The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-16
The Euening Story
Calling 1t Off.
(By Donald A1len.)

Miss Hattie Pierce was yOunS-OlO
maid. She was "A, which is the begin
ming of old maid-dom. Where it ends
nobody lnows. Moses Shaw was an
old-voung bachelor. He was 30 years
old, but didn't look it.
Miss Hattie lived at Lansing, Moses
lived at Charlotte. 1t was 100 miles be-
tween them as the crow or any other
sensible bird flies.
Miss Hattie had no thoughts of matri-
mony, though she had had beau or
two.
Moses could darn his socks with
twine sew On q patch or mend a rip in
his coat, and as he had always heard
that marriage was a failure he wasn't
taking any chances.
1t was the business of Fate to bring
those two persons together. Miss Hat
tie had a sister who lived at Medina
That sister broke leg, and must have
nurse. That was why Miss Hattie
arrived.
A sawmill man at Medina heard that
Moses could run a sawmill as slick as a
trust can run a grocer ont of business.
and he sent for him.
Behold how easy it is for Fate to bring
things about If she wants to! No fuss
nor feathers: Miss Hattie and Moses
reached Medina on the same day. They
entered the same store or the same day.
She inquired for ribbon, and he for a
paper of pins. They bumped together
as they came out. They laughed and
apologized.
Nice GAL" said Moses to himself as
he walked away.
Mice man." said the girl to herself as
she walked away.
And four weeks later Moses was call
ing on her and admiring, and in three
months they were engaged. 1t fairly
gives one chills to see how things do
come around.
half of that. They talked it over and
decided to wait until they had saved
another hundred dollars before marry
ing. Meanwhile, being sure of each
other, and Moses coming a-sparking
three nights out of seven, 1t wouldn't
be SO bad to wait.
Miss Hattie wasn't the only girl to
leave her home ana arrive at Medina.
In due time Miss Nancy Smith landed
there to visit an aunt. Miss Smith was
an old maid without the prefix young"
She was at least thirty, and if she
| hadn't hidden away the family Bible an
entry there might have made her out
three years older. Fate might have or
dained that she and Moses were to
meet. Fate IS mighty liberal sometimes.
Every village has its prominent mud
hole. Medina's was just opposite the
court house. 1t could have been filled
up and made joy of. but it had been
mudhole for years and years. 1t
was still mudhOle. and in the best
spirits. when Miss Smith walked into
it. Itpwas Moses who dashed to the
rescue and saved her life.
Thanks. brave mani" gasped Miss
Smith.
"Oh, it was nothing
But you surely saved my life, and
1 can't find words in which to thank
you.''
Moses stood twisting about and didn't
know what to say.
Miss Smith.
| He gave it in exchange for hers, and
she smiled and sfmpered and said:
You must call on me this very eve
ning.'
Gosh all hemlockv' exclaimed Moses
as he went to his boarding house. Say,
now. she's the handsomest woman that
I've sawn here yet. Smiled at me.
Called me q hero. Invited me to call.
Shouldn't wonder II 1t was q case of
love at first sight on her part Guess I
was in mighty great hurry to take up
with Hattie
| Moses called. He was charmed. He
was praised to the skies for his hero
ism. He was nattered for his looks and
figure. He was compared to Bayard
and several other old has-been's whom
he never heard of. When he gave his
/ occupation as foreman OF q sawmiT he
did 1t rather reluctantly. but Joy shone
! in his eyes as Miss Smith exclaimed:
| How grand! How noble! What would
have the world done without its saw
mills?''
They are very handy things" he
murmured.
Handy. Mr.. shaw? Why. we'd be
living in brush huts but for the saw
mills. The world would have advanced
without Shakespeare. Milton. Byron
and the other poets. but whore would
have 1t been today but for its saw
mills -
Just 50, Miss Smith,
Miss Smith could sing. She could
lpley the piano. She Insisted that lGnoon