The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-28
THE EVENING STORY
SaIIy's Demise,
(By John Philip Ortiz

The Oak Grove farm one of the
best in the county, was owned and run
| by the widow Baines. The farmers
around couldn't criticise her farming,
but they shook their heads over the
fact. that she dressed up every af-
| ternoon and had callers now and then
from the village, six miles away. She
also had top-buggy and silver
plated knives and forks, and she had
the best windmill for miles around.
These things were only criticised,
but when it was known that the wild
ow had sent her daughter east to a
seminary to be educated and polished
up there were men and women that
read, write and cipher, and what
more education was needed? She ate
with her fork, and she knew how to
behave at party, and what was the
use of any more polish?
At eighteen Miss Minnie was back
home. She wasn't snobbish, but it was
plain that she preferred the village
people, and there was hardly a day
that calls were not being exchanged.
It was this state of affairs that
chants son, out to the farm. The
Widows daughter looked good to him.
Folks said it ought to make a match,
and no one was surprised, after the
lapse of few months, to hear of the
engagement.
Hes just the best fellow in the
world" was the girls assertion after
telling her mother the secret.
81 never could have found another
such girl" was what young Redfern
added as he told his father of the en-
gagement.
The engagement took place in Au-
Thanksgiving day. There's a queer
thing about these engagements. As
soon as they are made the man in the
case wants to be boss. He is as
humble as pie up to that time, but
at almost a days notice there is
change. And the change is not al
together in him. The girl sees that he
wants to boss the roost, and she re-
sents 1T, and there are quarrelS where
before all was serene.
A week after the engagement the
widow took on a new hired man. He
was a student trying to work his way
through college by hiring to farmers
during the vacation. He wasn't any
the girl treated him with more defer
ence than she showed to the other
hands, and she also spoke In his
praise to Dick. That settled things,
or rather, unsettled them.
How do you know that he isn't an
escaped convict pc demanded Dick.
That's foolish"
At don't like his looks"
perhaps he will change them
sYou had no right to ask him to
sing with you the other evening, as
I heard you did"
Mother found no fault with me-"
''But your mother can be easily de-
ceived.''
And you, who have travelled all
over the world, can read human faces
like a book!"
Of course there was more crispy
conversation, and then Mr.. Dick
Redfern laid down the law in italics.
No more singing-no more praising-l
no more f1irtingi
mo man shall boss me until after
MARRIAGE was the reply.
Then the young man had either to
cuddle down or take his hat and say
good night. He took his hat and walk
ed forth as stfff1y as a crowbar in
trousers, but weakened enough at the
gate to call over his shoulder:
when you change your opinion,
write mel" ..
There was the situation-a quarrel
over nothing, and one of them must
do the marrow bones act to bring back
the turtle doves. Both were in the
right and both were in the wrong.
At the end of a fortnight Miss Min
ME wrote that she thought both OF