The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-08
TIE EVENING STORY
When Dad Got Drowned.
(By Grace Kerrigan)

liberately planned for at least one
quarrel and one makeup, and the al
merest trifie.
Mr. James Bennett and Miss Nanny
Clyde had been engaged for seven or
eight months, and the course OF true
love had run mOnOtOnously. Not a
disturbance-not a ripple! They had
often talked it over and could not ex-
plain to each other how nor why
lovers quarrels should come about. II
they were not in perfect accord about
everything, then how could they be
lovers? 1t was all so silly and foolish.
And then a brick mouse fell on
them.
Young Mr.. Bennett had fallen into
the habit of ringing the doorbell of
the Clyde house just as the clock in
the hall was striking 8. The ringing
and the striking made sort of har-
Miss Nanny Clyde had fallen into
the habit of taking a seat on nan
chair at exactly two minutes to the
hour and opening the door as the ring
died away with
Hello, Nanny"
Hello, JIMMY"
On this particular evening Miss
Nanny was in her chair with her ear
pointed toward the hall door.
There was a scufIing of feet on the
steps
The clock began to strike eight
The door was opened with the usual
hello.
cents to pay for my lodgings tonight"
Only a tramp, and the door was
shut against his toes with bang
James was not even in sight. Miss
AS the minutes went past the pout be-
came a putch. At a quarter past
eight, when the ring came, there was
no haste to open the door. and there
ILL fNnT
lips and flashing eyes instead.
my dear girl, what is the matter?'
II am waiting, SIR"
"Just before got here I met Katie
Shelbourne.''
''Ah-ha! Not Miss shelbourne. but
Katfe!'
ssShe was on her way to the car. and
of course had to accompany her"
ooh, you did! And that's what de-
layed you? That's why tbs old tramp
got here first. Mr.. Bennett, you had
better take the next car and follow
Miss Shelbourne!"
Five minutes later the young man
left the house, and there he was, and
there she was, and there both of them
were.
Ten days may be ten days or ten
years. In this case it was ten years.
Mr.. Bennett had received back the en-
gagement ring and the several little
presents, but had made no reply. He
had simply dropped out of sight.
Somewhere he had read or heard that
the lover who plays a waiting game
always wins out. Let an angry maiden
alone long enough and she will have
every chair kicked over and be ready
to argue from a pacific standpoint.
The man of all-work around the
Clyde house had time to go fishing in |
the river mile away now and then.
The only name he was known by was
Dad, and it may be said in passing |
that he wasn't much of fisherman |
and had no memory to boast of.
Nlx-6A
seventh morning in normal condi- |
ton of mind. She could now reason |
that she had been too hasty. While |
firm in the belief that it was not for |
vances in case of a quarrel, she would |
and did in this instance indfte a little |
note stating that she had been very, !
very i'll, but could now get downstairs !
mailed the note, but there was driz- |
zling rain and Dad was going fishing, |
and it was handed to him to leave at |
the law office, where young Mr.. Ben |
nett W ould some day be a partner.
Dad remembered that note about Is |
seconds and for six days and nights |
it repoSed in an inside pocket and his |
general health continued to be good |
Then he took another trip to the river
and fell off the bridge. Young Mr.. Ben |
nett was among those who assisted the |
coroner to stand the body on its head, |
roll it on a barrel and pump its arms |
up ana QOWn w neI tie SO4Qen letter !
was found it was handed over to1the
one addressed, and as quick as it
could be read Mr.. Bennett started for
the Clyde house.
For six long days and nights after
Miss Nanny had limited that he might
come back and talk things over she
had been left to worry over what
seemed his sulkiness. Had it brought
on relapse? Was she dangerously
i'll again and calling out his name ir
her delirium? He never read the death
that she was dead, and that his name
was the last on her lips
The doorbeH got an awful yank,
and it seemed hours and hours before
Mrs. Clyde appeared.
mo, nobody dead
mo, nobody has been ILL.,
mo, Miss Nanny was not home
She had gone down the country to
spend a couple of weeks with a girl
friend.''
What station should he leave the
train at? Why, it was Rockland, she
thought, and then there was mile
lay.
If he happened down that way, and
happened to see Nanny, would he give
her mothers love and add that the
were well and growing like
weeds?
Happen? Happen? Why, young
Bennett hardly waited to change his
clothes and pack up toothbrush and
collar. Miss Nanny wasn't dead
hadn't even been Ill-but il the train
lad made a hundred miles an hour it
wouldn't have been too much rapid
transit for him.
Misc Nanny (.Ivda wac IN her xrav