The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-20
THE EVENING STORY
via the Air Route.
(By Stacy e. Bakery

SBy stacy L. Baker.1
Success is q prankster. Hben Jones,
1ured by her smile, stopped on her
threshold. and she pelted him with
Eben believed in the old adage:
'Hitch your wagon to a star" He
started for said star on several oc-
casions, substituting faulty mono
out Of date wagon. Eben was an in
ventor.
For long time the little work
shop wherein the sky scooters were
evolved was the hub Of many pill
grimages made by the prim New
Englanders who occupied land adj
joining the Jones farm. Eben's con-
tfnued failures, however, bred con-
tempt Gradually he ceased to be
even the subject of discussion. There
upon Success again grinned and whis-
pered fair promises in the ear of the
believing younth.
Eben Jones was nothing if not
optimistic. Cheerful faith in his fell
the young fellow. and his lips were
always smiling Even when Farmer
Smith compelled him to pay for the
fruit tree, the laden branches of
which he had unintentionally wreck
ed by a fall, the smile remained.
Jones always expected falls. He
few skyward prepared for them. "A
rubber company manufactured in
quantities a pneumatic safety cushion
of his own devising and in which he
These were not easily punctured,
and they broke the falls. Only once
in the days of his experimenting did
he break bone.
degenerated to contempt. Eben began
to achieve results. His craft flew
higher and he learned to have q
modest control over them The prin-
cipal flaw to his scheme CT flight was
his motor. This had a nerve harrow
ing way of stopping when the plane
was just on the border of cloud land
and compelling its owner to slide
earthward. AS coaster, Eben's ma
chine was a record breaker. General
ly things happened when it struck the
earth. But It always kept its balance,
and when the baking motors rested,
it slid much as a batsman strives to
glide to first base.
Eben, happily, exultant in the sky.
one day after his continuance had be-
gun to act more like real sky
clipper, felt the throbbing motor sud-
denly stop, and with a resigned sigh
he adjusted the gliding appliance and
started DIN the invisible hill. He
he struck sod, his ms ihine following
the time honored custom, cheerfully
scraped along for some distance like
a misguided ice yacht, and when the
debris it was to confront a most in
dignant and astonished young lady.
His eyes told him that he must have
ploughed around in what had once
been a flower garden
He turned to the maid standing
with a bouquet of freshly picked
flowers in her hand and essayed
Chesterfeldian bow. Inasmuch as
his protecting raiment remained un-
punctured, he appeared like car
- i<.Ixx III fof
and his grace of movement was lost
to the irritated damsel.
You have ruined my garden" she
complained.
inventor "As for the damage have
done, I will pay for it. I always
do. I have a reputation in these
parts for prompt dealings. am
Eben Jones-perhaps you have heard
of meg"
st have not" snapped the indignant
damse1.
Her rage was becoming.
eff you will just sum up your loss
in dollars and cents,'' intimated the
youth, ignoring the verbal buffet, Il
will pay you at once"
Eben had plenty of money. He had
come to this out of the way place
from New York to experiment. He
had the money behind him to pay for
the havoc wrought by his grounded
elders
ct can't sum up my loss.' as you
term it," answered the girl "I don't
know what my loss is-in dollars and
cents. I only know that you have
scraped up several beds of flowers,
wrecked a fence and carefully erased
most of the lawn"
'But really, L"
ct tell you I'm not clever at quick
calculation" she interrupted. eff you
insist upon paying for this you may
come around next week and I'll try to
have it all figured out for you. Now
go-and take that hateful thing with
you" Like little queen she pointed
! imperative fingers at the disconsolate
aeroplane, and Eben put clumsily off
down the road, hauling the contrap-
ton behind him.
Eben came around the next week.
He moved down the small trees in
the coming and smashed q shed. The
girl came out hurriedly through the
kitchen door, the light Of battle in
her eyes, I'm surprised a. you," she
said. Doing 1t again!"
murmured Eben, politely. "And now
that I am here just hand me my bill
and I'll pass along. That Is, If you
er-really run this place You look
altogether too young to be managing
La farm"
at own it. however" assured the
maid, GROSSLY, "but I won't for long
/ if you keep smashing things You
have me all mixed up. can't tell
how much you owe me-now."
| Eben again went away. and CRATE
lfully-gratefully, because the maids
| inability to sum up the damage done
gave him an excuse to call again. He
did And conventionally! Not out
of the clouds.
Several months passed. and it de-
veloped that the girls name was May
Greyson, and, although she lived alone
and operated the farm with the help
of hired man. she was city bred. Her
we'll kept land had been left her by
| a doting uncle. She was an orphan.
| Eben and the girl became great
friends-and more than friends. One
day the air skipper proposed To his
| surprise he was refused. Humbled
in heart. he left the house.
"You have a reckless. restless spir-
IT," the girl had given as excuse. This