The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-29
The Evening Story
con. That Man!,,
(By Donald Allen.)


hour earlier that she ought to drive
into the village to post . letter and
to get = paper OF needles and some
elastic tape ana sheet Of music and
half adozen other things she could
have gone in her fathers auto or in
at last made up her mind both ma
chimes were out.
There was no steamship line be-
tween the Vernon place and the VII
)age. q distance OF four miles. There
was no barge canal There was no
to get there just at that time was to
walk.
The letter to be posted was to an
aunt in Connecticut, and the only inn
p0rtant thing in 1t was q brief para
graph reading:
and have not met the young man yet.
He seems to be hiding In the woods"
The aunt was blind in one eye and
stiff kneed, but after reading that
paragraph over ten times her face
would lose its puzzled expression and
she would say to herself, why, the
dear girl must mean that she is not
| In love-
That letter could have been sent a
| month later as we'll as ON that day,
and there wasn't q bit Of haste about
the other things, but Miss Lisle start
1
and dusty and there were no babbling
brooks or shady dells on the way.
After going half = mile the girl de-
cided to turn back. She had turned
when a man came driving up with a
rather smart looking rig. ana halted
to say:
| Miss Vernon, my name is Fetch
J or. know your father well. II you
have started for town let me give you
! a. lift. I wouldn't walk the distance
on such day for ten-dollar bill.
| Miss Lisle had never heard Of Mr..
kidnappeF, and she accepted his in
/ vttation. He was neither ofhciouS
nor gabby. At the end of q mile they
had not spoken ten words. Then q
buggy. with two young men in 1t. end
with their horse on a dead run, came
up behind them ana started to pass.
MI. Fletcher gave them all the room
! he could, but the man with the reins
had planned a smash and he brought
it about. At least, his own vehicle
lost q wheel. and he and his compan-
ion were thrown out and bruised.
The other buggy suffered less. and its
occupants escaped with . scare.
+ There was . row and threats made
! and q week later Mr.. Fletcher was
arrested on q warrant charging him
with malicious damage, and Miss Isle
found her subpenaed al a witness for
the QC1en8G. S3n0 nAQ TSI2IeQ u0f AQ-
venture when she returned home, and
her father had replied:
Yes. know Fletcher. He II an old
bachelor. and was sued for breach OF
promise about q year ago."
but I didn't know it." protested
the girl.
well. you know 1t now, and you
hadn't better take any more buggy
lrides with him. One Of the young fell
lows was a brother of the girl. and
1 shouldn't wonder If there'd be more
trouble
When a constable came with the
leubpoena Miss Isle read it and ex-
claimed:
what! L am to go into court!'
That's it. young LADY," replied the
officer.
But never will!''
Then I shall have to come aftez
you with a warrant"
You will have to go, Of course,
said her father when the document
was shown him. ''Mr. Fletcher wants
not his fault
Il But he has been sued for breach.
! of. prom
! And that may be brought up7"
"And-and / was riding with him!'
You were."
Father. I will run away!" exclaim-
ed the girl with tears in her eyes.
Then you'll get into more trouble
81 but why don't you 60 to Nr
Fletcher and tell him you won't allow
your daughter to appear in court"
Because it has gone beyond Mr.
; Fletcher. and is in the hands Of the
law. The law is thing not to bs
, fooled with, young lady!"
A week later the trial came on be-
fore a justice of the peace, and there
was a large attendance of spectators
The compliments wanted to get ever
, with Fletcher. and they did not lei
. perjury stand in their way. TheJ
both swore to falsehoods. but 50 glibll
that they seemed to be relating facts
4 and when they left the stand the case
: looked pretty dubious for Mr.. F1etch
3 er: When it came to the defense h
told a straight story, and was follow
ed by Miss Lisle. and she in particular
was f1attering herself that 1t was al
: over, when the lawyer for the prose
, cution took her in hand for the Cross
: examination.
He was q young lawyer, and HI
wasn't going to spare anybody. Afte'
1.-THE usual questions about name. ag'
and residence. and satisfying himself
and the law that the loung lady reall.
lived in North America instead o
t South Africa. he started out with:
Were you on the highway between
:. Stone Hin and this village in the fore
noon of the seventh day of las
= month
st was"
Did you see the defendant"
: IT did"
Had you ever seen him before ?"
n Not to know him.
But you heard Of his breach Q
e promise case?"
NO, SIR
II what. What! You hadn't read no
y heard of it!''
No, SIR
Il Strange enough. Well, what wa
= the defendant doing on tho road ?"
Driving q horse and buggy"
And did he stop and offer you
y ride to the village?''