The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18
THE EVENING STORY
A Winning Game.
(By Harold Strong latham

Winning Game.
(By Harold Strong Latham.)
The silence was unbrok en- save for
the cracking of the logs in the open
fireplace; the flames threw fascinating
lights and shadows upon the faces of
those who were sitting before the
shrine bordering upon the mysteries
OF the f1re-and other things.
In the late fall and winter Molly's
hearth was the favor.te meeting place
OF more than one couple, who, though
nothing had been said, were, as the
nelghbors would say, going together"
That nothing had been said to Molly,
tam, though of late they had noted
and discussed Ralph Osborne's persist
ent attention to her and Molly's evil
oent pleasure in it.
Let's play rigmarole. It's jolly
fun," Molly suggested when she be-
gan to feel that though watching
wood burn was all very well for
time, her guests might like to do
something more exciting. AS for her
self, she would have preferred to go
right on keeping still.
Whats rigamarole % big Tom Car
rol, from next door, put in
It's game Molly replied alb
sently and then caught herself abb
ruptly. "Of course you knew that.
How stupid! Let's see. there are six
of us. that's fine! Well, one of us
starts story-makes it up, you
know-and when it gets to the most
exciting or mysterious part stops and
passes it on to the next one, who
must work out the situation as best
ne can and lead up to new one and
pass that one. So it goes. Do you all
see ~
YES" came a chorus of replies.
Ralph shall start" Molly went on,
and it'll go to you and you and YOU"
n IraO ooh,
TINS. land finally come to me. Then
Ralph must finish. The beginner al
ways ends the tale she said.
Again there was silence. while
Ralph collected his though is.
time. my Story, like all stories,
begins with a once upon a time.
Once upon time there was a man
and a maid. His name was-was
Peter, and hers was-Sue. Now,
Peter loved Sue. but like the Peter
or the nursery rhyme, he was afraid
he couldn't keep her. For Sue had
everything-a fine home, automobiles,
carriages, nlaids-whereas Peter had
only pumpkin shell! Peter was not
lazy, or shiftless, or stupid. but he'd
reached only the pumpkin shell period.
Some day he believed he would be
able to offer Sue at least a humble
cottage, but he was afraid that before
that time came some fellow with a
palace would come along and carry
Sue off.
zone day Peter, who could really
stand it no longer, resolved that he
would place his offering at Sues
feet and learn his fate He rang the
bell that evening at her door, was
admitted by the ceremonious butler
and finally ushered into the library,
where he found Mo-Sue. They sat
down before a blazing log fire, much
like this one, and after they had
talked of this thing and that, Peter
told her of his love and asked her the
one all-important question. But I'M
fortunately just as he finished speak
ing, and before Sue could possibly re-
ply her mother came into the room
and said"
There" Ralph declared. I'm
finished. Go on" He looked eau
turned away. No one, not even he,
had noticed the startled expression on
her face or her alert attitude.
sues mother came in the next
victim continued, land said that
there was man outside who insisted
on seeing Peter at once. Peter was
very angry, but of course he couldn't
show it before the woman whose
daugher he hoped to marry. Con-
sequently he hurried out and found
the owner of his pumpkin she'll
who told him that unless he paid the
rent that night he was going to dis
possess him. Now Peter sometimes
had money, but this evening he had
none. So he got his hat and coat
and went with the man, never saying
much surprised at his abrupt exit
after thinking it over Peter
finally decided that he would borrow
some money from Frank Chambers,
one of his friends. Accordingly. with
the landlord in tow. he sought
swered the knock he tried the door.
Finding that it was not locked he
opened it. And the strangest sight
met his eyes. In the center of the
room he saw"
"Ha, ha!'' the narrator laughed
gleefully. What did he see?" nudg-
ing his neighbor.
HE saw-he saw a white elephant
Standing supremely alone in the room
which had formerly been occupied by
his comrade was the rare beast of
the jungle. In open mouthed aston
ishment Peter gazed at the animal,
and then, turning, fled from the
building, the landlord in hot pursuit.
In his haste Peter had neglected to
shut the door and the white elephant
was following him, too. Up hill and
down they ran, this curious process
sion, until they found themselves ap-
preaching the zoo. AS they came up
to it, Peter noticed that they were
creating WIG eAcileIHeLt among the
attendants, who rushed forth in great
numbers with the director at their
head. AS he came up to the painting
Peter. he exclaimed"
ooh, I simply can't take it, ex-
postulated the next person. Its
absolutely out of the question. How
do 1 know what he said?''
Let me go on" the fifth one put in
eagerly. HE said, Where did you get
that white elephant?' Found him.
Peter replied.
1.-THE director looked at him in
amazement, and then took him by
the shoulders and led him off All
night they kept Peter and the land
lord there, giving them two little
sIeeninu rooms in one of the huiId