The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-21
THE EVENING STORY
An Old Maids sheme.

All Oy1u ls&AAQ S1icfll0.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)
There was a situation. There is al
ways a situation when there is, an
old maid around. They exist to make
situations.
Young Dr. Charles westover had
SET up practice in the suburban VII
Iage OF Roselands, and Miss Helen
Flint, aged somewhat over thirty.
ana living in her brothers family,
tnree miles away. had heard favor
aole reports regarding his looks and
FAMILY connections. She was only do
newcomers No old maid worth a
pinch of salt will shut her eyes to
d good thing after she has reached
thirty
Seeing no chance to meet the doc
tpr socially, Miss Helen got up a sore
Lnroat and drove into Roselands to
nave the young NJ. d. examine and
prescribe for it. She was a patient
Dut an agreeable one. The sore
throat, for which gargle of hot vim
egar was prescribed, did not in the
least hinder her from being entertain
ing. As she drove homeward she
could almost fiatter herself that she
mad made an impression.
Olo maids are credited with being
Sharper that a serpent's tooth, but
a quarter of a mile from the Flints
iived the Rowlands, and there was
MISS Kitty with her hazel ewes and
brown curls to chum with Miss
Heien. Young girls do chum with
oIo maids sometimes, and the two
Miss Helen reached home she f1ew
over 70 her churn to tell her all about
the doctor. 1t was interesting 1t
was palp1tating. It was romantic. 1t
never occurred to that young woman
u over tnlrty that she might have a
cards on the table, face up. and gave
away her plans
After all it can't be said that any
act OF Miss Kitty brought about the
state OF despair and the desire for
rev mat finally ragged through
spralned her ankle while racing after
the 1amlly rooster over the snow, and
Or Westoyer was sent for to applv
nnlments and bandages.
Thars the way he came to know
ner and come to a certain decision
The ''chum talk" was now on the
otner SIDE, and although Miss Helen
smiled she had a feeling way down
IN her heart of tomahawks and butch
er knives. And to maintain her grin
she got clnder In her eye and drove
IN TO nave the doctor pick it out. He
found it and extracted it and was very
friendly, but at the same time he
praised Miss Kitty's eyes instead of
those of the patient also her face and
her curls.
And now what does an old maid do
Wnen she sWears by the beard of her
father and the eyebrows of her moth
er that she will have dire revenge on
a good looking girl half her age? She
doesn't send poisoned candy or Turk
IN ambush with the bread knife. she
waits 1or providence to come along
and help her.
MISS Helen waited. While waiting
she drove into the doctors TO have
ner right ear examined for a little
DEAFNESS, and her left lung tested for
oecay, and the M. D. was invited out
found time to go. 1t was afterward
remembered that at brief Intervals
ne cast his eyes across the Iandscape
TO the house of the Rowlands.
A week later came the day of re-
Venge. Miss Kitty was to be paid
out for spraining that ankle and saw
ing that the doctor was one of the
incest men she ever met. She got up
one morning with toothache. She
was hardly up before she had a ban
cage on her jaw. After picking away
at breakfast a catnip pouitice was put
on. 1t was while she was wearing
this and shedding tears and her hair
nylng and her eyes red that Miss Helen
came IN Providence had placed a
club in her hands. The tooth must
come out at once or be filed. At any
rate, DR.. Westover must see IL. There
was danger of lockjaw, blood nelson
ing and several other serious things.
and delay might mean death.
NO, the doctor must not be teIe-
phoned for. He might be out and nm
aeie TO come for hours. or have the
must be bundled up and driven in
Just as she was. Miss Helen would
drive her. The snow was going. but
there was yet enough for the cutter.
AND poor Kitty was scared and f1us-
trated and went like lamb to the
slaughter. She had never felt worse
or looked more dismal Just let Dr.
Westover get one good look at those
tousled curls, those red trimmed hazel
eyes, those wan cheeks without the
siightest color, that human frame
with garments pinned or buttoned or
tied on most any old way, and poufI
1t would be a positive relief and
pleasure for him to turn to the other
face and form.
1t was a keen morning and the air
carried the pony back to other davs
He ambled and gamboIed and nincsd
He stood on his hind legs and suuealed-
He stood on his fore legs and kicked
in the dashboard with his heels Then
he ran away.
1t was Miss Helen's rig and she was
the driver and she had a suffering
girl under her care, but after the
pony had run half a mile out she
jumped. She was going to live to
marry DR.. Westover. Then. with
the lines trailing and all the world
looking good to him, the pony
dashed onward and eyentpaiIy
brought up at the door of the doc
tors office. Miss Kitty had sat
tight, and come through all right but
a mile or more back on the highway
an old maid was picking herself out
a RI LII
dence in a most ungrateful wav
Why-why, Miss Rowlandsl" ex-I
claimed the doctor as he rushed from
his Office.
I've got-got the toethache," she
sobbed Historically.
"And the pony ran awav with vo,
and frightened you hair to death. |
Just a minute till 1 secure him. Now
let me help you into the office. Tooth |
ache, eh? Why on earth didn't YOU /