The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-10
The EVENING STORY
Sweet Revenge.
(By I. NJ. Shepler.)

when a man has been going
twenty years with woman he has
gone long enough. 1t is time they
either married or quit. Makes me tired,
pounded the dinner table before her
until the unwashed dishes fairly
shrieked for their own safety.
Placid-faced Clarissa, one of the
very quiet but very insistent kind,
glanced calmly over her irate sister,
then, turning to her meek, much
bossed little mother, said:
eff you keep encouraging Mildred
to be sassy to me, soon there will be
no living with her."
I've never been sassy to you be-
fore, but I'm going to begin now.
First just sit still and let me finish.
For twenty years, good, kind, blessed
John Haynes has been going with you.
Poor fellow, you have made him the
sport of every gang of boys and girls
that has come on the links and passed
off since. He's too good and patient
for you is all I've to say there. What
1 say next is, you are one of the kind
that is going to be head of affairs or
nothing. You felt that you couldn't
| be that over at Haynes because Johns
mother owns half of everything there.
But you could be here because, being
the eldest, you got the upper hand of
mother.
"Oh, don't shake your head. guess
I know. First, you'd tell John you
couldn't marry him because father
was an invalid and mother couldn't
do without you. Next, when father
had gone, it was brother Marks moth
erless children you must look after.
Then when Mark married and took
the maway, it was Ruth that left one
to be looked after Then Ruth married
and o, fiddle, why tell all your ex-
cuses? Now it's L. You tell John I'm
the baby and to be yet raised, and I'm
now passing II. o, you, Clarissy!
With this Mildred, pretty as pink.
and greatly resembling Clarissa at
that age, f1ounced out Of the dining
room.
| She's simply mad, that's all, be-
cause 1 had you tell Bob Burnet to
stop off coming here to court Mildred.
She is entirely too young to be think
| ing about keeping steady company"
! Mrs Dorsey shook her head in a
numb way. She was wax in the hands
of Clarissa.
An hour afterward Mildred called
to Clarissa in the washhouse stirring
| off I've soap in a washboiler:
Johns mother just died. I think
you'd better go on over there. 1t
doesn't look very we'll to have all the
lneighbors going and you staying back
to make soap. can watch that soap,
and mother can tell me when It's cook
ed to the last fragile. Go long with
you, Clarissy."
1T would never think of trusting
this soap to either you or mother. Go
long yourself"
| And much to her surprise, ten min
utes later Clarissa saw Mildred skim
ming along the meadow path that led
to the Hayneses home, an old-fash-
toned affair, plainly visible from the
Dorsey upstairs windows.
The Sunday evening after the fu-
neral, John Haynes. his kindly feat
49, i tn q
Dorsey home. Mildred saw him com
ing, and called to Clarissa:
Here comes your old stiddy. What
excuse you going to make to him this
time, for sure he will ask you to mar
ry him now that his mother can keer
house no longer for him ?"
Half an hour after John Haynes
was going slowly home. his head benz
in deep thought. Clarissa had made
J a new excuse: Mildred was making
them so much trouble now with hel
lovers and without Clarissa to man
age Mildred the mother would allow
Mildred too much liberty"
John had answered: Next time
Clarissa, you may do the asking
When you want me you can send fol
, me-"
dred had met John the day before and
poked a little independence in hi
head?
But you are not going now. John
| if I cannot marry you? Ciar1sst
asked, thoroughly surprised, for whel
> had John refused to share their Sun
, day evening meal. And because h
: was in trouble, Clarissa had planned
: an extra feast this evening.
, But John positively refused to ex
= tend his call one minute longer. M,
duties are many since mother is gone
What a good mother she was to mel
2 Then: You have made my loss
! double loss" was the smooth answe
Q waited back. Her eyes followed hin
h to the meadow stile.
9 Week followed week and John KEEP
q his word. He did not come and Clar
+ issa was not one of the kind-as We
Ito feel herself ever to blame 70
4 anything. But this she had fearful
: guessed before her mother drew he
attention to it, Mildred was sIppln
out to meet John Haynes. Hours a
a time on Sunday afternoons they sa
on that stile, his dark head very clos
to Mildred's sunny curls tied back wit
!. blue ribbons.
: mother walled, that some day som
= other woman would take him froT
= YOU Now that his mother is out @
Il the way with her sharp tongue there
= be plenty to run after him, II he
N forty-one."
II you must want to get rid of me
Clarissa's rather handsome blue eye
p were wide open now with hurt in
= Quiry.
"Of course 1 don't If you love all c
:, US better'n John. In that case 20
y must now not stand in his way to gel
: tin him a good WIFE,"
81 do you call that child, that sauc!
e flirting girl, good wife for John
% spoke Clarissa.
, IF she loves him she will learn no
/ to be a good wife," meekly answere
IS the mother; somehow, you know
n Mildred always did declare that job
= was the best man that ever lived.
vi With a sense of great loss Clariss
n, went upstairs on a proposed errand
J. but really to watch those two on til
l. stile. That bold girl saw him lea
l. over and kiss her." she breathed