The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-20
THE EVENING STORY
The Chevalier.
(By Donald Allen.)

10y OOIldlQ <AllcH.J
In the seat behind the middle-aged
woman and the girl with her sat
Chevalier Darcy. He had been sitting
there for two hours, and he had fig
ured it out that the woman was no
lady. That is, she had not been born
to the purple. She was just a woman
trying to be a lady. He figured that
the girl was about nineteen, the niece
of the other, and that she was frank
and ingenious and not trying to be
anything else. His eyes had told him
over and over again during those two
hours that she was good to look upon.
Chevalier Darcy looked to be thirty
years old. He may have been ten
years older. 1t was his business to
look thirty and to size up people. For
half an hour he had seen that the girl
had something on her mind that she
wanted to talk about. One would have
thought the woman would have noticed
it first, but she didn't. Her thoughts
were busy with other things.
Years before, when Joshua Flint and
his wife came to the city, Josh was
carpenter He was good workman
He showed the plane by day and mixed
with politics at night. In year Josh
had a pull; in another he was city
contractor. The members of the Flint
family didn't lose their heads. They
lived in a modest way and they saved.
Josh wore his old coats, and his wife
never went beyond $lz TOT d reduy-
made dress. More politics-more pull
more money in bank.
Mrs F'lint's brother Sam, living in a
western state, died. Before 1t was TOO
late he consigned his daughter Flor
ence Benson to the care of his sister
father had said of his sister that she
was a hard-headed, sensible. saving
woman-just the one to bring Up
his daughter in a proper way. SO
she was as Mrs. Joshua Flint, but
things change and men and women
blown I'D by his own dynamite In
cellar excavation. He carried $4,000
life insurance.
within a month Mrs. Flint began to
have aspirations. She wasn't SO very
old vet. and there were the wrinkle re-
movers and the face b1eachers and the
fashionable dressmakers. She felt II
her duty to do something for Florence
The name of Flint was changed 10
Flynt on the new cards. joshua De-
came Joseph. The third floor flat was
exchanged for a house. The street cars
were exchanged for her own horses ana
carriage Mrs. Joshua had hustled Tor
money in other days; now she hustled
for aspirations. Florence had very III
file to d with it beyond her wardrobe
and ieve1rv and being sent to college.
And now the girl had finished her
education and was coming home TOT
good. She hadn't been spoiled at all.
In a way she was beginning to reallze
the false position her aunt had placeo
herself in, but It was not for her TO
criticise She was practically PENN
less. and besides she had something 10
tell-something that she had foreooo-
ingS about.
During her trips home she had heard
mention made of matrimony and titles
and castles, and she had come to know
that her aunt had schemes.
Chevalier Darcy couldn't have fgur-
ed all this out, but he figured enough
to make him wish that sometnlns
would happen before reaching the city
He was accommodated. Miss Florence
had Just opened her lips to make
confession to her aunt and take her
scolding when there was rear-eno
collision with another train. 1t didn
amount to much-a crash and jar.
as that was not the roads regular day
for a blunder and a slaughter-put IL
was sufficient for the cheval1er to PICK
himself up off the floor, brush the dust
from his knees and offer his protec-
ton.
And that was how Chevalier Darcy
came to be an honored guest in the
| house of Flynt. Miss Florence looked
ed at him doubtfully. but the aunt &C
cepted him at once. Why not? He
| had the most engaging manners; he
was a gentleman with a title; he had
saved their lives; he was a stranger
who was making tour OF America 10
study society and other things. ana
he admitted in the frankest and most
charming manner that it was possible
an American bride might return to
France with him.
| Mrs. Flynt was a thoughtful woman.
She thought that collision might nave
| Jared the chevalier's wallet out of his
| pocket and lost it. At his very first
| call she offered to become his banker.
She put it in a way to spare his proud
feelings, and he pocketed the check and
said he did not look for such fine con-
sideration in crude America They had
already looked askance at him at the
hotel, but that check saved the day:
| For a fortnight Mrs Flynt had
thoughts and dreams connected with
herself and titles and castles. She was
| a chevalieress. She was the boss or
| a hundred servants She was on friend
| ly terms with people of blue blood
| Then she became conscience stricken.
There was that poor girl Florence. She
had promised to do the square thing
by her, and would it be doing it to
| beat her out of title and castles?
Wasn't the chevalier already showing
| by his actions that he was falling In
love with the girl? No. Old Josh
| F'lynt had always been called square
man-even if he did divide with the
alderman-and his widow would up
( hold his reputation. Later on, II
lord or a count came her way, we'll
The aunt sought Miss Florence and
resigned the chevalier to her and ask
| ed no gratitude in return.
| Then came the long-delayed confess
sion. Florence was engaged to a young
| man in Poughkeepsie. She didn't ex-
actly know about his family or finan-
ces, but he had curly hair and black
lvoice. She loved him, and she would