The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-06
TIE EVENING STORY
Independent Irene.
(By Bryant c. Rodgers.)

| Out the term independent Is mis-
leading. It's hard to tell just what it
means. A girl may refuse motherly
| advice, but that's foolishneSs instead
| of independence. She may wear a
hat two seasons behind the fashion,
but after dozens of her sex have stuck
up their noses at her she is feeling
cheap instead of Independent. She may
say and really feel that she doesn't
care for the attentions of any young
man, but at the same time the thought
of being an old maid brings shivers.
| Miss Irene Tabor was Independent.
At least she thought she was, and that
is the same thing.
She had been known to make a
! street car wait for her a minute and
a half before she deigned to step
aboard. The conductor of that car
! had been known to start up so sud
denly when she went to get off that
she was flung into the mud. There
fore, was she ipdependent-or only as
mad as a wet hen?
| When her hand and heart were asked
for by young Dart Evans she replied
that she was not prepared to answer
the question, but would think it over
| and let him know in a few months.
| Miss Irene had money of her own.
A girl acquaintance of hers made $500
by specializing in Wall street. Humph!
She would show that girl that $500 was
simply baby speculation. She lost $500
so quick that her head whirled, and for
five minutes she didn't know whether
she was Independent or not.
Miss Irene had an aunt living $50
miles away, and she took a notion to
visit her. Her parents objected to her
travelling alone
Am 1 a childv' she demanded ct
| shall go, of course"
IF you postpone your start for two
weeks I can go part way with you."
said the lover.
Sir, am / a child 2"
of course not, but a young lady
generally has a chaperon or escort
| when she travels
We'll, L shall go alone"
The independent Miss Irene started
off alone and safely reached her des-
| tination. A few things happened en-
| route, however, and Mr.. Dart heard
of them through a letter to the
mother.
Miss Irene was smiled at by an old
widower with Grape on his hat. She
was winked at by a drummer for a
glue house. She was accosted by a
vaudeville actor, who said she would
make a great hit on the stage She
lost two-dollar bill, had a toothache,
got stung by a wasp. and a jealous
didn't work in candy factory when
she was home.
The independent girl had decided on
stay of two weeks. Mr. Dart in
off three or four days, as he was very,
very lonesome. In return she wrote
him that she had decided to prolong
her visit to four weeks, and it was
duly prolonged. While being prolonged
things happened.
thump. She was stung by a humble
bee. She tumb1ed into the creek
Three sons of farmers asked her to
marry them. and all three threatened
suicide if she didn't. She had to at
tend four different funerals and a
camp meeting to oblige her aunt In
running away from harmless garter
snake which she took to be a boa
constructor, she fell down and skinned
her nose.
Four days before the time set for
her to start for home Miss Irene re-
ceived a letter from Mr.. Dart to tell
ht that he would come down and
take her home.
'Oh, he will eh?' sneered the girl
What is it?" asked the aunt
thinks I'm a child about five years
old. He is coming down to take me
home''
That's nice of him.
TT is? Well, I don't propose to
have anybody at my heels telling me
Mr.. Dart will oct sadly left. I start
for home in the morning.
But, Irene"
And start she did To go at the hour
she did she had to take a train on
another road and wait an hour at a
junction. She had never waited at a
railroad junction. and she anticipated
something romantic. She had read of
Robin Hood and his merrie men, and |
had somehow mixed them up with rail- |
road functions. She had read that a
famous opera singer first met the |
famous artist who had become her hus-
band at a junction.
81 am sorry to tell you, miss said |
the conductor as the junction was
reached, that the train on the other |
road is an hour late"
That meant two hours to wait, but |
there would be lots to see and time |
would pass quickly. Yes there was |
lots to see. There was an old barn of |
tracks; there was a shanty boarding |
house; there was a water tank.
The station agent was bow-legged /
and cross-eyed. but oh. he was good
Any Tammany sport would have bet I
three to one that he would go to !
heaven when he died. He told Miss |
Irene that if she would take a seat
on the north side of the depot she
would be out of the sun. He told her
that if she would sit on an old baggage
truck she wouldn't have to stand. He
assured her that if he could have his
way about it he would have the trains
run every two or three minutes.
Miss Irene looked up the country
road. No romance nor housesi She
looked down the country road. No
Robin Hood nor barns with circus
pictures on themi Where were the
drummers and old widowers? After
an hour she got up and wandered
down the road. The 1uxuriant
growth of tflistles and milkweeds made
it a veritable lovers lane. She had
walked half a mile when she came to
a dilapidated log house. An old man
was cutting wood in front of it. He
seemed a nice and gentle old man. and