The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-20
THE EVENING STORY
Grandma's Old Bible.
(By Donald A1len.)


he congratulated himself that he was
| blue bloeded man.
| AS most persons understand 1t, blue
| blood is to the manner born, and that
| means rich and cultivated ancestors
| who lived with their noses in the air
| and considered themselves the salt of
| the earth. AS some others understand
| it, blue blood, which is just red as
a truck drivers blood, comes after a
man has scraped about $4,000 togeth-
! er and got to be mayor of a town of
at least 5000 inhabitants. That con-
dition of affairs had come to John
| Brodie.
| Sometimes, sad to relate, a blue
b1ooded father and husband will have
| a. wife and daughter that won't Join
hands with him on the question.
| That was the case with John Brodie.
His good wife and his daughter Mag
| gle refused to be blue blooded. They
refused to be snobs. The refused to
| pompous. When they were lectured
about it Miss Maggie would some
times preserve silence but at others
| she would flame out with:
| Why father. you began life on
$3.50 a day."
"But-but-'
"And your father and grandfather
were mechanics!"
"Daughter!"
| "And your mother kept house in
two rooms
Maggie, will not hear such talk!"
If John Brodie hadn't been SO busy
and blue blooded and pompous he
might have made certain discovery
of interest to him long before he
finally got the bump. One of the
foremen in his mills was a young
man named Harry Winfield. He had
won the position on his merits. He
had a widowed mother to care for on
a salary none too liberal and there
fore went little into society, but was
respected by all and spoken of as
young man who would make his way.
Young Winfield had been to the
Brodie house on business number of
times and had met Miss Maggie at
social gatherings, before Mrs. Brodie
quietly began one evening:
Maggie, it is being whispered
around that Mr.. Winfield is one of
your admirers
you know what your fathers
views are"
ct have heard them times enough"
"Mr. Winfield is not blue blooded.>
Poor boy!''
HE is a working man."
"All honor to him.
eff your father knew that there was
even friendship between you he'd dis
charge the young man at once"
He'd rave, of course
$50, then, daughter-?''
HE may have a chance to rave. If
it was left to father to pick out hus-
band for me, he'd select some snob
that I couldn't live with a week"
Three months later the "raving'
came.
Mr.. Harry Winfield donned his
Sunday suit one Wednesday evening
when he knew that His Honor the
Mayor would be at home, and rang
the bell of his mansion. Miss Mag
gle expected him, and was at the door
to admit him and whisper:
Father is in the library. Go right
in"
"Td rather face a battery
'But you've got to go in
"Oh, I'll go in right enough
And in he went, to be surveyed for
a moment by the father and then
greeted with:
well, Harry, is there strike on
at the mills?"
ct think every man is content, sir"
mo machinery broken down, I
hope?"
None, sir. I am here on account
of your daughter
my Maggie? Well. what about
her?"
1--WE are in love, sir"
"What?'
"And I am asking your consent to
the marriage"
Young man" said the blue b1ooded |
mill owner, have you lost your
senses? Do you realize what you are
saying? You in love with my daugh-
teri She in love with your
That's the case, SIR" was the re-
ply of the trembling lover.
"And she knows you are here this |
evening to ask my consent?''
''She does"
lone of mill hands in love with
my daughter" shouted Mr.. Brodie as
he rose up with flashing eyes and pur
pie face. Your impudence is most
You must be at least half
insane. I answer you no! no! no!
Leave this house, sir, I discharge you
from the millsi I-I@'
Can you say anything against me
as a man, Sir?"
you've got the impudence of the
devil; told you to co.
Three minutes later Mr.. Winfield
was out of the house, and the girl was
in the library and her father was ges-
and demanding:
Tell me if you have fallen in love
with that parvenue Winfield ?"
II have,"
He hasn't got dollar to his
namei"
You didn't have when you mar
ried!''
He has no social standing
And you didn't havel"
Don't talk back to me! You'll
either drop this thing right here Or
I'll disown youi"
Nineteen times out of twenty such
threats are of no avail. Three days
after they were uttered Miss Maggie
Brodie and Harry Winfield were Sc
sretly married, and she went to a
cousins house and he left the town in
search of another job.
They can go to the poorhouse and
De darned to them,'' said the blue
he bad taste and the boldness to ask
bout the affair.