The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-26
THE EVENING STORY
An Assisted EIopement.
(Rv Donald AIIen.)

Bennett had arrived at a point. Miss
Ruth was eleven years old and Mr..
| Bennett was two years older when tnelr
| fathers quarreled about a question of
chemistry or jurisprudence or some
thing or other and the boy and girl
used to make up faces at each other
over the line fence
The professor would not admit that
under any circumstances could ne pc
wrong. He had gone over the question.
! whatever it was, a hundred times, and
he could not find any flaw in 1t on
which to base change of opinion tie
must, therefore, consider Judge Ben
nett a bigoted ass and drop his &C
quaintance.
| Judge Bennett hadn't had to turn the
| question over in his mind. He knew
he was right from the start. and he
knew the professor was wrong On
most any other question he would have
given up, but on this-never!
There was no open hostility 1t was
simply understood that the principals
and their families avoided each other
altogether, and that the Bennett goat
and the Russell dog should not cross
the line between the two estates. When
the gentlemen met there were two cold
and distant bows-nothing more.
It's only natural philosophy that
girl of eleven and boy of thirteen
may make up faces at each other at
that date, and yet at nineteen and
twenty-one be in love with each other.
1t worked out that way in this case.
Until they were actually engaged
neither one seemed to remember the
estrangement between the fathers.
Never since the misunderstanding had
one father spoken to the Offspring of
the other. In fact as the years drifted
past, the boy and girl drifted out of
recollection. Now the young folks were
| engaged and had nice little rumpus
ahead of them.
MY father will never consent" an
nounced Miss Ruth.
6" .or mine either"
| +'Oh, if they only had not quarreled"
But you see they did,
How will you ever go to my father
and ask his consent?'
| Il don't know"
He will never give it,
Never, but 1 must ask him. If he
refuses me your hand we shall have
| toto
Commit suicfde!" finished Miss
Ruth.
Young Mr.. Bennett was deeply in
love, but he wasn't going to shuttle
| off the mortal coil until he had tried
| various other ways and made failures
| of them He drew long breath,
! braced up and set a date to face the
lion in his den, and when the hour
arrived he was there.
| Charles Bennett, eh?" replied the
professor. without looking up.
Yes. sir
Amy relation to Judge Bennett?'
His son, sir
| "Eh, whit, And you come to ME
and ask for Ruth"
I'VE love each other. sir"
But your father is bigot, SRA
| bigot and asst"
| And he says the same of you, sirl''
! He does, Ell? That shows he is
worse than 1 thought him. You may
retire, young man. L have already Sc
lected a husband for my daughter"
| Then followed an interview with
Miss Ruth. 1t didn't last long. 1t all
most began and quite closed with the
| father saying:
| Ruth, it's time you were thinking
of marriage. L have selected a hus-
band for YOU
| But I won't marry him."
| Il think you will
| Il know 1 won't. I'll commit sui
| eide frst!''
The lovers had q talk about the
changed condition of things, and after
eliminating every other course they
settled on elopement. ElOpements are
| always in order as a last resort. There
| was no hope that the father would
relent. He hadn't pulled a gun on
! young Bennett, and he hadn't stood
up and declared that he would rather
| see his daughter in her grave first,
but hadn't he said that he had already
selected a husband for her? He hadn't
/ said just who, but of course it was a
man of 60 with money. He would he
| Jealous, and he would be fnicky and
| pour his coffee into the saucer before
/ slipping it with long-drawn
s-o-u-u PIP!
| No; an elopement was the only
| thing. Mr.. Bennett would take his
| true love in a horse and buggy by the
/ light of the moon and drive away to
Of n
| have the ceremony performed. He
selected a Baptist preacher, because
| he had always heard that in case of
| hot pursuit Baptist could rattle off
the ceremony in 81 seconds by the
watch. Miss Ruth was sure there
would be no pursuit; but the wise
young man was taking no chances.
The night arrived. The horse and
buggy arrived The lovers arrived,
and away they went. They saw the
| fences go past them, but what they
did not see were two men starting out
| in a carriage, only a moment behind
| them The two men were shaking
| hands every now and then and talk
ing like Iong-lost brothers reunited
| Now and then one of them would
| chuekIe Then both would laugh.
| The lovers had seven miles to go.
| At the end of the first mile a wheel
came loose and was noticed just in
time to prevent an accident While 1T
was being set right the two men drove
up and offered their assistance.
! Father exclaimed Miss Ruth as
| she recognized her parent.
| Father" exclaimed young Bennett
| as he recognized his.
| was the game up? Were they to
| be taken back in chains2
No. Neither parent paid the slight
est attention to his offspring. That
/ buggy had been fixed for a wheel to
come off 1t was now fixed for all
| four wheels to remain on, and the
lovers went ahead.