The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-18
THE EVENING STORY
A Girl in Politics.
(By Lester Grew,

(By Lester Grey.)
II the Hon Tom Paxton had. been
making out a schedule OF his personal
property. a portion of it would have
| read as follows:
Sole owner and proprietor of the
Fourth Congressional district.
sole owner Of one spinster sister
| sole owner OF one charming daugh-
The honorable Tom secured nosses-
sion OF the Fourth district during a
praln-storm of reform, and he imme-
dlately started in to make it life job.
Al the GATE OF this record he was serv-
ing the last weeks Of his fourth term
and laying his wires for a fifth He
was Keeping an eye on the interests of
the country and neglecting few oppor-
tunities to advance the cause when
he received q letter that started him
or for home. He arrived there to face
his sister and daughter and demand to
know what 1t was all about.
Fate may have nothing to do with q
kettle OF hot soft soap boiling over and
blistering the feet of a farmers wife,
but everybody knows that it has all to
do with love. If Arthur Clayton hadn't
graduated In law and been in Lexington
one day to see what the chances were
of hanging out his shingle. and If Jen-
ME Paxton hadn't been acting as
chauffeur Of her own auto, the young
man and the auto would not have COL
ided on the street.
He was taken to q hotel to get the
better of the shock and the cuts and
bruises, and the conscience-stricken girl
sent him flowers and messages of re-
greet. Had she had the business in
stincts Of her father, she would have
sent him a five-dollar bill instead and
told him to sue for the balance The
spinster aunt saw romance, admiration
| AL
and after the victim was able to limp
out and had made a call, she wrote to
her brother than the danger signal was
out. This letter brought him home as
he was in the midst of a nice little deal.
the particulars Of which would never
find their way into the Congressional
Record"
The Hon. Thomas came home to
smash things. He was no orator. He
had never yet even moved that the
house do now adjourn. He did fairly
| well, though, on this his maiden effort.
He said he would be hanged and be
burned and be blowed II he would have
| it So He would burst the aspirations
of that gander- shanked lawyer In
day He would lock his daughter down
cellar or upstairs and II she dug her
way out with an old caseknife and
married Clayton, she and her thirteen
| wailing children might freeze and thaw
and starve for all Of him. Then he
| wound up his oratory with:
Drop It'll Drop it right now! There's
| nothing in love, but there's heap in
politics. I've brought home a grtpful
of my private papers. and want you
| to overhaul and classify them A poll
tician's daughter should know some
| thing about politics"
| Jennie was silenced, and therefore
the father took it that she was con-
WINGED and cowed. The Hon. Tom was
deceived. He knew men, but he dlon'
know girls. If he had he would have
realized that they are the most dan
gerous when they cease to argue and
protest. Not that his daughter could
! have told him, had she been ever SO
| frank, that she was really In love Win
| the briefess young lawyer VINO nao
| been knocked into the gutter by her
auto. but she might have limited that
| Fate had a great deal to do with such
things and that she should abide by
| Fate.
| Having smashed things to his own
satisfaction, the sole owner or the
| Fourth Confessional district went back
to the capital and his deals, while his
daughter sat down In the library to
| overhaul the papers, and things ran on
| peacefuIly. Not that there were no
more meetings. but the spinster aunt
did not know of them. Not that ro-
nance and Fate fell down, but Jennie
|
played the artful dodger when leading
| questions were asked.
The Hon Tom had packed up the
papers in hurry, and had put In what
ever came to hand first, and some OF
them made very interesting reading.
The day after the last one had been
read and classified under the head OF
ssDanger. Look out for the Locomo-
tiyep' the young lady and the young
! man went for ride in the vehicle that
had played Fate with him..
! At proper moment he asked ques-
| ton that greatly concerned the future
of both. and at another proper moment
she blushed and said yes" Then she
| proceeded to tell him that her fathef
would see her in her grave before con-
senting to the match, and she held up
such a vision of paternal wrath and
obduracy that he dropped back from
| the seventh heaven to the first Then ne
was taken into partnership as con-
spirator and lifted back again, and there
was much rejoicing during the remain
| der of the ride.
| A few days later the Hon. Tom ar
rived home to tinker up his political
| fences and lay his ear to the ground.
He had about concluded to bestow the
| hand Of his daughter on member Of
| the house who was serving his first
term and stealing government lands in
the west at the rate of 1000 acres a
K.
willing to help the Hon. Tom to go and
| do likewise.
"Oh. daddy, but you'll be surprised to
learn how much 1 know about politics!"
announced the demure daughter after
receiving the fatherly kiss. II haven't
been studying three months yet, and
| still know almost as much as you do
about them"
| The father grunted his appreciation,
and said he would see her in the library
he suddenly remembered the event Of
three months previous, and in benev-
olent and jocular manner he asked
what had become of the milksop of a
| lawyer that had been hanging around
| after her when he was home last.
You mean Mr.. Clayton" she re-
piled. TT was about him that wanted
| to speak to you. He will be here to-