The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-01
THE EVENING STORY
Within Five Years.
(By Lawrence Alfred Claw


in love again, and again accident
placed him where he saw the angel of
his thoughts throw her father out
doors and then over the fence.
Some young men would have kept
right on trying, knowing all cats are
not black, but Jonathan tried no
more. At the age of thirty he was a
settled-down old bachelor, and no girl
or signing widow could make the
least impression on him. He had a
nice farm near village, an old wom-
IAN as houSekeeper.
Farmer HOke had been living a
! humdrum life for dozen years when
something happened to startle him.
NO, his well did not cave in, one of
or thunderbolt knock seven bells
out of his barn. 1t was simply a sud-
| den thought that almost jumped him
out of his chair one summer evening
| as he sat on the porch with is pipe.
| Things had gone with him and his by
| program. Up al such an hour-to bed
at such IN hour. He smoked after
| breakfast-after dinner-after supper.
| He fed the livestock at certain hours.
At certain moment, almost, he
| chased the fowls to roost and locked
up the barn. His housekeeper being
deaf, there was seldom any attempt at
| conversation. Jonathan did not care
| for books or papers, and there was no
| reading.
A sudden thought! A start of sur
| prise! He had a chump of a hired
man who didn't know whether the
Mississippi river was forty rods or
1000 miles long; deaf woman who
didn't speak dozen words a day;
horses cattle, sheep, hogs and hens.
These had been his daily compan-
ions and associates until he had for
gotten who was president of the
United States.
No laughing or singing or calling.
1t had been as if some one were lying
dead in the house. Marry and make
change? No marriage for Jonathan
Hoke, but he would make a change.
How? That's what kept him out of
his bed an hour later that night than
had happened for years. before. 1t
took him three days to formulate a
plan, and he was really frightened at
his own audacity. His voice had a
tremor in it as he said to the old wom-
an after breakfast:
I'm going away for day or two"
do tell!' she replied.
I'm going to Harvey"
ooh, Lord, that's to the end of the
earth!'
I'm going to the orphan asylum
you are such an old orphan they
won't let you in!''
I'm going to adopt an orphan"
And bring it homer"
Eyes"
did I ever! I said the judgment
day was c1us at hand, and this goes
to prove it. Jonathan Hoke, what's
got into you?'
81 want to brighten up the house |
want to hear some one laugh and |
sing. I want some one to talk to-"
Wants talk! Wants singing. |
Wants some one galloping over the |
house, Wall, surely this is the end |
and Gabriel will be blowing his horn |
before you get as far as the school
house,
Jonathan looked a little anxious
over the prediction, but went his way. |
In due time he arrived at the ASYLUM. |
He had been told that they had or
phanS by the CARLOAD and were al !
ways glad to get rid of them.
How old one do you want?"
Bout ten years old, mebbe," was
the reply.
boy or girl ?"
Jonathan stood with is mouth open.
He had never heard much about or
phans. but his native sense told him
that that they must must be divided into two
orphan in a general way.
A boy or a girl? A boy could feed
the fowls and hogs and bring in water
and wood and do lots of other chores,
run away and cause trouble. A girl
wouldn't need to be licked and she |
could run up and down stairs for the
old woman and set the table and help
wash the dishes. She would also be
more apt to sing and laugh.
AT the end of an hour Jonathan
announced that he would take a girl.
Eight girls, each about 10 years old,
were lined up before him. Seven of
them looked very serious, but the
eighth smiled and giggled.
That one! said Jonathan. He
didn't want any more seriousness
around the farmhouse.
Susan Hoke went away with him
after the usual papers were made out
and she went giggling. She smiled
and giggled and she laughed, and the
as the two drove UP to the gate on
their return:
''See that grin on Jonathan's face.
It's the first time for ten years. He's
sure brought a brat with him, and
now you watch things go to the
devil"
why, it's a girl!" exclaimed the
old woman.
"a month later little Sue had gig i
gled and laughed her way into their
ing her to liven up the old house
People said they seemed altogether
different persons When Jonathan
Hoke started in to whistle yankee
Doodle as he dealt with chicken
buyer, the latter looked at him in as
and exclaimed:
IF I hadn't heard it with my own
ears I'd call somebody liar!' ,,
Jonathan studied his adopted
daughter and read her mind much ,
clearer than his housekeeper did. :
Now and then he caught a look on
her face that set him thinking, and ,
one day as he followed the pillow the 8
solution came to him.
IT'S because she's a kid and We G
three are grown up" he said. ''She I
ought to have a kid around to talk 1
and play with. She can't make her
young world our old wor1d-of course !
she can't"
That evening he said to Sue: I'm
going to Harvey and the asylum to- c
.sOh, if you would only bring Albert
back with youi We used to quarrel,
but 1 just loved him. May he come s
here to live?" III