The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-23
THE EVENING STORY
In the Tolls of the Law
(By Donald Allen.)


(By Donald AIlen.)
It was late winter when Miss Bessie |
| Hyde arrived at her aunt's country
house for a two weeks stay, but there
was still plenty of snow on the
| ground. Even before unpacking her
trunk and hanging up her dresses the
girl was out romping around. Not
from town. Even at that moment
] there were piles of it in front of her
! fathers house, waiting to be removed.
| and growing blacker every moment.
| But this snow was different. It was
white snow. 1t wasn't mixed with
SCOT. cinders, old shoes. tomato cans
and beef bones. 1t was as clean as
the spread on spare bed. 1t was
balls at the digniied old family dog
and gave him bad opinion of her
city manners, also of her skill as
| thrower.
On the second day of her stay Miss
Bessie observed something. 1t was
something that the man of all-work
around the house had never observed
yet although he had been there five
years. To the north of the house was
a hill that was evidently on some one
elSe'S land, as there was dividing
fence. By taking down panel of
the fence a girl on sled could start
at the top of the hill, come Whizzing
down over Aunt Hetty's lawn, and
strike the highway. The road had a
gradual descent for quarter of a
mile. That was slide down hill
worth talking about. If only there
was sled of some sort about
There was. 1t was a handsled used
by the all-work man for various jobs.
He was not about, and Miss Bessie
took possession. Aunt Hetty wasn't
removed almost as neatly as far
mer's hired man could have done it.
Then the sled was dragged to the top
of the hill. and all was ready for the
gee-whiz.
Had the girl swung her hat and ut
tered few preliminary war whoops
before starting, and thus brought Aunt
Hetty to the door. things would have
been altogether different. She would
have been told that that hill belonged
to old Adam Flint. who was both mean
and misery. His hill stood there
ready to do business, but he was so
afraid that somebody would elope with
it that he had posted signs everywhere.
mo trespassing under penalty of the
lawi" read the signs.
The girl could have seen no less
than three such signs had she looked
around her. She wasn't looking for
; signs, however. Also, had she looked
about she would have been warned
that a girl gee-whizzing on a sled into
the highway and down another hill
| might possibly meet a vehicle of some
| sort coming up.
If she had been told these things
the ride would have been postponed
and Miss Bessie Hyde might nave lived
on to be an old maid. Fortunately she
was not interfered with The first any
one knew of The adventure was when
a shout came from the top of the hill.
The sled came down like bullet. The
all-work man ran to stop it, but fell
| down and rolled over. Aunt Hetty
ran to stop it. but she slipped on the
veranda and sat down hard.
, Away went the sled with fright
ened girl hanging on for dear life and
} one foot trailing behind as a rudder.
It was going like hunted rabbit when
it made the turn into the highway, and
then there was sigh of relief. But
the respite was short. Coming up the
long hill was old Adam Flint in his
"pung,'' which is a homemade sleigh.
: Close behind him followed man driv-
l ing a horse and cutter. The road was
narrow, the banks steep.
screamed. Old Adam Flint called
"Whoa!" to his horse and decided that
his last hour had come.
The man in the cutter grinned and
S got ready to enjoy good thing.
4 The sled struck old Adams knock
: kneed horse. 1t just had to strike
4 somebody or something. The knees
2 of the horse were bent as he strained
s at the sled. He fell in heap and
didn't try to get up. That was wise
+ move on his part, for the sled and the
: girl climbed over his back, knocked
old Adam out of his sleigh and struck
e the other horse before coming to 8
l stop. The man in the cutter was
] smiling when a splinter from the
. .'pung" hit him in the forehead and
= left a great bruise. There was q
9 bad mix for five minutes.
g It's wonderful how a girl can gee
f whiz down hill and knock men and
= horses into the middle of next week
f and yet do very little damage. When
e things were Strengthened out, it was
o found that the girl had cut on the
: wrist and a twisted ankle; old Adams
: knock-kneed steed had his knees
f barked; old Adam himself had g
f shoulder wrenched; the old "pung'
could be patched up. AS for the
= young man, he had bruise, but he
= was smiling as he helped to extricate
:. the cause of the smash-up and depos
e it her in his cutter, where she indulg
: ed in a few Mysteries to prove thai
r she still lived. 1t was old Adam whe
:, did most of the talking, and he didnt
t talk in a whisper. He talked to tht
l. seven winds of earth, and he tried t.
d gesticulate with his injured arm az
e he Grated:
It Now, by jimmy-cracky, but some
= body shall pay for this." he piped
: Who's this gal? I'll bet cent she's
s been riding down my hill. If she has
d then it's trespass and lawsuit Their
e she banged me into my boss! That:
s another lawsuit. Then she's banged
y into me, That's a third. Then the
S pung has been smashed. and the Law
= has got to assess the damages. Their
I've got to have pay for being skeer-
ed half to death. All them lawsuits
and then this young Teller is to be
k settled with. Young woman, would
u MT want to be in your shoes!
a Miss Hyde began to cry. It wa.
l. the first time in her life she had beer
e threatened with ten or fifteen law
II suits Her father was prosperous
10 merchant in the city. but SO man,
: verdicts must drive him into bank
: ruptcy. The young man chided ole
d Adam for his threats and said ht
e would see him later about damages
It Miss Bessie was driven up the hill