The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09
THE EVENING STORY
WfIlieboy's wading.
(By Lulu Johnson.)

hi, ,,-Oy vas having the Time or
MS young life. He made the start
ing discovery that the Joys Of wading
eenIouen the water without getting his
iest wet We're as nothing to the greater
| 10y OF Waolng through water which
| ZANE over the top of the rubber boots
Inc cold water was refreshing to
teet tlred and burning from the double
neat OF thick felt lining and imperyi-
Gus RUBBER. Then. too, the gurgling
spe TOP prod ,t. by the movement Of
OF the water as he pushed Forward
eacn was a separate joy.
| ms JOY. alas, was threatened with
eroaan by the unexpected APP
+, mis- back upon the shore and affected
oeep absorption in the expanse OF
It was barely possible that Men
h m,gnt not recognize him If he kept his
| PACK turned. So he stared out over
the lake with an intenseness that
proved his undoing, for his sister was
| atl.acted by the motionless little figure
ana stopped to see what held the
| cnllo,s attention for so long.
Both she and Arthur Bannister
paused and strained their eyes in an
| enoeavor to discover what the inter-
| esune object might be, and failing to
see anything unusual In the appear
ance OF the lake or the general view.
they turned their attention to the
Detection would have been instan-
taneous II Willieboy had not taken the
precautlon to exchange coats with
| neighbor boy early in the morning.
more tnan once the ruse had led to
escape In some adventure, since the
owner owns. ct the coat was able to prove an
| anpl. This time it proved futile. how
eyer, and Willieboy's own indiscret1on
proved his undoing
Keeping from the corner Of his eye,
| ne saw that the lake shore, as far as
| the next turn, was deserted. and I'M
| wisely he decided that Nell and Ar
| thur had passed around the curve and
out of sight.
He was chuckling at his own clever
ness, when the smile froze upon his
| lips, for as he turned he confronted
his sister. whose voice rose in shrill
| command that he come our az once.
won't" declared Willieboy.
you'll get whipping If you don't
come out this instant" said Nell
| Willieboy smiled knowingly as he
| shook his head. Whether he came or
| not, punishment was now Inevitable,
SO he might as well enjoy his fun to
| the utmost before he came forth TO be
soundly thrashed.
You'll catch your death Of coid.''
warned Nell, and Wfllieboy smiled
afresh. The home treatment for colds
| was a delicious compound in which
molasses figured largely and Wfllieboy
enjoyed having colds, even at the cost
| OF pain in the throat and a Keeling as
| though Maggie had put flat1ron on
| his chest.
care you coming?" demanded Nell
! as Willieboy's smile widened.
NO" said Willieboy with impolite
| brevity.
"If I have to come and get you-!"
warned Nell.
mirth. and even Arthur smiled be-
meath his moustache at the idea OF
Nell. in her pretty spring frock.
wading into the muddy waters of the
lake after her truant brother.
But Willieboy was again his own
undoing, for his calm defiance now
/ moved Nell to tears and Bannister
| slipped off his coat.
"William" he Numbered, ST you
don't come ashore this instant I'll
come after you'll
| Willieboy eyed him for an instant
as though to size up his determine
| ton, and the delay was fatal, for
without another word Bannister
strobe into the water.
| Slowly Willieboy backed away until
he reached the edge Of the bank be-
yond, where the bottom shelved
sharply downward. There was a cry
from Nell, an exclamation from Ban
mister, and Willieboy went over back
| ward into the deep water Of the chan
mel.
l DOWN, QOWn ne went, the DOOIS
| preventing his rising again to the
top, and the cry of terror which he
sought to voice became a mere bubble
before it reached the surface. Then
he felt something strike him, hand
| gresped his collar and Willieboy
knew no more until he woke in his
own little bed at home and looked up
| into his mothers eyes, red-rimmed
! from weeping.
| did he get me?" demanded Willie
boy. His mother nodded.
| Arthur always gets what he goes
after" said Willieboy contentedly.
eff he'd waited, I was coming in
The boy dropped off to sleep again
But Nell coming down the hall, heard
| the words and she flushed softly.
| Arthur Bannister had a habit of get
| ting what he wanted. At times it
and the thought brought a soft flush
to her cheeks and a happy smile to
her lips.
But in the days that followed the
rescue Of Wiliieboy 1t seemed as if
Bannister had changed his mind. For,
though he was a frequent caller and
his eyes glowed with admiration as
they rested upon Neil. he did not
speak the words that lowered upon
his tongue.
Still more significant was the fact
that he no longer Unanswered to rid
himself OF the presence of Willieboy
when that trouble brewer appeared
upon the scene.
One afternoon the boy was sitting
upon Bannister's lap as the latter
waited for Nell to come downstairs.
and with the curiosity of youth Willie
| boy was pursuing his Investigations.
The recent rescue Of a pretty girl
from the lake and a subsequently an
nounced engagement between the res
cued and rescuer had aroused the
boys curiosity.
1--WE can't be engaged, can we?" de-
manded the child.
mot very WELL, admitted Bannfs-
| ter with q laugh.
"But you saved me-" persisted the
ssTxye o,,OJ,t RI he an pa1edi WHY