The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-10
TIE EVENING STORY
His Fatherly Interest.

muslin dress. From her seat on the
little porch she called to the girl who
was sweeping the wooden walk.
PRESENTLY Elvie. who never hurried.
came to sit on the edge of the porch
with languid interest.
Sakes alive. Elvie. If you had the
spunk OF cat you'd help me out
some way! And the dear pastor takes
such a fatherly interest In you. tool
nerve to follow him on his vacation
peats me! She's that deceitful and
ne that unsuspecting, that q body
mignt expect anythingl-though them
with eyes can see where his thoughts
mas been this past year!"
Inc widow bridled and simpered.
rivals since girlheod, and now the
little town was taking sides, the un-
godiy making bets on which of the
TWO would marry the Baptist preach
er ana queen it in the parsonage and
at the sewing circle.
She didn't follow him-she went
hrst, drawled E1vie. The girl was
eighteen, pink-and-white, with q re-
cedlng chin and an unstarched back
pone, the antipode of her dark, thin,
Same thing!" snapped Susan Rob-
tnson, "she discovered she had folks
to Swan Lake, and went to visit them
the minute she found he was to take
his vacation there. She was cute
enough to make 1t seem he was fol-
in the parsonage once and that cat
will get her comin's! I do hate a
woman! Don't you?"
Elvie assented. It was her way to
assent, and it frritated her mother
beyond endurance at times Now the
girl rose listlessly and went to meet
the postman, who handed her a let
ter. She stood looking at 1t till her
mother came and snatched it i'm
patiently from her hand.
1t was addressed in the unmistak-
able hand of the parson.
"Sakes alive, child, read it! Il
never seen your beat for coolness!"
Elvie obeyed calmly. After a few
pious platitudes. the letter conclud-
ed:
$50 you see, I have a surprise for
your good mother. I am boarding
with her second cousin, Mr.. Steven
Broadly, who has just moved here
from Gorley. as she may not know.
Mrs. Broadly wishes me to invite you
here for month to get acquainted
your good mother let you come I shall
be glad to help you with that Latin
you wish to make up, and further
your Bible class study.
"Your cousin William is a fine
young man. doing well in business,
but not so interested in his church,
I fear, as one could wish. You may
be a help to him.
''TeH your mother that I am most
and that her cousin is
Could I say more? Be assured of
my fatherly interest in you. and write
me that you will come" A few more
platitudes, and that was all The
widow drew the deep breath Of tri-
1mph. What better chance could she
desire?
Mrs. Robinson Immediately began
Elvie's outfit. more suited to bride
than to q simple child. like her. A
white muslin and q blue silk were
added to the pale pink dress, and the
widow constantly instructed her
pastor all that was possible. and
never to leave him with the Widow
Green.
"It's easy for a young one like you
TO do most anything you like without
gettin' talked about If you go at 1t
right. Remember the dear pastors
interest in you and keep him
IN the family till I git him safe back
here again and you'll see no girl in
town has better advantages than
on, Elvie! And be nice to your
cousins; and have a good time with
you forget that I won't have even
bird cousins In my family marryin',
20 you go and fall in love with your
cousin William If he is well fixed. |
Cousin Steve is real well Off but I
haven't seen him for ten years." The |
widow would have liked nothing bet
.er than a match between the cou-
yins and thought that forbiddjng 1t |
was a good way to bring it to pass. |
Visions of herself as a minister's wife. |
IF Elvie as a well-to-do young ma
ron. fitted before her eyes.
E1yie went on her visit while the |
widow dreamed. mentally. as the |
pastors wife. paid off old scores of !,
neglect and snubbing. and made her.
self many clothes all too gay and |
he cat would not enter save to eat. |
She did much mysterious limiting,
enough to the grinning |
yossips. The grocer bet with the |
1ruggist-a case of eggs against a |
Years. patent medIcine--on the Wild |
chances for the Widow Green But
Susan Robinson was betting on Ell |
ne. who had promised all her mother
Wished. The girls letters were brief. |
,ut telling.
The first said she had arrived. that |
The liked her cousins. that Mrs.
Green justified her name when the
,astor took her. E1vie out for boat
'ide; that she had begun her Latin. |
She was well and hoped her mother
Was the Sd1uos anu the pdStOF ScLL his |
That dav Susan Robinson bought |
| hat twenty years too young for her,
Ind mentally planned repairs on the /
parsonage. Elvie's next letter said /
The had been driving with cousin |
Will. and bade her mother not worry.
Elvie's third letter was very short,
'ut satisfying. If her mother did not
are, she would stay a week longer
md come home with Brother Jones.
whom. she said, she was keeping in
he family, all right 1t was actually
! rather sprightly note. and the
mother reflected complacently that Ell
vie had some spirit after all She
vent over the house again, and the
at betook herself permanently to a
leighbor,s. 1t was too clean for COM
'ort.
A few days before Elvie was due,
he Widow Green suddenly returned
home, called on her rival. grinned |
With strange malice. and told her how
lively Elvie was. Zone would never