The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-10
The Evening Story

The Evening Story
GFandma,s Pension.
(By Don La Grange.)
Everybody in the village Of Boom
v1lle said that Grandma Davis was q
dear old thing.
everybody in Boonville said that
Miss Minnie Harper, grandma,s niece
who had lived with her for years. and
mad come to be - years old, was a
girl worth knowing.
Grandma owned house and lot and
q relative gave her an Income. and
the girl got an education besides.
Every one knew the pathetic story
Of the gray-haired. sweet-faced old
lady who had reached her three-score
and-ten. When the civil war broke
out she had been q bride for only q
Few weeks. Her young husband went
marching away with the others and
never returned. He had been made
prisoner after the war was a year old.
and had died In q southern prison. He
was so carried on the rolls OF his COM
pany and regiment. but the young Wild
ow chung to the belief that there was
some error about it and that he would
return to her.
As the years crept past the woman
did not surrender her illusion. 1t was
only strengthened. Even when the
I sse~A AAe.A ANSAA OtCI 4OI 1AS&AX1y AAlA u
century, she was yet looking for the
face that had moldered to dust years
before. Each day she watched for it,
each night she waited. Her example
Of faith was beautiful, and yet 1t was
pitiful. When it was known that the
husband was dead the widow was urg-
ed to apply for the pension that was
justly hers
HE can't be dead. There is some
mistake about it," she would reply.
a at tN0 SN&~
with the grim war a thing OF the dis
tant past, she was hoping and waiting
yet.
While the villagers did not encour-
age the Illusion. they said nothing to
discourage the woman's belief. and,
las for the niece, she even tried to make
herself believe that q miracle might
be wrought.
Miss Minnie was at school thirty
miles away, and Grandma Davis was
all alone when one day stranger
called and asked to talk to her ab0ut
that pension she had never applied
for. He was a lawyer from a town in
the adjoining county. and had heard
her story. He put 1t to her as a duty
toward the niece to secure that pen
sion. There would be a large sum of
money and it would help the girl to
make good marriage. This idea had
never occurred to grandma before,
and she was ready to listen to the
man. In an hour he had her sigma
ture to an application. and her prom
Use that she would not give her niece q
hint of what was doing. He was 80
interested in Miss Minnie's future well
fare that his services to secure the
pension would be free.
1t was long weeks before the bureau
acted on the application. and the
niece had come home on a vacation
and returned to school again. At in
tervals the old lady had limited that
she hoped to leave small fortune be-
hind her. but she kept her promise to
the lawyer. Minnie was at school
again when grandma received her
check. and with it came the lawyer. He
rubbed his hands and retoiced and
complimented himself and grandma.
but wished the sum were greater. Why
not make it greater?
Poor old grandma! The talk about
stocks and bonds and dividends and
interest was all Greek to her.
Now that she had got her pension
she could leave Minnie a pretty good
sum-but why not double It by letting
the lawyer make an investment? He
had with him some gilt-edged shares
in a gold mine, and to oblige her and
add to Minnie's dowry he would make
a special price to her. OF course he
got the money. and she put the shares
der no circumstances was she to say a
word to Minnie.
The transaction had remained a
secret for weeks. when the girl in
rummaGing about found the shares
and demanded an explanation. It
was given with lamb-like innocence.
But why didn't you tell me?"
I'll promised the lawyer not to. :"
IT don't believe they are worth q
cent on the dollar, but I'll soon find
OUT
The shares were taken to a mer-
chant; and when he had looked at
them and heard the story he said:
''Yes, poor grandma has been swim
died. I was afraid something of the
kind was going on when heard that
Lawyer Peters was calling there"
But how dared he do such a
thing!" exclaimed the indignant girl.
There are folks that dare do muir
DER
But he must give the money
back!"
I'm afraid he can't be made to-"
But I'll make him!"
The next day Miss Minnie Harper
was a passenger on the stage running
to Greenville. The office of Lawyer
arrival, and she climbed the stairs to
find him seated with his feet on his
desk. He just had time to take down
his feet and bow to sher when she said:
II am the niece of Grandma Davis.
at Boonville."
"Ah!"
II want that money you robbed her
off,
..what.-
You sold her worthless shares in q
mine. I have them with me. You
must take them back and return the
money!
young lady. do. you know what
you are saying? ?" exclaimed Mr.. Pet
ers as he bristled up.
II do. sir" was the reply. II say
that You have swindled dear old wo-