The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-18
THE EVENING STORY
Her Hired Suitor.
DIV T. S. Stribling.)


Cranleigh Hume swung himself into
the Manayunk car, thrust his thumb
and forefnger into his waistcoat
pocket after the small change he
usually kept there, and found nothing.
"Hurrup!" growled the conductor,
glancing at the waiting line behind the
trim young fellow. The boys fingers
rummaged nervously through other
pockets.
"Ah, here" snarled the bluecoat,
trying to beat your way for few
blocksl" He jerked the bell violently
for a stop.
ST have nothing but this BILL Hume
thrust into an inside pocket and drew
forth twenty dollar note.
The car came to a grumbling stop.
The conductor was angry. mo. you
don't. You know I can't change a
double x. Don't have to. Get off,
The young fellow hesitated. a flush
crept up his face into his closely clip
ped hair. Two or three passengers
were smiling at his dilemma. He turn
ed on his heel and stepped into the
night.
At the same moment fat, white
haired, red-faced old gentleman step
ped from the crowd on the car plat
form. The car rushed away with its
usual ascending whine. Cranleigh
found himself and companion dropped
in the midst of a row of DWELLINGS, or
uncompromising responsibility.
The young man stood for moment
under an arc light, wondering vaguely
into which house the old gentleman
would turn when, to his surprise, he
spoke.
Pretty rotten company. that"
Rather" returned Hume cautious
ly, looking up and down the street for
the light of a drug store where he
could get his bill changed.
Don't bother" said the old man;
Il have ST some small + ena4ge "e go
Hume glanced suspiciously. for a
moment. but the broad comfortable
face and prosperous clothes were re-
assuring. "Then why did you get off ?"
The old gentleman nodded emphat1-
cally. Because you did. BoveriPs
my name Elziver Boveril, owner of
the Boveril cotton mills of Manayunk.
You may have heard of me-"
Hume coughed apo1ogetically. you
will excuse me, Mr.. Boveril, but Mana
vunk has so many millionaires that
er-Hume is my name, Manayunk
Good. 1 size a man UP quickly.
Mr. Hume. that's the reason I'm now
where am. I want to employ you
"But have a profession.
''This is an odd job, in way. Won't
take UP your professional time. I have
a daughter, Mr.. Hume-you don't
know what a daughter is, Mr.. Hume"
The old gentleman's business like tone
traiIed off into sigh.
1--WE seen them," remarked the
young man.
up, let her get to the fool stage and
run you crazy"
'rWell, my daughter Bella thinks
she's in love with a drug clerk in Rox-
borough. It's ridiculous I asked her
what She admired about him anyway.
she said she thought it was the dare
devil way he sIung her sodas. She's so
voungi I told her she couldn't marry
him She said she would: I've had
her mother and aunt tell her she
shouldn't, but believe she will Ihen
I hit on my scheme, and there's where
Hume looked at the old fellows
flushed face under the arc light, after
this burst of confidence.
What am to do?"
srweu' when she told me a soda
singer looked daredevil I decided
right then to fight a dare devil with
fire. looked you over. l ike your
cut and twill, Mr.. Hume. 1 want you
clerk as dead an issue as free silver
ar abolition. Can you sing-play a
"A little lit"
"ATl right, I fancy If drawing SOFAS
looks dare devil, guitar and moon
light song ought to be regular wild
west show, and few words whisper
ed in a window lattice, charge up
San Juan hill. Are you on-salary
twenty-five per week till the drug clerk
fades?"
sTwenty-five per-" laughed Hume
in amazement, ito court a girl?"
Moneys no object, Mr.. Hume; I
want the work done. I wouldn't quar-
rel about lawyers fee when he writes
comes our car. We can't talk this in
side. Is 1t a go?''
'Sure thing"
The two men boarded the car and
were flying on their way to Manayunk.
They sat side by side. and Mr.. Boveril
handed the blue coat a dime, lifting
two fingers. 1t takes something like
three-quarters of an hour to ride from
the heart of Philadelphia to Manayunk.
Hume could not forbear smiling at
this whimsical adventure upon which
he was engaged. Suddenly a thought
struck him. He leaned over to the
hectic ear of his companion.
Suppose shou1d-suppose-
Mr. Boveril turned and gave him a
steady look. I'D get somebody to
head yo1 off"
"She must be young"
''Too young to marry"
what age?"
Eighteen"
The car fled on up past Paramount
park. There was full moon in the
sky that wove a pale filtering of light
over the massed trees. As they passed
the Wfssahickon the tumbling waters
at the dam cleaned white and man