The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-16
THE EVENING STORY
His Affinity.
(Rv r.awrence Alfred claw

| Mr.. Solomon Jackson lived in the
village of Scarsdale. He was bach
he was driving through the streets of
the town of Glen Hope. thirty miles
from home, when he saw woman
| standing at her gate. Mr.. Jackson
in establishment. She returned the gaze
| with one OF indignation. He drove on
| after moment, hitched his horse, and
| then returned.
| Lady, permit me to hope that you
are a widow he said.
ct am, SIR she replied stiff1y.
Have you any business with me?"
81 have. 1 will return in half an
hour"
Mr.. jackson went to the nearest
store and made inquiries. He was told
that the woman was the widow Lester,
and had been for the last ten years.
Nothing but words of praise could be
| spoken of her.
In half an hour he knocked at the
widows door, and when he had been
asked to sit down, he began:
widow have you ever heard that
every man and woman has an affin-
at don't understand you"
There is someone in this world
for you, and someone for me. I knew
you were for me as soon as 1 clapped
eyes on you. You are my affinity. We
| were bound to meet. 1t has taken
years and years, but we are face to
face at last. WIDOW
The widow Lester rose up and or
dered Mr.. Jackson from the house
and told him to take the rapid tran
sit line in leaving. Without word
OF protest he went. Three days later
she answered a knock on the door
to find the bowling and smiling Mr..
Jackson. In her surprise she invited
him in, and he said:
widow, I am lone man-you are
a lone woman. You have about three
| doI ~
I have the same. My hair would be
gray if 1 didn't use dye-your would
be the same. I have a squint to my
left eye-you have one. You have a
slight limp from falling down the cell
lar stairs, probably-mine was caused
the same way. Don't you see the
points of resemblance p
Mr.. jackson went out of doors again,
and was warned that his next call
would result in his arrest. The widow
was mad all through. The only con-
ISOLATION she had was that he hadn't
mentioned her glass eye. She had
| neighbors were in the secret. She
} looked upon the man as half crazy,
J but meant it when she threatened
him.
: In two days Mr.. Jackson returned.
| He got no farther than the doorstep
this time, but he stood there with hat
off and said:
: 'eWidow, can no more help it than
| you could have helped having whoop-
ing cough when you was a child. The
more I think about you the surer
/ am that you are my affinity, and the
harder I love you 1t isn't me, but
t Fate. You have glass eye-so have
? /. You"
The widow walked across the street
| to the house of the constable and had
= Mr.. Jackson arrested. He was taken
before justice of the peace and fined
$40. He cheerfully handed over the
| 20 hi -
others:
Gentlemen, make no mistake. I'm
neither crazy nor nuisance. l am
4 simply a victim of Fate. Mrs Lester
is my affinity sna han marry Fste ner nc
"You let the widow alone or you may
a find yourself in JAIL warned the JUS
2 tice, and it was generally believed that
. would end it.
Mr. Jackson's knock on the door. II
wasn't opened on him, but from sec.
: ond floor window he was commanded
: to leave.
Back again, my dear widow, as YOU
: see" he replied as he raised his hat
II CT wanted to keep away, but Fate was
: too strong for me. You are the mag
. net that draws. I want to prove to yor
!, that am an honorable man, and ther
q I want to tell you that am fully de-
Z termined to marry you
e The widow appealed to passerb1
I and Mr.. Jackson was facing the squire
/ again an hour later. The whole towr
: had now become interested. 1t wa.
d known who he was, and that his heae
e was level, but his was a queer way Of
: making love.
IS 'aThis time shall give you ten days
l. in the county Jail" said his honol
after the widow had sworn that sh'
was being annoyed.
with pleasure, judge was the re
DIV. MANY a man has gone to Jai
g for the woman he loved, and shall
make no kick. 1 respect the Widow
w Lester in the highest. I also love ne
in the most honorable way 1t is Fate
h She is my affinity.
1.-The next time it may be thirty
was the warning as the prisoner wal
i removed to Jail.
Within an hour he had provided
II himself with writing material and wa
writing the history of his life. Whel
is finished he sent it to the Widow Les
ter. He composed verses and sen
= martyr for her dear sake. He recon-
mended certain books for her reading
~ during her leisure hours. She had
IL garden back of the house. He recon-
mended something more efhcaciou
p than Paris green for potato bugs. No
10 senger from the jail was not Knock
lie ing at her door.
The Widows first thought was t
w send everything back unopened, bu
- | Woman,s curiosity triumphed. She rea
and looked grim. Then she read an
felt a secret sympathy. Then she wa
- real sorry that she had been the mean
e of sending the man to jail. He hadn'
Sc said a thing out of the way. He ha
simply been rather plain spoken.
lie Mr.. Jackson hadn't served out hal
ne his sentence when his case had MAD
l. ~,<~% =