The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-15
The EVENING STORY
The Hon. John Drover.
(By Grace Kerrigan.)

per dav seemed the pinnacle to him.
| But it is impossible to keep a hard
working red-headed man down in this
| country if he wants to climb up. In
| time the Hon. John, who wasn't Hon.
then, and didn't dream that he ever
| would be, became boss of a dago; and
he bossed him SO well that others were
added.
| Did the Hon. John spend his even
| ings at home with his wife and little
Mollie, and getting acquainted with
William Shakespeare through his
| works?
Did he visit the Y. M. c. A. and sign
various pledges calculated to make
| him a better man?
| Did he spend hours at the public IL
brary reading up on astronomy and
familiarizing himself with the heaven
| ly bodies?
If he did any of these things. it was
while he slept.
The Hon. John knew tricks worth
any two of them. A part of each
evening was devoted to learning the
Italian language, and the other part
to the study of politics. The man real
lied that the laborer of the future was
to be the dago,- and the closer his boss
got to him the more work he could
get out of him.
ward club. He would want favors as
he climbed. and the leaders of the
party were the men to apply to.
The Hon. John didn't rush things.
He advanced by inches. but he ad-
vanced The day came when he got
contract
The Hon. John had a foreman. He
was a young man named Jerry Som
mers. and he was smart. He had the
example of his boss before him, and
he meant to profit by it. There was
one thing he could do that his boss
couldn't. He could fall in love with
and marry Che hoped) the daughter.
The Hon. John and the Hon. Johns
wife were a bit pleased when they
saw the young couple talking to each
other.
"Jerry's worth more money than
I'm paving him." whispered the boss,
''but if he falls in love with Mollfe he
won't make no kick for higher wages.
Seer"
"John,- you are getting to be a very
scheming manP
4'Got to be, dear-got to be. Mol
lie could do a great deal better than
marry jerry
But suppose Mollie falls in love
with him?''
And the Hon. John knocked the
ashes from his pipe, placed the pipe
on its shelf. and then stood before his
wife with fingers in the arm-holes of
his vest and his head held very high.
John something has happenedr'
Lucy. I'm going to he candidate
for the Assembly in this district, and
if nominated I am sure of election"
"And if you go to Albany, John, just
what does it mean for us?"
..More contracts-more money!
more power We shall move into a /
better house. We shall dress better !,
and keep servants.
'.And won't you be called a grafter?'
IT probably shall be, but no one
1or
for what the papers say. Yes, I shall
go to Albany and have Hon. before /
nv name That's why I can't let |
Mollie marry a common chap like
jerry
And all you'll have to do. even if !
she becomes engaged to Jerry, is to |
tell her to throw him over?' queried |
the wife.
That's all. Won't I be the Hon.
John Drover?"
He was nominated and elected
There wasn't any further talk about !
Mollie and Jerry until he came home
month after taking his seat as a mem
ber Then his foreman, after making
his reports as to the work done, frank
ly said:
BOSS. there's a private matter I wish
to speak about"
go ahead, Jerry, but remember
that 1 am an Hon now"
Its about Mollie.'
"You probably refer to my daugh-
ter, Miss Drover?"
81 do We are in love-"
You mean that you are?"
"I mean that we are not only in
love, but engaged to be married, and
I'm asking your consent
1T cannot give it, Jerry. The eagle
cannot mate with the crow. You
are a fine man on a ladder, Jerry,
but you'll never climb in any other
direction. From this date your
wages are raised by ten dollars a
but there must be no more
foolishness. Next term L shall prob
ably go to the senate, and further
on I hope to sit in the halls of con-
gress as they calls EN-"
The halls of your grandmother"
replied Jerry as he rose. !,
Then Mollie was called in and her
father began:
Whats this about you and Jerry?"
1--WE are going to be married"
do you realize that I am an
Hon do you?"
Perfectly"
And that I may be senator next
term?"
Yes"
THE house and senate of the great
state of New York expects, and has
a right to expect, that you will look
higher for husband than Jerry Som
mers."
1.-The house and senate of the great
state of New York can go to Texas" ,
flashed the girl.
You will do as I say"
Not unless you say that Jerry and
can marry !
The lovers had a talk over the af-
fair Jerry was a good man in that 4
ne wouldn't throw up his place and s
leave his boss, and Miss Mollie was
4 dutiful daughter III that she wanted I
her fathers consent. G
AS time went on and jerry did not