The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-30
The EVENING Story
Not Officious.
(By Bryant G. Rogers.)
ather, am / a child? p

old. and have been two miles away
from homei"
! But, sister,
For the hundreth time let me ex-
plain,' said the girl. THE name OF
| this town is Akron; my name is Betty
Grew; 1 have an aunt named Saran
| Baldwin living a hundred miles away:
she invites me to visit her. Do you
get me thus far?"
| The three nodded.
| 4 get to the depot here by hook or
| creek and buy railroad ticket to
| Charlotte. L get my trunk checked.
| I take seat in the cars and ask the
| conductor please to tie me down with
a piece of clotheSline so that 1 shan
fall overheard. Is it plain as mud
to you alp
| Three heads nodded in unison
4 look around the car; 1 view the
landscape; I read: 1 doze. After what
seems to me only about three min
utes, but which is really three hours.
| 1 hear the kind voice of the conductor
! saying:
:" Here's your town of Charlotte, lit
| tie maid, and there's a your fat and
| jolly Aunt Sarah waiting to welcome
you with a hug. Give her my love
and you will find your trunk further
up the PLATFORM
There, now, father, mother anu
brother finished Miss Betty. us
there anything in that to faint away
But the junctions," shouted BROTH
er Ben.
"Oh, yes. Well, there's Danton juno
ton and Dayton Junction. L change
at Dayton. The other train will be
waiting. Just three minutes to change
and then I'm off again
But have a care!'' warned the faith
Yes, dear do!' added the moth
She'll mix 'em up and take the
wrong one!' howled brother Ben.
Then I'll go to the nearest lunatic
asylum and ask to be taken in"
Three days later Miss Betty reaches
the depot without breaking a bone.
Her ticket is bought and her trunk
as calmly as if she had Travelled twice
around the world. The wheels go
round and she is off
Not a coach leaves the rails-not
boiler bursts-not even grasshopper
hops across the track. How foolish Of
father, mother and brother Ben.
Miss Betty had brought a book with
her and after a brief period of ex-
ultation she settled down and began
to read 1t did not seem half an hour
to her when the brakeman called out:
''Danton junction! Change here for the
r. & /. road!'
why, here is, where I change said
the girl to herself. There's Danton
and Dayton, and 1 am quite sure"
No she wasn't. If the conductor had
been at hand she would have asked, |
but he wasn't. When she saw half
a dozen passengers maning the change
she followed them. The coaches on the |
other road were crowded, and she |
found herself in a seat with a young |
man.
L trust you will not think me Of !
ficious, but haven't you made a mis- |
take?"
"A mistake," she gasped.
Il thought 1 heard you tell lady !
in the other train that you were go |
ing to Charlotte?'
But I ami"
Not by this train. You are going
off at an angle. This train goes to
Columbus. You should have waited
and changed at Dayton Junction
Mercy on me!
Here comes the conductor and he'll
tell you the same
That's what the conductor did.
Don't think me officious when 1
the young man when the conductor
had passed on.
why. 1 am going to turn right
back and go on to Charlotte" was
answered.
He took from its case his address
card and handed it to her with:
You don't exactly understand the
This road runs only two
passenger trains per day. The next
one is 10 o'clock at night, and you
could not go on to Charlotte by any
train till next forenoon. You may
have noticed there were no hotels at
the Junction."
But I've got to get somewhere or
do something"
you surely have / don't want to
thrust myself forward, but l may say
that 1 live at Clydesdale, two sta
tons below. L am with my father
in the lumber business have
But how does that help me?"
Miss Betty asked.
why, why, 1 think my sister will
be at the depot"
But 1 don't know her"
But 1 will introduce you and eX-
plain the situation. She will then in
vite you to the house to pass the
night, and in the morning you can
take the train. Our hotel is very
poorly kept house"
Miss Betty turned her head and
had been looking out of the window
for five minutes when the young man
in some way knew that there were
tears in her eyes.
IF | have been too officious-' he
said.
1T isn't that" she replied with
sob: Its that 1 was idiot enough to
do just Brother Ben said L would
He'll crow over me for the next ten
years to GOMEZ!
Ralph Enright-that was the name !
On his card-laughed good naturedly-
NO use to let Brother Ben know
anything about it. May I ask if you
were on your way to visit friends at
CharIotte?"
Yes my Aunt Sarah. She'll be .
scared half to death when don't get
OFF the lrain."
Has she got telephone in the
house,
ooh yes"
Then you yourself can telephone
ner right from our house. Here is