The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-09
THE EVENING STORY
Winds of Destiny.
CBy Martha McCunoch- williams)

Winds of destiny there are-they may
be hurricane strong-they may be no
more than the idlest ruff1ing zephyrs.
Yet strong or gentle, they do their al
lotted task.
Milicent was as wilful as any wind
could be- She had elected to write
! letters up in the tree house, though
| knowing we'll it was meant only for
| the children. There were five of them
| four boys, and a girl more tom-boyish
than her brothers OF any of her three
| cousins. Milicent's nameSake, and,
after sort. copy, she presumed a bit
upon her position. Milicent, the elder,
| felt really noble in not hating her rep
lica. Until the little girl came she had
been the only young woman in the fam
! lily, by consequence the special eight
of her two tall. handsome brothers.
Family love was very strong with all
the Ashtons. Roger and Rex, twins, it
! appeare;, simply could not live apart.
| The mansion house was Roger s-eldest
/ by half an hour-but there was room
and to spare in it for Rex and his
| household, no less Milicent. Mrs. Roger
| and Mrs. Rex indeed had Wed with
| their husbands in spelling her. 1t spoke
volumes all round that though she had
come to twenty-five, single, and more
| than ever 4 creature of caprice, her
womenkind so adored her they inspect
ed possible suitors with the incest care
Notwithstanding they played favor
! ties. Witness the letter under Mill
cents left hand. It was to EN- Sayre,
who came near being her conscience
/ keeper After an inconsequent begin
ming she had come to the nub of things
thus: Please, MN. can't you, won't
you, find me a sweetheart with a real
name-say Smith or Jones, or even
Murphy? Otherwise-but hear the
fatal truth. Susan has pitched upon
Warner Bugg, esquire for my future
husband. Anne is as hot for one John
Stubs. 1 say plague on both names
because the names are all can find
s''Warner7isea palandin. plus a million
or SO, John mantle sort dogs and
children take to without knowing a
reason. Incidentally? also, he has
money, and brains. And 1 can reach
out my hand and take him if 1 will.
BUT think of going through life Mill
cent Stubs! Think also alternatively.
OF being mother of Buggs!
You will be saying: There are
others Only too true, honey-one
otner In particular. No-his name is
neither Montgomery, nor TaIbot-Peyton
i loathe that sort of appeIlation even
more than Bugg or Stubs. But really
family names of that sort deserve to he
extlnguished. That would leave room
for-well! say the Registers. There's a
n i Ior you-sood fellowship in every
Here the sheet was fulI-MiIfcent
reached for fresh one As her hand
nIted from the paper a tricky gust
tree tops, whirling it beyond view so
swiftly she could not guess the Ill
rectlon. But that did not disturb her
IT would most likely fall in the
mllIpond or the deeps of the big
woods. Any way, since it had neither
GATE nor signature. nothing could be
made of it, in the event of it being
read. Smiling, yet half signing, she
pegan another sheet; yet, after a SEN
tence, shut her desk, and climbed
n1mbly down the rope ladder From
her perch she had espied visitors
warner Bugg and John Stubbs, to be
exact. Since she did not want to see
either, just then, it was evident she
must run away, and go a fishing.
Half an hour later her canoe was
drifting on the mill ponds silver face |
what time she made believe to be alb
er's eldest, a lad of twelve, sat facing
her. They were sworn comrades.
Shucksi I won't never tell. Not
mother" he was say
but Milly-old Jack Stubbs is to give
me real horse, when he's my uncle
and you know how hate ponies"
Z know" Milicent interrupted,
holding up q silencing hand.
Her float had gone under with a
rush-some fish of degree must have
swallowed hook. line and sinker She
braced herself for long pull, a game
the line Stacked
there came swimming to the surface
the ugliest big swapping turtle she
had ever seen. Rex, all agog struck
at it with his paddle-Mflicent cried
a warning, but too late. Before she
knew it the canoe was upset-she and |
the lad Laundering in water sun
and slow-moving, but 20 feet
deep. She did not fear the water
since she swan well.
I,
it was still on the surface-swirn-
ming hither and yon, though it had
bitten itself free of the tackle IL was
huge and evidently fighting mad
she had heard weird tales from the
black people of such creatures. fully
dragging one to the depths.
holding one there to drown and later
feasting like ghouls.
Terror stricken, she made toward
the bank. Suddenly she found her
self caught by snag, a submerged
trunk, brought down by spring floods.
Rex was going from her, with short
quick Strokes-she had hidden him do
[, knowing herself the stronger
swimmer.
Faint with fear, her call to him was
little more than a whisper. But even
while she uttered it another canoe
shot toward her from the shade on the
1ther shore The rover was tall and
soodly. stripped to his shirt and trous-
erS, and evidently a master of water
craft Almost before she knew it :
Milicent had been drawn into his ca
noe. Without speaking he snatched
lp rifle and sent a bullet into the
turtles head. AS the bulk !
IF it vanished he turned to Milicent, :
saying with a long breath: Il doubt I
f you were really in danger. but that ]