The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-23
THE EVENING STORY


Il
salt pork. the pendulum swung to its
opposite extreme for Dave Chadwick.
The goddess Of fortune, whom he had
long wooed in vain. now turned her
race with truly feminine caprice. From
bacon and corn bread Dave had been
| advanced almost over night to New
York hotel where his days board would
have bought provisions for month
| during his prospecting period
AND still Dave was not satisfied. He
did not like what he termed '.fussy"
| foods. and the very length OF the bill Of
| fare deprived him OF his appetite.
Then it was that Nell Horton came
| as an angel Of deliverance and led him
| to her home in the suburbs. where
| Dave devoured all that was put before
1 him and rejoiced in the absence of a
bill of fare.
II don't suppose that this modest
meal will appeal to you" said Nell
with ostentatious modesty. I'VE are
plain people out here, and after your
grand hotel 1t must seem kind Of SKIM
by, but when 1 saw you on the avenue,
said to myself. I'll bet that's Dave
Chadwick and I'm going to ask him
home, no matter what he may think
You haven't changed a mite, Dave.
| since you left Lawrence"
| Now it is pleasant for a man who re-
Allies that he is beginning to look old
| to be told that he does not differ in APP
pearance after fifteen years. and for
1 the first time Dave decided that Nell
was looking remarkably young herself.
He could not know that Nell had
carefully studied the numerous pic
lures of the new Croesus in the news
papers and had haunted the vicinity
| OF his hotel for days before she had
| encountered him apparently by chance
in front of the place.
The Horizons had known Dave in his
| early life, before he had gone west TO
seek and eventually to find fortune.
| When the papers had taken up the
newly made multi-millionaire, as the
week before they had taken up the
newly born baby elephant of the cir
Gus. Nell had read all the stories and
had determined that Dave and his mil
lions should become her property.
He always was a dumb fool" she
told her mother IF we can get hold
of him before the others do I'll be mar
ried to him before the end OF the
month. Did you see what the paper
| said the other day about his cooking
bacon in his room and getting the halls
ali smelly? He's sick of the French
stuff the hotels all have and there Is
no one to give him what he wants be-
cause he does not know where to look
for it, Well have him over here to
dinner and--well, he'll want to come
again."
Mrs. Horton had nodded approvingly
upon her we'll preserved daughter, and
so the campaign was begun
They were fortunate in the posses
4 sion Of a dependent relative. The Hor-
tons had an income. small but assured
and when Cleon Blake had died penni-
less. they had permitted his daughter,
Dora. to enter their household nom
inally as a member Of the family, but
in reality as superior cook
1t was she who had cooked the din
ner which had so pleased Chadwick
and which brought him frequently to
the little house The men who were
promoting his syndicate insisted that
he must not remove from the motel 10
a boarding house where his simpler
needs could be suited, and 1t was only
| at the Horizons that he could escape
that terrible menu card with its res
taurant French and its over-rfch
sauces.
He did not always want steaks and
roasts. and the knowledge tnat mere re
were good things on the bill which ne
could not translate only added to his
dissatisfaction.
1t was after an especially trying
meal at the hotel that Dave armed
himself with a box of violets and sal
lied forth to propose to Nell. He had
slowly come to the conclusion that
Nell was no longer as young as she
pretended to be, but she offered escape
! from the hotel and he was sick OF the
place: sick of its cuisine, its grinning
bellboys, it's servile walters and It's
arrogant clerks.
His business sponsors at least coulo
not object IL he married and estab-
lished a home for himself.
It was a long trip uptown ana mucn
of his courage had oozed away When
at last he found himself on the Hor-
tons stoop. He was rather glad that
the maid came to the door. 1t was a
certain sign that Nell was not home
else she would have rushed to the door
with ostentatious welcome. This little
| annrOYed
"They will be back In an hour,
said the girl. "They have only gone
downtown on a shopping tour and
they will be SO sorry to nave missed
Chadwick hesitated and was lost.
He went into the little parlor and
nicked out the most comfortable chair.
The girl paused at the door.
go >" she asked solicitously. THE
morning paper is upstairs. can get 1t
"f'd rather talk" said Chadwick
comfortably. He was hungry TOT Con, con.
maid was very different from Nell:
| Sometfmes Dave grew a little tired OF
| Nell and her bold fattery.
| ct can't stop" cried the girl ~ IL
baking day and have the oven full"
when Miss Horton does all the
cookins?" reminded Chadwick. Il
shall have to investigate"
| He had been so frequent caller
that ne knew from which door Nell
was accustomed to put In an appear
| ance her sleeves rolled up and an
adorable dab of -four on her saucy
chin. ignoring the frightened protests
of the little maid, he pushed his way
| into the kitchen.
In her embarrassment, Dora had
forgotten that Nell had claimed the
cookery for her own, and that upon
| This talent she had counted for the
winning of Chadwick. NOW that the
| cat was out Of the bag. the probabi1i-
| ties were that Nell would turn her
cousin into the street. She inherited
shrewish temper from her mother.
and Dora knew that the two woman
| would be implacable.