The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
The EVENING STORY
Telling the News
(By Martha McCulloch- Williams

(By Martina McCulloch-W illiamS)
Hello. the housei'' Audrey shouted
setting her hands hollow about her
mouth and leaning forward in saddle
Light, lady-if you can give ref
ences!" some one answered gayIy from
the ambush of rose thicket separating
a green yard from an adorably tangled
old garden.
Audrey frowned darkly Hmm!
l didn't know your other name was
impertinence!'' she said Ioftily, then
juggling her tin bucket loudly against
the gate post, "if references were as
plenty as L hope to find your cherries,
you shouldn't have the ghost of one"
AS you viii. Mere man is a down
trodden creature these days" the am
pushed one answered plaintively. This
particular worm of the dust is, l fear,
| going to have things made very hard
for him. You can't pick cherries with
out ladder-cant you? And the only
ladder on the place is, just now, off
the place.
ON purpose-I am sure of that"
Audrey pouted, her eyes dancing so
it was a pity the ambushed could not
see them. But 1 don't mind in the
1east-my greatness lies in overseeing
1 can always get more work done by
egging on the rest. Besides-I know
you are too gallant to see me sunburn
myself and get my frock torn in
high cherry tree while you sit and
watch me.
Il hate to climb down from such a
pedestral, the hidden person retort-
ed. But you see-it's this way-I Of
fered to give you cherries, right at
your own dOOr-eaSieSt sort of thing
to get them picked on shares. You
were for coming over-can you deny
it?"
Il can-but 1 won't-it is too hot
and besides I'm too amiable,'' Audrey
flung back, then slid from saddle.
Evidently the ambushed person had
a peephole. He came darting out, and
was in time to steady her audaciously
as she touched earth. "AWfully reck-
less!" he commented with a growing
cadence. might have turned your an
kle-then 1 should have had to tote you
in the house. BY the way, Mother
Molly is there already-came yesterday
where cherries abound there also, it
appears, do women
"Injun giver! But 1 won't go away
without a bucketful. Yea, even two
bucketfuls-and Tobes is bigger than
mine Audrey answered, smiling at
him with infantine soft malice
He shook his head, signing deeply.
Il fear, between you, you will drive
me to matrimony," he said, taking
the bucket, also the hand that held it,
and moving toward the door.
1t was a beautiful old colonial door,
with a fanlight above it, and an alb
surd portico, fit for a pigeon house,
jutting over. At their approach it flew
wide. Mother Molly appeared in the
frame of it, her mouth smiling, her eyes
grave. Her nephew, Leland the apple
of her eye, deserved better of Fate, she
thought, than a wife such Audrey
Clare. Therefore, she had fought
against his plan to keep bachelors hall
in the old Leland place that had come
to him on the spindle side. Mother
a Vincent ia h.
ers sister, and his own abject wor-
shipper since the day he was born.
She had picked the very wife for
hin-Sarah Minor Tabb-whose names
proclaimed the irreproachability of her
pedigree. Audrey was Irish-her faith
err had seemed n gentleman-but happy
go-lucky-why, that way, he had been
quite equal to the darkies- Audrey was
all very well-very well indeed for
girl who had raised herself, as it were.
But not the person to be trusted with
Leland and Vincent silver, to say
nothing of diamonds and old lace. She
cared SO little for things-clothes es-
pecially. Sarah Minor treasured fine
fabrics-they were to her as apples of
gold in pictures of silver. Indeed she
treasured them to such an extent, if she
wore them it was with such reserva-
lions against marring them they often
made her a figure of fun. Reckless
Audrey contrariwise cut and shipped
and draped her cotton frOckS or her
cheap silks or inexpensive tissues I'M
til she made herself a picture-even
Mother Molly could not deny that.
Yes, there are some cherries left.
A good many indeed. And I'm quite
through she said, guardedly, shak-
ing Audrey's hand. Il got up at day
break-had my fruit all seeded and
down in sugar-ready for anything
you know it must stand over night,
even for wine. So now I'm ready
to hear all the news you can tell me.
Sarah Minor is coming in a little
while-so 1 won't let you start Cos
siping until she is here
30, no. Perfidious person. Au-
drey pretended to whisper. shaking a
tragic finger in Le1and's face. You
invite me tony eclipse-knowing as
we'll as I do, I can't hold a candle to
Miss Sarah Minor in anything-least
of all in telling the news
The last words burned her. She
could have bitten her tongue for
speaking them. They were deadly
true-but how they sounded. She
wanted to run away, to go straight
Mother Molly and Sarah Minor have
Leland in peace, but she must go
with the honors of war. With her
most winning smile, she ran to the
telephone, called up a number and
spoke low and rapidly as soon as she
was answered.
Praise my observation-disclosures,
she said gaily to Leland. Il had for
gotten-quite-this was Martha Mar
starting 1 shall get home barely in
time to meet her,
Messing things-as usual" Lee