The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-05
THE EVENING STORY
(Rv clandina sisson. !

| When the family doctor, called in
at the request of too solicitous moth
er, had felt Miss Bessie Gaylord's
pulse, had her run out her tongue
and answered about forty questions
he sat back, shook his head in a way
| doctors do when the fee is to be $40,
and said:
| She must go to the country-the
real country. Send her up among the
pines.'
! Then you see symptoms?" asked
the mother.
| Yes, but we are in time
| "She can be cured?"
THE pines will do it,
| And SO Uncle Jacob. up among the
| hills and pines and sand, was written
| to, and poor Bessie, who was suffer-
ing more from high heels than from
anything else, was packed off for a
two months stay. Uncle Jacob
wrote plain directions A child could
follow them. Bessie would arrive at
Yaphank Junction and there change
to the Sand mountain train. She must
stay right on that train without jump
ing off once until the station of Red
Elm was reached. There she would
find her uncle and an OK team await
ing her for the trip of three miles
home was not palace, but it was
warranted to cure anything in from
fifteen minutes to week. Aunt Sally
was a famous cook, and she would
day.
In due time the young lady arrived
at Yaphank Junction. The place con-
sisted of one house and the railroad
station. The inhabitants consisted of
one man, one woman and three chill
dren. The station agent was a second
man, but as he didn't wear a red
woolen shirt and get along with one
suspender the woman said he didn't
count.
The girl looked for the Sand noun
tain train, but it was not to be seen.
She looked for the station agent and
found him and made inquiries.
Train left an hour before you
came in,'' he answered. as he doffed
"But-but why did it?" she asked.
Its a way 1t has. I guess. At
least, it always goes at 10 o'clock"
"But there's another sOOn?"
''At 5 this afternoon"
And I've got to stay here till 5 %
'I don't see how you can help it.
You should have come up on the af-
ternoon train, you see"
The agent was respectful, but not
seemingly interested. He had seen
scores of people wait six hours at
Yaphank. Here was a good looking,
city bred miss of 19 who was probably
on her first railroad journey alone,
but he was making no excuses Miss
Bessie went out on the platform and
thought it over and became indignant. |
After ten minutes she re-entered the |
room and said
Sir, I want a train to take me to |
Red Elm!'
impossible" was the reply.
f'Sir, have you no manners? Stop |
your writing and turn around here
and talk to mel"
with pleasure. I was trying to |
figure out whether the Sand Mountain /
road was making Is cents a day or
Elm. You will have to wait till |
o'clock"
But I won't do it!'
'Then you won't have to-"
81 will walk first
TITS 20 miles and a trestle bridge
to cross"
'Tben I'll go back homer
you'll have to wait till to do
that.''
ooh. but what an idiot father is, and
what a born fool Uncle Jacob must
bel" almost walled the girl as she pass
ed out on the platform again.
Same Yaphank Junction-same
scenerv-sanne frowsy-headed woman
a man lazily hoeing corn, or, rather,
hoeing at it. If she could only tell
Uncle Jacob what he thought of him.
If she could only publish to the world
the charge that the Gaylord family
doctor didn't know enough to doctor a
sick catI
"The Uncle Jacob you spoke of at
Red Elm must be Jacob Smalley?"
queried the station agent as he came
to the door.
"Oh, you've crawled out of your den,
have youl'' replied Miss Bessie. Sup
pose 1t is Mr.. Smalley?" ?"
81 know him"
''Well, does that fact get me to Red
Elm any sooner? This road is surely
an old ramshackle. Any man that
amounts to putty ought to be ashamed
20 be connected with itl'
81 came out here to beg your par
lon for my share in it, but one can't
always
''T can't go over to that house to !
watt she interrupted.
mo, I think not I
''And I can't walk up and down !
here"
NO
And I can't sit inside"
NO
And you don't care IA. cent?
The young man had a strong but
good natured face, and the girl had set J
aim down as far out of hts class at this I
H. -k~ z.r-V2 l. .