The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-09
The EVENING STORY
By Force of Check.
By Lawrence Alfred CIay.)


Col. Alexander Burlington, of the
suburban village of Granville, was a
] terror. He had been retired on half
! pay, and he blamed the United States
for not retaining him ten years long
er AS the postmaster was the only
| representative of the United States at
hand, the colonel made it a practice
to go to the office once a day and tell
! him what he thought of his old gov
eminent.
| The colonel was a terror to such of
| his ne1ghborS as kept dog or chick
ems. He was terror to the mayor and
| aldermen of the village. He would
stand at his gate and shake his fist
at speeding autoists; he would thun-
| der at tramp in a way to make the
| poor fellow wish he had persisted in
| the California earthquake; he would
| insist on telling war stories to callers,
and if they did not SILVER he had no
further use for them.
People used to whisper that they
! felt pity for the coloneIs wife, and
| more than pity for his daughter, Miss
Mamie, and yet, queerly enough, those
were the only two people for miles
around who were not afraid of him,
He clustered around home, and al
most daily threatened to discharge the
cook, and to lead a riot against the
| United States and many other things
| but neither wife nor daughter called
on the neighbors to protect them. The
daughter simply said nothing, while
the wife stood it as long as possible
and then mildly observed:
| Alexander, If you keep on storm
ing around and talking so loud you
| will end by driving the cat from the
| house, and she is one of the best
| mousers we ever had"
| Therefore, the only fault to be
! found with the colonel and his bluff
was the fact that he made young men
afraid of him. and in so doing he
I kept them away from the house.
There were half a dozen who would
have liked to call on Miss Mamie.
, Indeed, there were half a dozen who
/ did call, but only once. When the
colonel got through with them they
| were glad to find themselves out
| doors and still living. Many and many
a time the daughter wondered to her
| self if there was not young man
somewhere in this world who had the
| nerve to stand up to her father, but
the months passed away, and he came
not.
| trail, however. His name was Ken
meth Aldrich. He was medical grad
uate. He opened an office In Grant
Vile He did it without consulting the
| colonel He did it without caring two
| cents whether the colonel was at the:
battle of Bull Run or Waterloo.
| One day at the postofflce, mutual
acquaintance introduced Miss Mamie
| Flufffnsdon and DIR. Kenneth Aldrich.
/ When they separated he said to him
/ self that there was the girl he was
/ going to make his wife, and she won
dered If he were the one to quiet her
! fathers roars.
1t was less than month AFTER the
| introduction, and the doctor had had
opportunities to lift his hat aid DOW
! to the young lady several times, when
Colonel Alexander Burlington went
! down to the postoffice one day to tell
the postmaster that this repubiic coulo
| rot possibly endure for another fVe
years. The postmaster said he didn't
| care whether 1T could or couldn't, ana
! the colonel said he would have him re-
moved for a tory, and then started 1or
home On the way he encountered an
| automobile He had never turned out
for anything smaller than house, and
| he held the road this time Inc result
was that he was knocked down and
rolled about in the most undlgnlfled
| way.
| DR.. Aldrich was at hand to pick the
| colonel up and have him carried home.
| His leg and back and wrist were hurt-
Even while the doctor was applying the
! bandages, the mighty man OF war rais-
| ed his wrathful voice and ordered him
/ out He wanted old DR.. Corw1n; he
| didn't propose to be practiced on by
Young student! It was case OF cheek
on the part of the young student to
| interfere. DR.. Aldr1cn nnlSneo his Worh
and then said
aStop that roaring! DIR. Corwin won't
come here. It's my case, and no other
medical man will interfere. You are not
badly hurt, but if you go on roaring
YOU will bring on fever. You ought to
| he arrested for not getting out of the
way. There, there-no use to explode
| I shall call again this evening.
"And you'll find the door locked
| against you," exclaimed the purple
| faced patient.
"Then III have you arrested for will
| full neglect of your injuries. There's
] state law to cover your case
Mother and daughter were not in the
| room, but were within hearing dis
| lance. When the doctor had departed
| the mother said:
| wonderful young doctor, isn't he? 2
| Eyes, really wonderful"
"He seems to understand the case.
"Oh. YES he seems to understand"
| That evening when the doctor called
again, Col Burlington was ready for
| him. He had brought up reinforce
ments and meant fight. The door had
1 not been locked. but the coloneI was
ready to say:
"Sir. I forbid you to touch me! If
YOU do it will be assault and battery
and you shall suffer-
The doctor continued to remove the
IT will prosecute you to the dead
linei"
The doctor gently massaged the
bruises and applied arnica.
81 have witnesses that ordered you
out of the house. You are assaulting
| a helpless man. sir!'
| The bandages were deity replaced,
and the doctor said he was now quite
sure that no bones had been broken.
"And the United States government
shall be informed. sir-the United
states government, If necessary,
troops will be sent herei"
| ssrITb;s novder. said the doctor as
he called in the ladies, should be given
| every three hours. It is to guard
| against fever. I hope you will not
have to sit up with him more than
/ this one night
sFWife-daughter, my army revolt