The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-08
THE EVENING STORY
NIOSQuitO-kiu.
(By Mary Marshall.)

| 1T is absolutely guaranteed 10 Keep
| the house free from mosquitoes-com-
| pounded " a secret formula, making
| use of some recent scientific discover
| les A 25-cent bottle will last year
-'' Nat paused at this point in his
| ed bottle out to the middle-aged farm
ers wife who stood peering at him
| through the screen door.
We've got enough of that for one
| while" said the farmers wife, and, in
| spite of Mats most persuasive smile,
| turned her back on him.
At the next house, u quarter of q
| mile further along the road, a farmer
| met him half way up to the house
and when Nat produced the neatly
| green-la beled bottle from his knapsack
| the farmer laughed roughly.
Say, you might think we didn't have
| a living thing to do but kill mosqui-
| toes he said.
| For the better part of the morn
| ing Nat met with discoura cement. Not
| a bottle could he sell. 1t was strange,
| too, for he had chosen this territory
| the state ethnologist for the most mos
quito-ridden county in the state and
had expected success.
Nat had just finished his senior year
at the state college and was trying
to raise enough money in the summer
to take Up his law course. He always
raised his necessary funds by agent
ing" The first year it had been dou-
BILE boilers, the next it was Bibles,
then it was carpet sWeepers, and now
it was mosquito-kill, the manufacture
ers of which had advertised for sales
agents in the college paper. After he
had been turned down at the fifth
house the truth dawned upon him.
Il take it, he said, putting the mos
quito-kill back in his knapsack, that
there has been some one here before
me-
Yes" answered the housewife at
the door. Went by just about a half
hour ago. A student from the state
college, .-r.---s-i.4,.
Nat felt the blood of jealousy and
rage boil within him as he left the
door. I'll bet it was Steve TiIden,"
he muttered to himself. He is the
only person I told I was coming this
way and he said he was going to raise
money for his medical course by agent
ing"
than one instance. He played football
a little better than Nat did, and had,
therefore, superseded him as captain
of the team, and the evening of COM
mencement Nat had seen him with
Mag Hopper, a fair classmate for whose
smiles they had been rivals. Nat had
long had a premonition that Steve,
would cut him out with Mag, and when
he saw them walking across the cam
pus on the night of their graduation
he knew it. He was so sure of it in
fact that he didn't put himself to the
discomfort of having his rnisgiving con-
firmed by asking Mag.
Nat walked on in silence now, vowing
1r1t on the person of Steve Tilden,
ahead of him But he would get even
With With him him He would hire horse to over
would know the bitterness of canyasSins a
worked field. Accordingly Nat hired a
horse at the next farmers and drove rap
idly on for about four miles. He saw
nothing Of his rival on the road but he
Then he got a farmers boy to take the
morse back, and he began to peddle mos
quite qgito-ill in virgin territory But merely
selling mosquito-kill was not enough. He
yearned to meet Steve face to face and
have the satisfaction of forcing him off
He swung into a thriving looking farm
house driveway and depositing his KNAPP
lilac hedge to wait. 1t was o'clock and
Nat figured that the other fellow-steve
along within half an hour. He would walt
til he had drawn up to the house and
t ti he would pounce upon him and warn
TN show him. muttered Nat to him
self, that even if he does get Mag Hop |
per he can't have, monopoly on the |
agenting business
Nat was keeping a weather eye on the |
driveway and he saw at this point slight |
erect figure of q girl carrying a KNAPP |
sack swung over her shoulder He watch |
ed her from his advantage under the lilac |
he saw that it was Mag Hopper. What |
could Mag be doing here? He had never |
heard her speak of having any friends or |
relatives in this county. He drew back |
under the lilacs and watched her as she ;
went up to the porch. He saw her knock
and then, when the housewife came in the
midst of her mornings baking to the
door. he saw Mag deity draw a little /
green-labeled bottle out of her knapsack |
I viii keep you only moment, |
madam he heard Mag saying in her sill !
ing my way and I have something here |
am sure you viii want. 1t Is absolutely |
guaranteed to keep the house free from
mosquitoes = compounded by a secret
Nat knew the rest of the speech and he |
did not heed it, His thoughts were occu-
pied otherwise. So it was Mag Hopper,
who was cutting him out of his territory-
without bidding farewell simply because
he had seen her with Steve the night of |
their graduation.
AS she passed Nat he jumped to his feet
Hello, Mag he said with an assumed |
nonchalance- II like your nerve in say
ing you a college student working
your way when you have just finished
Mag seemed to feel no surprise at see
ing her clasSrnate suddenly arise from the
lilac hedge, but for moment she made
no reply.
'I am working my way" she said after
she had looked at him defiantly II am
going to work my way through law
school am going to become lawyer"
surprised to know that you would
speak to me now after leaving me with
out a word at commencement. 1t was
verv foolish, Nat
Nat evaded the reflection and began to
discuss their plans 81 thought 1 had a
monopoly on this territory. told one of