The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-22
TEE EVENING STORY
Her Mothers Nerves.
CBy Donald Allen.)

manor house of the rich widow Bur
nett, and the river view from various
the water were rowboats and canoes
There were other fine houses above
| and below.
| Why for several years the motor
boat did not make it's appearance and
send it's chugs echoin6 over the water
to cause complaint and indignation
was sorely and simply because young
Mr.. Hamilton Frayne was a student
at a college so miles away. "A week
after his graduation he came to Bruins
wick to take a position in bank ana
to live with a cousin below the bend
in the river.
Miss Phyllis Burnett was the only
child of the rich widow, and at 10
she was considered the belle of the
country. They said of the mothcr
that she was a snoh; they said OF
the daughter that she had great good
common sense. The mother considered
it the thing to have nerves Ihe ooc-
tor who attended her and had his bll!s
paid without dispute, also thought IL
| the thing. Having nerves and money
| Mrs. Burnett got the idea that sne
must have her way about things. she
! had If as a rule, but there were
times when the daughter stood against
! it and refused to yield
! 1t makes little difference how MT.
Hamilton Frayne ard Miss PhyHls
Burnett came to know each otner.
/ The proper people to know each other
! always drift across each others path
/ sooner or later. BY and by MI
Frayne called at the manor house. ne
was of good family and fairly wealthy
and he found the mother very 1rlenu-
Nv. 1t was after two or three cans
that the moter boat came. Its ad-
vent was a sensible move on the part
of the owner 1t was far nicer TO
go by the river than the highway ana
outside of business hours it could give
others recreation.
The motor boat and case of nerves
came together. One morning at break
fast the widow had occasion to find
fault with the cook, and the COOK,
who had a ticket in lottery and
expected to draw the capital prize
talked back in an Independent way.
nger-tears-nerves!
Now, mother, be calm!" admonish-
ed Phyllis.
"Oh, yes, that's you! 1 must put up
with everything and forget that
have one single nerve in my whole
body"
But giving way won't do any good.
Finish your breakfast and take
walk and try to think of something
else Why not let me drive you to
town."
And me die on the way! Phyllis
YOU have no consideration for me.
You don't even know what nerves are
After am dead you will have
great deal to think of. Where's my
smelling bottle? I must go to bed and
suffer all day.!
Phyllis passed out on the river
veranda and the fearful mother up
stairs. Ten minutes, and then:
"Chuff! Chuff! Chuff! Whistler"
A handsome motor boat steered by
a Young man came into view from
below, and the girl waved greeting
and said to herself:
IT'S Mr.. Frayne Isn't it jolly that
he's got his boat"
my stars, what's that? Phyllis
where are your" exclaimed the moth
err as she came hurrying downstairs.
why, it's Mr.. F'rayne's motor boat,
and he's going to town on business.
Isn't it fne?"
FtChuff! chuff! chuff!"
And that horrid noise!" was asked
as the mother put her fingers in her
ears.
.'That's what they cal the exhaust
/ believe"
And it's rightly named 1t will ex-
haust me in week if he runs that
boat UP and down. He must not 90
it-he must not You must tell him
that he cannot-must not-run that
chuff- chuff boat up and down here!
why, mamma, I wouldn't dare to
tell him that" was the reply.
In6n L VIII! OdIl 1lIi1 up oiI tie tOAS-
ple one for me-"
Il will notr'
Then 1 will write him a letter.
Il won let you mail it!'
well, call up my doctor then. If he
orders the nuisance sto9pei, tber IT'S
got &c be stopped"
Dr Williams came down in response
t. the message, and wnen he had beer
tGld the particulars he plIrscd his lin5
and "epied:
Il lave told you, Mrs. Burnet-, that
anything tina: irritates and ennoys you
ms ! e. y ipa' I'D
Then the motor boat must go!'
And We should forbid the factory
whistles uptown from blDwineY' added |
Miss Phyllis as she looked tire doctor
straight in the eyes.
It was the mother that p il the bills |
and big ones. too, but he did not wish
to antagonize the daughte-, and re
said:
Il have no doubt that if the young |
man is spoken to he will cease to run |
tho boat"
Miss Phyllis didn't propose that any
one should have the chance of speaking
about what she called such q silly mat |
ter but three or four evenings later /
Mr. Frayne called, and the mother
hardly waited a minute before intro
ducing the subject.
why, the boat hardly gil es out .
dozen 'chuffs' in front OF YOUR house,
he replied in his astonishme-lt
But they are very objectionable
''Oh, if that is the case we must do |
away with Them
I'VE certainly must. My doctor says
I must not be annoyed"
Certainly not. 1 will see an engineer
about it right away. tf1ink the 'chufs'
car be stopped"
He wanted to add that if they
couldn't be he would either sell the
boat or have the river removed; but
he was a diplomatic young man. After
the mother had retired there was an