The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-04
THE EVENING STORY
Major Graham and Others.
(By Clay Armstrong;

major george Grahams retlred
army officer. had been a widower for
ten years. His daughter Nellie was
nineteen years old.
The Major realized that he was
growing old. but when it came to his
daughter he continued to regard her
as a child. Even when she got into
long dresses he would not have been
a bit surprised to find her walking the
fence with a balancing pole or seated
on the limb of a cherry tree. She had
turned; he knew that she went to
parties and he saw young men about
the house, but he seemed to be in
dream about her age. In his thoughts
she had not passed the rag-dou stage
yet.
Major Graham was enjoying his
cigar on the Veranda one evening and
listening to Nellie's chatter in an
distracted way, when that young
woman made sudden dive into the
house and a young man came up the
path and took the vacated chair. the
Major squinted at him and thought
he recognized him as young Hurl-
burt
A young mans name may be much
or little to the father of the girl he
is in love with. In this case it meant
little until an explanation had been
entered into. Then it meant a whole
! lot. Young Mr.. Hurlburt~loved MISS
Nellie; Miss Nellie loved him; he was
| of good family and had some pros
and realized how hard it would be for
| the father to give her up, but he
would love. protect and cherish heE
| always. The Major was so shocked
! that in his excitement he threw away
a cigar that had been only half con-
sumed, thing he had not done at
| Bull Run with the guns roaring
around him.
| Just what the man of war said to
the young man of peace need not be
| recorded here. The gist of 1t was
| that his daughter was still child.
| young Hurlburt was only kid,
and that he should put his loot Gown
| against any nonsense. Yes, sir, II
must be stopped. Yes sir. he would
tell his daughter so. Yes sir, and
| and-and so forth. And the young
wreck, and Miss Nellie, who, OF
course had heard all from an open
window, sought out her good aunt
and buried her face in the lap of that
individual and moaned out:
| "Oh, Aunt Mary. snail dle-t
| know I shall die! Father won't let
Will and me get married."
Aunt Mary was not a matchmaker,
but she had rather favored the young
| man. She gave what comfort ana
| sympathy she could, and after seeing
the weeping child tucked into ped
she sought the father in an attempt to
soften his heart.
to talk to just then, and she got all
that was coming to her. She had been
remiss; she had been careless; she mad
neglected her duties as chaperon;
she had almost brought calamity
upon the house of Graham. With her
eyes wide open, she had allowed a
mere infant-yes, ma am, an infant
to fall in love and engage herself IN
marriage to-to-well, to young
man.
In vain Aunt Mary tried to exculpate
) herself. No one had ever talked back
g. TO- 1T.ror
the best of it, and she failed. He
could utter twenty words to her five,
and the odds were too great, even for
a woman's tongue. She retired from
the contest to say to the fearful maid
en- in waiting:
''If your father doesn't get over this
and talk nse-TIl-TIl-!"
you'll do something, Aunty?'
: 81 don't know what I'll do but you
/ wait. Here you are, nineteen years
old, and he's talking as if you were
) not out of bibs and high chairs.
There was hope that if Aunt Mary
went around with a serious look on
her face and had little to say, and that
if the daughter went about with tears
in her eyes and heaved heartbreaking
signs at intervals, the major might
come down off his high horse; but
after three days of it he seemed more
determined than ever. Finally, at the
end of a week the sister said;
George, if that girl elOpes to get
married you will have only yourself to
blame
l $50 children have taken to clipping,
eh!" he replied in cutting tones.
| That night there was meeting o.
r conspirators in Miss Nellie's room
There were only two conspirators, bu
they were enough. The major wa!
5 asleep and dreaming of the battle o
l AppomattOx as they planned. Their
were no more tears-nO more signs
Next morning a little note was sent t.
l young Hurlburt That night ne dis
appeared off the face of the earth.
< That night, also, good Aunt Mar!
was engaged for two hours carrying
bundles and other things up into tn
attic and when morning dawned again
another sudden shock was ready 70
Major George Graham, retired. He wa
eating his breakfast when his siste
entered the dining room to announc
that Nellie's bed had not been occu
pied during the night. The eXclama
} ton made by the major when a bulle
killed his horse at Chantilly was re
peated on this occasion. and a minut
, later he was up stairs.
Il predicted it!'' observed the siste
as she followed at his heels.
Look for a note" he replied.
Il have. The poor child left none
She felt herself driven from home b,
l a cruel father, and how could sh
writer
Young HurIburt had just become tn
junior member of law firm in tn
| town. Major Graham walked into tn
office and demanded information of hi
Whereabouts. He was told that tn
young man had gone camping. He Wen
| to the depot-he went to the police-h
telegraphed here and there. Then h
3 went home to wait for news, and to sa
5 grimly to his sister that While he woul
} do everything possible to bring his in
5 FAINT" back. he would never, never for
d, give her. She had dishonored the name
I end must take the consequences
The day passed and no news. 1t wa
the same with another day. The maJo
Vas sorry that he had bIuffed as h