The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-29
THE EVENING STORY
THAT Episode of J. Goraon's.


Stanford. but his intimate friends sell
dom got farther with the name than
J. Gordon.
J. Gordon had seriously contemplate
ed matrimony at the age of II. Short
ly after. he was brought rudy out of
such contemplation by being softly in
formed by the recipient of his Adde'S
cent affection that her heart was in
the keeping of one much his senior.
one to whom she had been betrothed
these many years. Many years? why
how old was she really? He after
ward learned, some twelve more than
himself Perhaps it helped him forget
her.
At rs j. Gordon was actually an
gagged. The girl, this time, was his
own age. She was energetic. She
went in for woman''s suffrage for re-
form of many kinds and j. Gordon
smiled indulgently, although after the
close intimacy of engagement days set
in, he did begin to sit up and notice
that she had faults worse than want
ing to vote. When it came to using
and wearing soiled shirt waists out in
company, he did hint a few wise hints
of surprise.
He also found she had a temper
when, after a little lecture from him
| upon wearing white slippers on mud
dy tramps, she flung his ring in his
face.
The relief he felt at this action upon
| her part frightened him. Had he been
| fool enough to promise love to a worn-
an he had not loved? It made him
cautious.
At 80, ]. Gordon was still unrnar-
ried. and had taken a suburban resi-
dence to himself City noise disturbed
his rest. he told his friends, and he
loved to look at growing vegetables,
, fruits and the like.
TT is simply one of the signs of
| incipient bachelorhood," they told him.
And now he really began to be
troubled. Was it a fact that he could
The men of his family usually married
early in life. Was he born to live IN
| loved?
AS long as the villas on each side
of him held the kind of children they
did J. Gordon was not sure but that
bachelorhood had it's advantages; for
these we're spoiled children. But when
the children moved away and on one
side moved in an elderly gentleman,
grouchy and snuffy, and in the other,
a loving young couple took up abode,
| his uneasiness returned. The first dis
gusted him with a picture of what he
might yet be; the other-there were
evenings when thev made him feel
lonely. But he would forget all this
next day through Office hours
The young wife on the one side of
! him was rather pretty in a soft, de-
mure way. And she loved flowers and
and thus they sometimes came close,
each across the dividing fence from
the other. She was very modest. lie
, learned only that she was Mrs. Mum
ford, and it was born in her to love
country quiet, or as near as she could
get, and digging in the ground.
One morning he saw her, from her
top veranda step, stoop and kiss her
husband goodbye: The husband at
the time was we'll ballasted with a big
valise in each hand. Business called
J. Gordon from his villa during the
two days after.
Upon his return, gazing with some
concern upon the damage done some
of his growing things by a great goose,
he was startled by a CHEEKY laugh
from the other side of the fence, and
looked UP to behold Mrs. Mumford,
merry eyed, smiling. radiant. in pink
and white. Never had he seen her so
beautiful as now, and so friendly and
merry. What q change the departure
of her husband had brought about in
her nature. Then she began:
THAT goose has eaten all our late
strawberries. the hired girl tells me.
Isn't 1t awful? We found out why
the woman down the avenue keeps it.
She's an old maid. and so afraid Of
burglars, but more afraid of dogs
says they all have hydrophobia, but
geese never do. Can't inoculate them
with it in any way. And a goose. you
know, always squawks II anybody
comes about the house. See? It's her
safeguard against burglars. Poor
| thing, If I were so afraid of burglars
I'd marry a-well, a great, big, brave
man.
Her laugh was catching. her smile
irresistible. and J. Gordon found him
self planning little tricks with her on
that goose, to the vexation of its own
er. over half the time they held it for
ransom. which ransom the poor wom-
an would send BY her maid. and which
money Mrs. Mumford would send
back.
And how she sang and how well she
! played the pianol Each night j. Cor
don went to sleep to sweet tones float
| ing in at the open window, and each
morning awakened to the same. He
| had not known Mrs. Mumford could
| sing.
Twice ]. Gordon. how. he never
could tell, was tol1ed over to the Num-
| ford veranda. and each time came
away wondering If 1t we're possible for
a man to fall in love with another
mans wife.
A few more days of this merry sub
urban friendship and h. pulled him
self together to fee the spot, for he
| realized just the power she was ex-
ercising over him. It was no pretense
at love on his part now. It was a
genuine case to be fought out as he
would fight il. He would go away
Next morning. after this resolve. he
saw Mr. Mumford on his veranda. He
was home again.
Out in the bushes. Mrs. Mumford
was silently trimming some small
shrubs. Mrs. Mumford, her dress Of
subdued color. her manner retiring.
She raised her eyes to his, then nod
ded demure1y.
He spoke, to get look into her eyes.
They had surprised him. He had
thought them blue. but they were a
dark hazel now. Mr.. Mumford is
back She glanced up and he had
an excellent glance into the changed
eyes. In fact the change that had
come into her face was actually start
ling. He was glad of II. Better could
he forget her now. But why the
change
Yes she replied. we came back