The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-12
THE EVENING STORY
silas Carriers Romance.
(By Carl Jenkins

las carter. lie was Swapping young
man who worked in a sawmill and
ate three square meals a day. When
evening came he sat down to store his
mind with knowledge. He couldn't
borrow Shakespeare or American his
tory and. in consequence he borrowed
romances. They were not exactly dime
novels. They related mostly to knights
and chevaliers and rescues of distress
ed damsels.
After reading for two or three years
Silas got the idea that he was a chew
alier. and that the distressed damsel
would sooner or later heave into view.
He didn't say anything about it. 1t
might be that he wasn't chevalier,
and it might be that the distressed
damsel would be detained on the road.
One night when he was calling on
Miss Eunice Bebee, the daughter of
viIlager. he casually observed:
'Eunice. love you and want you
to be my wife,
II will" she replied.
Eunice had known Silas for long
time, and had came to realize that she
loved him, and why shouldn't she
have answered that way? Why blush
and stick finger in her mouth and
reply that she would see her father
about it? She did just as a plain, sem
sible girl always does under the cir
cumstances-she waited for Silas to
say more.
He began and ended right there. II
the distressed damsel appeared he
would tell Eunice that he had chang
ed his mind; If she didn't then they
would get married some day. Eunice
continued to be good, plain girl,
and Silas kept his eyes open for what
was coming.
1t came one July day. A young
lady from the city, stopping at sum-
mer hotel in the village. came down
to the mill pond to fish. Silas was in
the mill yard, wrestling the sawlogs
about. and after time he heard a
scream He ran for the water and
was in time to pull a very wet and
frightened girl out by the hair.
When she could speak she called
him hero and said he had saved her
life and won her eternal gratitude
She was the distressed damsel and he
the hero-the chevalier. There could
be no two ways about that. He was
invited to call at the hotel and receive
further thanks. and the dripping dam
sci took her departure.
Silas Carter called. He was braced
up by the heroic deed he had done. and
he felt very important when he found
himself in the presence of a young lady
wearing diamonds and fine clothes, and
almost smiling at the fresh grease OH
his boots. He didn't know exactly
what to do with his hat, hands and
feet, but he slowed them away some
where and modestly said that he stood
ready to rescue a damsel every day in
the week
He was thanked and thanked. and
the damsel said she could never forget
him. She even went SO far as to say
that she would be pleased to hear from
her hero-occasionally. In getting off
the hotel veradan Sflas fell over a
widows poodle dog and rolled down
the steps. but he was none the less a
hero in his for this Ia had
read that they occasionally took
tumble and were none the worse for it.
That evening when he went over to see
Eunice he said:
"Euny, asked you a few nights ago
to marry me. didn't I?''
yes"
Well, we'll hold on while about it.
1 guess"
VERY well, Silas,'' replied the dutiful
Eunice.
jumped up and down and threatened q
breach of promise suit, but she didn't.
She had heard about the rescue, and
she had an idea it was that, but she
did not lose her temper. She just
moved the pitcher along and said:
''Silas. have another glass of hard
cider before you go. It's good to keep
off the nightmare"
Silas didn't see the damsel again be-
fore she left for home. After waiting
for two weeks he wrote to her. He
wrote that he took his pen in hand
to hope that she was we'll, and that
his own health was never better. He
wrote that the sawnill business was
good, and that he expected to have
his wages raised to $22 a month. He
thought of her often. he said In fact.
he had driven a stake at the spot where
she had fallen in, and went there to
look at it five or six times a day.
Then he copied verse of poetry and
ended the letter by saying that he hoped
for an answer by return mail.
y eeks dragged along. and then one
right as he was calling on Eunice he
said:
"Euny. about our getting married"
Eyes. Silas.
sI think we'd better"
Very WE'LL
She waited for him to ask her to
name the day, but he had nothing |
further to say on the subject A bright |
idea had occurred to him. He had
his letter, but by so doing he may have
made the postmaster mad and the epis- |
tie had been torn UP. He decided to
write again.
He took his pen in hand with firnacr
grip this tirne. as his wages had been
raised to $22 per month He hoped for
an answer within three days, but at |
the end of a fortnight none had come. |
One mail a day reached the village post
Office but he inquired five times a day, |
SO as to make sure of missing nothing. |
Another two weeks and no letter.
Was Chevalier Silas in love with the
damsel he had rescued? He was. He |
didn't kick around nights and dream OF
her, but he loved her gal1antly-chival-l
same as the he |
roes of his romances had loved. Per-
haps the reason she hadn't answered |
was that she was coyly waiting for him
to come to the city and tell of his !
adoraticn. Her mother might have tied |
her up in the garnet or her father |
thrust her into a dungeon deep because
she had told of her love for him. For
three days Silas debated as to what the
Chevalier st. Aubyn would have done
Under like circumstances, and then he |
left for the city.
Having the damsePs address, it was
- 4afhcrts EIa 4