Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-12
: THE EVENING STORY
TURMAN-HANCHER VS.. HYMEN.
BY STACY E. BAKER.

Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
! arg Press.
There was bad blood between the
house of Hancher and the house OF
Sturman. This, however, did not pre-.
vent the respective scions of the fam
lilies from falling in love with each
ether.
Mabel, the pride of the Sturman
seniors, was a girl whom any youth
with red blood in his veins would he
proud to call sweetheart. She was as
pretty as the break Of June morn.
ing. Her eyes were jet black and
long-lashed. She was tall, gracefully
slim, and walked with the virile
spring of youth. Tom Hancher was
fortunate.
Tom knew this, but the peppery
soul of Father Hancher, inf1amed
years ago against Sturman, ST., re.
fused to discriminate between the old
grocer and his daughter.
"But you don't know the girl" Tom
protested, when the old gentleman
had included the maid in his frenzied
summing up of the faults of the head
of MabePs family.
"She is her fathers daughter,
growled Hancher II don't need to
know more The blood is bad
So, once again, the confession that
trembled on the lips Of the youth
was stilled 1t would have been a
most unfortunate time to explain to
this irritable parent that his most
hated enemy's daughter was to be-
come his sons wife.
The hatred Of Sturman for Han,
| cher, and vice versa extended back
over dozen years. Both were gro.
GERS in the thriving town of Tings'
boro. Both had been fast friends. I'm
fortunately, both had aspired at the
same time, to the common council.
Some one has said that politics makes
strange bed fellows. It also under
| mines strong friendships. After three
weeks Of mudslinging electioneering,
Sturman won the coveted laurels by a
majority of one vote.
Sturman and Hancher were friends
no longer Hancher moved out of the
ward. Their grocery shops were now
at opposite ends Of the city.
| Tom Hancher. only son, was now
his fathers partner. Mabel Sturman,
only daughter, was now her fathers
bookkeeper. The evenings, however,
belonged solely to the young people
and they met frequently at the homes
Of mutual acquaintance with their
embittered parents being not a whit
the wiser.
On the evening of the day of Tom
Hancher's last argument with his
father, the well-proportioned chap
with the frank eyes, walked with his
| lady fair, under moon bright sky
| Father is so set complained the
youth But never mind, dear,
! have enough money of my own, and
| we will be married first, and tell
about it afterward. If the governor
has the nerve to object-after seeing
/! you-you know he doesn't even know
you by sight-I'll pass up his old
grocery, and start one Of my own"
All this brought the gratified red
to the pretty cheeks of Mabel stur.
man, and the light in her eyes was
dent Thomas.
"All in due time, Tom," she
soothed. There Is no great hurry,
you know. Why. you are only TWEEN,
ty-two, boy, and am not yet
twenty"
The plan Of waiting did not appeal
to the impetuous young lover. He
would like to have to go to Sturman
to ask him for his daughters hand,
but a knowledge of the temper of the
lean, wiry east end grocery told him
what would happen If he did this.
Time dragged on. Patience. that
pearl among virtues. palled on the
love-lorn pair, but still the girl would
not consent to secret marriage.
Something might happen.
!, Something did happen.
Sturman bought an automobile