The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-02
THE EVENING STORY
Binoculars of Love.
<By Benjamin Franklin Maple,


'I tell you.' said Callander, "she
thinks you are too formal. too cut
and-dried, too wrapped up in your
profession. To her you're a FOSSIL
If I were you I'd kick him for
saying that" said Galley. go ahead.
away from the village SO that your
unbending from dignity will never be
SEEM
'Oh, I'll do worse than that to him,
some time" returned young DR.. Abb
bett, glazing with comic malevolence
injured in some of his schoolboy es-
capades. and then I'll operate on him.
Don't you feel the approach Of another
foolish attack. Georgte?"
The three young men sat in the
shade of huge mass OF rock that
marked the end Of long. irregular
ridge Of hills. which jutted out from
the main range to the west. At the
mouth of a tiny canyon, just visible
from the rocks, a cluster of summer
cottages showed white against the
brown and gray of their surroundings.
George" Callander grunted.
stretched his hulking body and took
out pair of field glasses from case
at his side.
mo, Folsom" he replied at length,
Il don't feel unusually foolish at
present But this grand air. and this
dHQ-WGli, llI6 III general,
greatly appeals to me today; and so
| there's no telling when I shall find 1t
necessary to break out again. By
Jove," he went on, pointing the glasses
at the faraway cottages, there's my
dear wife. and the dear wife Of our
sister Of my dear wife afore-men-
toned, all laden with baskets and
| making for Flagstaff hill.
Dear, dear" said Hiram Galley.
anybody els in the party?"
''N-no, none that I can make out.
Hold on, though; yes, there Is; they're
passing Evergreen inn now, and that
discreditable simian. Ramage. has
Joined them. I believe, Albeit. that's
what you called him, wasn't ia dis
creditable simian?''
"Callander," demanded Albeit.
sternly, "does Miss Alice know that
you two ungainly wretches enticed me
away with you this morning. with
out letting me know that she and
other ladies' were bent upon picnic
today?"
Miss Alice?" queried Callander.
ooh, you mean little Allie, my wife's
sister. Now that think of it, Folsom,
I believe she did say something about
asking you to have lunch with them
on Flagstaff hill today. She asked If
I thought you would care to leave
your ug-hunting, and whether you
WOutQ make one Oh SO lnIOTuld1 d
party. 1 believe I told her"
He broke off and leveled his glass at
the distant hills.
well, WELL" cried Albeit, inn
patiently, what reply did you make?
Something absurd, I suppose. Give
me those glasses"
Callander adroitly moved out of
reach of Abbetts arm. and continued:
ct forgot just what I did say, but
it must have been something worthy
of so ungainly wretch. They're up
on the hill. now, Folsom; and Ramage
has taken his place beside Allie, and is
carrying her basket
That's a bad sign Galley put in.
That's the way I began on the day
asked Ella to be my wife. You re-
member that picnic, George
Certainly. Picnics are fatal at
fairs. I have no doubt that if Folsom
were on Flagstaff hill today he'd be
the happy man. instead OF Ramage.
By Jove, he and Allie have strolled
away from the rest and are picking
wild flowers
Albeit groaned.
"And I thought they were my
friends-my boyhood friends. Here,
give me those glasses, I say
Again Callander eluded his grasp,
and lightly sprang across tree trunk
down from the rangs of hills and into
the plain. Once safely across, he
pulled away the log and set 1t floating
down stream.
1--WE are your friends. Folsom he
declared from the opposite bank.
"Haven't\we patiently listened to your
rawlings about Allie for the past six
months? Didn't we bring you out with
us today on purpose to talk about
herr"
"And you" cried the young doctor,
turning to Galley, st suppose you're
~. To fr-ov
Miss-frQm the picnic?"
Don't speak so harshly, Folsom"
Galley returned. Lets go leave
George and hunt fossils, or some
thing
"I've a nation to hunt YOU" Alb
Galley.
ooh, don't, doctor; DON'T DOCTOR"
Galley screamed in high falsetto, as
he sprang down the hill, with Albeit
at his heels.
At the creek bank Galley paused
to look back and seeing the doctor
still coming, he leaped into the stream
and fioundered across it.
Albeit stopped at the bank and be-
gan to throw stones at his tormentors.
They moved out Of range of the mis-
siles and walked down stream until
the settlement of cottages came into
view from behind the rocks where
they had been sitting on the other side
of the creek.
Albeit followed them down stream
on his side and bawled out half angry
epithets at them. Callander. after a
prolonged look through the glasses at
Flagstaff hill. called out:
ooh, horrors, Folsom, Ramage has
taken Allie for a stroll to the top of
Flagstaff They're at the top row now.
I did so want you for a brother-in-
law, and now I'll never have a doctor
in the family
"Stop them, stop them" cried Fol-
som, dancing up and down. DO,
please. George, toss over those
glasses
Couldn't do it; this is sight one
doesn't see every day. There he goes,
| Topping down on his knees before her
Farewell, brother-in-laW Folsom