The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-10
THE EVENING STORY
The Eternal Thing.

(By r. B. Shelten.)
The fishing was bad. Even the |
judge, who had whipped the pools |
along the Little Beaver for years, |
could not remember a day when the !
trout had ignored the tempting flies |
SO persistently and annoyingly
When they gathered on the bank of |
the stream for lunch-the judge, the |
bishop and the banker--the subject of
fishing, after few tart remarks by
the judge and the banker which |
made the bishop elevate his eyebrows
In mild reproof, was tactfully avoided.
So eager were they not to mention
or even think of those miserable
anything; and finally the conversation
drifted into an uncharted channel
Romance" said the judge dictator
| tally, taking up remark Of the bank
it in this hustling age. 1t has gone
the way of sentiment and oldtime
courtesy and the gentlemen Of the
old school"
banker lazily. Let it go. 1t has
given way to better things-good
| horse sense, for instance"
The bishop looked at the purling
water He was gray-haired man,
| with kindly eyes and the most win
he turned to the two men.
You are both wrong" said he with
deep conviction. Romance is eternal.
| You can't kill 1t with a club nor with
not admit it even if you saw it,
The judge bristled. The banker
reused himself and his pipe glowed
like a blast furnace.
"Romance!" grunted the Judge with
| carefully unpleasant emphasis. you
old clustered dreamer, you want to
| rub elbows more with the world"
| Dollars and cents. dollars and
cents chanted the banker. That's
what the world is really after"
The bishop smiled with patient toll
Grafton. Dear, dear! I'm glad
haven't the perspective of you two"
| he said. what queer world you see
| through your black goggles. Romancei
| Why, that's what makes the world go
| round
| The banker and the Judge exchang-
| ed knowing winks. They looked at
the bishop with unconcealed pity.
| Speed up a bit and catch up with
the procession" the banker advised.
| Perhaps you're the ones that are
| behind it," the bishop suggested with
| a chuckle. THAT reminds me-" he
continued. Just twenty-five years
ago, on this very spot, when 1 was
young minister, 1 was fishing here
! alone. You know Robert Harding,
| of course, you two" he interrupted
| himself. Fine, cynical beggar like
| you. Never saw any romance in life
|
| hep"
'Well, so he is" growled the Judge.
Whats Robert Harding got to do
| with romance"
pose." laughed the bishop. "Only 1T
| happens that twenty-five years ago
| there was big camp of city people
few miles from here and Robert
with their parents. Those parents,
most automatically had arranged I'M
pleasing matches for these two; and
| they jumped into a canoe one morn
ing and padded down here and got
me to marry them
wouldn't have thought it was in
him. said the banker. "Hellot who's
this?'
Down the stream came a canoe,
driven by the powerful strokes of the
man at the paddle. In the bow was
an attractive, a decidedly attractive,
| girl, who also essayed to paddle, but
whose strokes really counted for lit
/ tie, except as moral support" as the
/ bishop suggested chuckingly
4 AS soon as the man in the approach
ing canoe saw the little group on the
bank he stopped padding, looked
sharply at the bishop and swung the
craft to the bank.
"Are you Bishop Hale?' he asked
excitedly.
81 am" the prelate admitted.
The young man turned quickly to
the girl, who was flushing SO beau
tifully that the judge and the banker
forgot hustle and dollars
|, what luck!" said the young man.
I'VE were on our way to your campl
: Sir, will you marry us 2"
''Wel1. WE'LL said the bishop. who
are you, and what are you, and where
| did you come from, my eager young
candidate?"
The young man smiled. Were
, from the camp at the forks. just
above here. This is an elopement,
sir. We are running away from cruel
, parents-at any rate, they're bother
ing each of us to marry some one
! else, you know"
Irregular, most Irregular" said the
!. | bishop. 81 have never married an
; cept-. However," he went on quick
! ly, as he noted the blank expression
! of dismay on the two faces, thai
: doesn't argue that may not act Elk
, plain, if you please, very briefly, the
; circumstances that have induced you
! to-er-to take this STEP"
III "a man with money and lots OF
power in his fathers business" re-
piled the young man, (which explains
! the young lady's position. AS for mine
a very wealthy young woman whom
my obstinate father prefers merely be-
f cause he has so determined"
s ST see," said the bishop You did
4 not tell me our name"
g ROBERT Harding" said the man in
Y the canoe.
: The Judge and the banker both ut
: tered a shout. Ibid you speak % ask
: ed the bishop sweetly, turning to
r them. Then he turned to the girl
s do you fully realize the import OF
n this step?' asked he.
: Indeed I do" said she. eff you'll
3 please" She glanced apprehensive-
: " over her shoulder in the direction
/. from which they had just come.
r The bishops face was determined
I'll "Land!" he commanded. AS the
: canoe shot to the bank 1t was the
:. bishop himself who helped the CIR
e out
: '.Stand here-so-beneath this fir
n he instructed Med, Will" he went
| on, turning to the judge and the
: banker, you two take your places
Al IL l,o