merely your potentialities
Say, are you trying the compliment
racket on me q, he demanded sus-
piciously.
mo, indeed" A man of more exper-
fence in reading the female expression
would have detected too great a show
of Innocence in her eyes. never
TO your looks at all; in fact,
I don't know that I should call you
exactly good looking, just strong ana
looking"
This time the flush on his face had
tinge of qualification in it.
That's all the looks man mas any
f11 no
felt a sneaking desire to tell her that
he had been the star man on the foot
ball team at college, and that there
was not a man at the CLUB VINO coulo
bruise him with boxing glove
You see we are all more or less
and women" She con-
templated him from the corner of her
eye. Now I have special weakness
for being told that my hair has a
tinge of red in it, and you like to be
She again gave q |
little gurgle of merriment.
you ought to have been named
Delilah," he said in disgust; there |
was the very essence of treachery in |
the wav you rounded me up then"
She climbed up the rocks to reach /
a limb that hung heavy with large |
burrs.
she broke them off gingerly, throw
ing them one by one at his feet.
s'They remind me of old bachelors"
she said, holding a large prickly one
between her thumb and forehnger,
but with a little experience a woman
Of intelligence can manage them fair
" well and avoid the prickles. don't
suppose, If hadn't been widow,
with a certain amount of knowledge
IF the characteristics OF man, that
would ever have gotten you sufficient
v tame to have been allowed to take
Woodland strolls with you
There was a glimmer of admiration
n his eyes as she stood on the gray,
noss-covered rock, her slim figure
up to the deep green of the
chestnut bough She gathered the
asst burr within cher reach and threw
t at him energetically.
'.That is for you to keep as a souv-