The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-19
The EVENING STORY
MY LADY and Perkins.
by c. q. Tewis I

nad slight stoop and somewhat of
an uncertain gait. But for the vigilance
" neT maid. Perkins, she would have
looked every month of her age and
passed for the old woman she was.
II was Perkins who skiIlfully padded
ler gowns and applied the dainty pink
ana Wnlte complexion, and who gave
lef daily lessons in the art of remain
ing young woman.
1t was Perkins who had told her for
the last dozen years that she looked
under 40, and who made each birth
DAY count one less instead of one
more. In her way, and it was a good
water.
My Lady had wealth. When at the
age of 40, she had married again, only
to become a widow for the second time
within three years, her cash income
had been largely added to.
AT so third ardent sutton appeared,
but My Lady decided to preserve her
WldoWhood and retain control of her
money. AT 60 she had herself, and
| she had Perkins. Five years previous
ly, when the woman had come to her,
she had said:
S." -e
"Yes'm." replied Perkins as she mem
tally added 20 years to the figures.
81 am frivolous. but not quite fool"
Nom"
And I want you to help me from be-
coming one"
Certainly, NM"
IF you see me flirting or acting gid
| dy, as most young women are apt to do
at times, put your foot down and stop
it,"
II will, m'm."
Should I really fall in love, Perkins
should I be so giddy and frivolous
and foolish as to think of marriage,
put both feet down and bring me to
my senses ere it is too late. That's
all this evening, Perkins"
Thus Perkins became lady's maid,
chaperon and adviser combined She
was the keeper of the keys and the
watchdog of the treasury. She was
good judge of human character, and
close estimator of how far a Irritation
of harmless.
On several occasions. when things
had gone their limit, she had an
nounced the fact. and My Lady had
turned her back on the affair.
1t was one season at Nice when
things went wrong. Perkins was find
ing it hard work to keep the wrinkles
| rubbed away. My Lady was beginning
to notice her own stoop and limp. an
she was almost ready to acknowledge
that she felt all of As and a few min
utes over.
Count Dubois made his appearance
at this opportune moment. He was a
real French count, if that was worth
8. SD6nQInrlIC
and a gambler. He had about reached
the end of his tether when he got
around to Nice on a tour of adventure
and ran across My Lady and her
| friends.
| His reputation soon caught up with
| him, but in Europe a title excuses
much. There was almost at once an
open Irritation between my lady and
the count, and for time the argus
eyed Perkins watched it and said
nothing.
However, when Mrs. Grundy had
begun to nod and wink and whisper
| behind her fan, she took My Lady in
| hand. On all previous occasions the
| dear old thing had heaved a sigh or
| two, shrugged. her shoulders and sub
mitted to the inevitable, but on this
occasion, to Perkins great surprise,
she proved obdurate.
| Perkins, I am surely in love-" she
replied
But you can't be. You are too
too young"
But 1 know that L am in love, and
\ I shall marry the count, poor boy"
! Perkins came back at her with
enough statistics to swamp the char
| acters of three or four adventures,
| but My Lady had made up her mind
and nothing could move her. Perkins
knew when to argue and when to con-
ceal herself behind the portieres
Before the count left the parlors
next day she was in possession of all
needed particulars. There was to be
yachting party of a dozen friends, and
during the trip the engagement would
! be announced Two weeks later
| marriage and honeymoon trip.
The yacht would not make the har-
Dor until late hour in the evening,
and the count would call for My Lady
| in a carriage. He further threw out
suggestion. It was that Perkins be
| locked In her room at u certain hour
to prevent her wandering about Nice
during the evening hours and getting
lost o. falling off the quay.
| Human jewels such as she had been
known to disappear Off the face of the
earth while innocently taking the
night air of that charming resort.
But Perkins won't be advertised
for as a lost jewel" said Perkins to
| herself as the count left the house;
and for the next few hours her face
wore an expression that ought to have
| put Ny Lady on her guard but didn't.
She was so mild and gentle and
affectionate, and she seemed, so far
from suspecting any sort of plot that
she could have asked for raise of
salary and got it on the spot. AS she
didn't ask, it was not offered.
Neither did My Lady think it best
to tell her that she would soon he
out of a place. That was another
| thing the count had suggested-the
very last thing as he was leaving the
| house-that as soon as the marriage
took place Perkins could go hang.
NV Lady. simply patted her faithful
servant and companion on the back,
and said that she should miss her
! when she died
The day on which My Lady was to
begin her yachting trip dawned auspi-
ciously. She had looked into her
heart She had felt the stir and fut-
| ter of love and romance. She had
heard that one lady had said that
she was old enough to be the counts
grandmother.
/ She looked into her glass and in
dignantly repudiated the SANDER. Not
j L.