The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-16
THE EVENING STORY
Major and Maid.

(By Martha McCullOch-Wllli
The maid was pretty-maids have
to be, in and out of stories, if things
are to happen to them. This is not
saying plain maids are barred from
romances, but a subtle setting forth
of the mystic fact that somehow,
sometime. every maid has her hour or
minute of charm.
With Elise the hour was always.
| She lay down delightful and rose up
enchanting. What chance, then. had
the Major ?-the Major who born sus-
ceotible. had improved the talent by
assiduous cultivation?
! He had made love in five languages,
! in pretty well every corner of the
globe. His title was real enough-he
had held, once upon a time, a COM
mission in a state troop that was full
of patronage for any sort of mere
regulars. Rich, bachelor, more than
fair looking, and fastidious, yet ar
come to forty-five with no more than
an occasional singed wing.
Elise, at something more than sweet
and twenty, had begun to weary of
seemed to her immature. She WISHED
in her idle nOments-they were very,
very few=that princes and potentates
ranged America in disguise, the same
as they did in wOnder-rOmances Presi-
dents could not do such things-hard-
ly even governors or judges. Each and
several they were too well known-be-
sides they rarely came to bear rule
over their fellows without the liberal
education of matTimony.. She was be
ginning to suffer from the passion for
Distinction which somebody says is
the strongest of human impulses
Therefore the Major appealed to her
ormously.
They met at Glenly. Nora Page.
host esS- there. had vowed for two years
they were meant one for another. She
was by way of seeing her prophecy
come true. when Fate gave a twist to
things The mildest. most ridiculous
twist-but after all, there are no trifies
either in life or love
Notwithstanding Joe Bassett was
a human. commonplace friend to
Nora's brother and, like him, a law
yer struggling to get foothold. who
had been asked at about the thirteenth
hour, when three more eligible fellows
had been held from coming. The house
party had begun midweek, the extra
men coming down for Sunday. Thus
the major and Elise had had three
days wherein to appraise each other,
and find the result satisfactory His
mind had been made up. indeed. as
early as Friday luncheon that here
was the predestined Mrs. Archibald
Wayne Elise had not been quite so
precipitate. yet there was more than
a leaning in her consciousness toward
the major.
Then came Joe Bassett, and after
him a heavenly Sunday. 1t was too
fine altogether to be wasted motoring
besides, Elise was tired of whirring
past fields knee deep in lush June
grasses, past roadsides starred with
sweetbrier, snuff the earth fragrance.
idle deliciously in shade or sunlight
solely according to her own vagrant
fancy Therefore, she let the cars go
off without her, setting forth herself a
little after with only the major and
the Fratton girl for company. The
Fratton girl presupposed her fiance.
Ben Martin-but Elise knew well that
an engaged couple. though quite sufti-
Gent for propriety, were practically
the same as nobody
She strolled lightly forward, laugh
ing and chatting. conscious that the
Major trembled if she did but look at
him, conscious also that the other pair
was well out of earshot, in fact hardly
in sight. She was a her best, crea-
ture of within, of charm untold. The
Major wanted to kneel. and lay him
self and his fortune at her feet Sea-
soned though he was, he was much in
lOve-so much that he was aWkWardly
self conscious. To speak plainly, he
was suffering the pangs he should
rightly have undergone in his callow
youth. Like other youthful ails they
sit i'll upon maturity. Heretofore. he
had been calmly, audaciously MASTER /
full with women. Elise daunted him
worse than an army with banners.
He had been fearless of all save one 4
cattle But he had
forgotten his fear-as he had forgot /
ten all else upon this smiling Sunday |
save the fact that he was walking with
the girl he loved. When the way ran
presently across a stile into a stretch I
of grassland, he rejoiced-the stile
gave him excuse to take Elise half in I
his arms AS he set her upon her little \
feet. he breathed hard-and muir
INJURED hoarsely:
You-you-must know what you've |
done to me-what you meant Tell /
me-have I-any-any chance ?"
Elise answered only with a dainty
half smile. and darted across the turf
toward a clump of magnificent
beeches. Widespread boughs dropped
about them - thus she did not see
that the shade tent had an occupant,
two occupants indeed. albeit one was
too high for instant vision, being
perched upon a big bough that gave
a secure seat. The other stood upon
four hoofs, tossing a beautiful angry
head up and down He was a pure
bred Devon bull. red as a strawberry
all over, and in line and build the
pattern of his kind. A halter-end
Lrai1ed from the ring in his nose. Evil
IDENTIFY he had broken bounds--was a
runaway. and in a temper. But Elise