The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-28
THE EVENING STORY
The Gutter.
(By lola Forester

Il object to marriage as a profess
sion." Miss Winston was very near
what is called the verge of tears Her
throat felt chokeds and her eyel1os
smarted, and she knew in about two
minutes more, she was going TO cry
simply cry before this correct and self
contained person who said he was one
of her trustees.
.sUnder the terms Of your fathers
viii, am afraid you will nave 70 &C,
custom yourself to that point OF view
Marry anybody at ali who is COM
petent to manage his mining proper
| ties and interests" Her color rose as
she spoke. eff that isn't just IKE Dao-
Instead of thinking of ne, and OF my
personal tastes, he puts up a hedge
around the whole thing, and says dom
Jump And even your advice is
| s'Don't jump Oliver smiled at ner'
as he leaned forward, smoothing the
head of her collie.
"Why did Dad ever choose you as
lone Of your trustees, Betty
| zone of them" with scorn. "Aren
the other two poor old bed-ridden in
divid uals that never could posslplS
stop me from jumping over the fence
lif I wanted to? Old General WORTH
ling and funny little Mr.. Quarles. NO,
Ollie, you do know perfectly wen tnat
Dad had a sinister notion in his mind
when he put that clause in his will
what clause?"
you mean what motive" Betty
faced him. the tears in her hazel eyes,
her hair all ruff1ed into little curls
around her forehead. He simply aP-
pointed you official watchdog over my
actions"
you need one"
| perhaps you can help me out. Can't
you bring to my notice a man who is
a responsible mining engineer, ana
| thorough business man, capable, war
ranted to be kind and gentle to MS
wife,
"Oh, Betty, quiti' Oliver rose
you've got to be sensible over the SIT
uation the same as I am I don't want
you as responsibility for all time
And neither do 1 want to see you lose
all you've got in some rash speculative
thing"
ssDo you mean my heart?"
ct do not. That is immaterial COM
pared to your fortune. If you married
some worthless dog, where would you
be inside of a year or so. Your father
was level all right, Bet. Be good.
Betty meditated, and smiled sud
denly.
''I have just discovered something.
| this minute. It isn't Dads clause that
mind so much as the fact that you're
my boss. Yes, you are You neednt
| try to dodge the issue either. AS the
only trustee who is healthy, you can
boss me for the rest of my life, unless
| 1 do get a husband Oliver, dearfe,
believe I see light. I'll marry to es-
cape you as trustee"
"You marry without my consent.
and l can tie up your fortune so that
you get only the income"
How you respect an income. I
don't, not bit. Don't you suppose, II
I really wanted to marry anybody, l
would do so +? Don't you know me well
enough for that?"
oliver bit his lip. to hide the smile
that would come. Didn't he know her?
There was just eight years between
them, he and this wilful, lovely third
cousin of his, and too well did he know
her.
Don't you?" she repe%ted you've
come ali the way from New York to
the Adirondacks this summer day to
tell me all this legal stuff with a ges-
ture towards the paper laden table be-
tween them. And you know in your
heart that If I wanted to marry
would throw the whole thing over my
shoulder and run
''Is that a challenger"
mot to you, certainly. Ollie, don't
believe you ever had thrill OF senti-
ment in vour whole life, you dear, cor
rect old OWL
Clayhorne made no answer. merely
glanced I'D at her. and there was
world of mutual knowledge in that
look, something that made even Betty
lowe nGT gaze.
''Oh, yes, I remember" she went
on, vaguely
Remember what?"
your sole ascent on the airship of
sentiment
"Came an awful cropper, didn't I.
Bet?'
Betty flashed a glance at him. and
wondered. While she had leased and
houted, and generally fiirted with Oil
yer ever since she could remember him
as a very self contained, ard dignihed
lad from college, she had also known
that nobody else in the world, not even
her adoring father, had the control
over her that this same third cousin
possessed. And once, only two years
back. she had boxed his ears vigorous
" over some trifie, boxed them, and
had found herself lifted bodily in
strong arms and most fiercely kissed.
Thereupon she had declined to renew
friendly relations with Dr. Clayhorne,
as cousin or friend, most of all, as
lover. 7 eft here he had appeared as
trustee of her fortune, ard tacit guar
dian of her fate. It was distinctly an
noying and bewildering, especially, as
his sole object in coming way up to
the winston lodge seemed to be good
advice on marrying a sensible, well
kept sort of person who should take
excellent care of her fathers cash.
Betty felt put upon, and thoroughly
you were gutter. Oliver" she
said.
II didn't know you took that view
of it, Bet"
ANY man is gutter who runs
from danger
'sThen you admit it was-danger? -
1T might have been" whispered
Betty.
BET, dearest" He pushed the nos
| ing collie to one side, and crossed TO
| her chair I'm not a gutter, but I am
not a dangling idiot, and know when
haven't a ghost of q, chance Do you
see? You know that I love you"
81 do not"
! You do. And it is much like your
Rex there daring to fall in love with a
blue ribbon Jap spaniel"
ssDid Dad know ~ asked Betty sud