The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-29
The Euening Story
Two Uncle Johns.

90S AOSsSSsSA ASO
| Two Uncle Johns.
(By Byrant C. Rodgers.)
An east-bound train had left Chi
cagO an hour behind when an oldish
pleasant-faced man rose up from his
seat in one of the coaches. and after
a vigorous yawn and uttering ''h0-
humr' he walked down the aisle to
an the faces Of his fellow passen-
gers.
He found a kindred spirit in man
about as old as himself, and some Of
the passengers noticed that they bore
a close resemblance.
"Hello!"
"Aello! Have a seat"
II don't mind. It's kinder lonesome"
Mighty lonesome. Coin somewhere,
I take it?'
Yes. goin' east to see my niece"
Isn't that ood: Why. I'm goln' east
to see my nephew
MY niece lives in Franklin"
You cont say! Why. my nephew
lives right there, too
And my niece has had trouble with
her husband and left him."
Gosh all hemlock! And my nephew
has had trouble with his wife and left
her,
My niece's name is MARSHALL
And SO is my nephew's wife's."
II got a letter teilin me about it
and aslxin' me to come on"
| Just my case.
And read it to my wife and then
said: I guess I'll have to jog along
to Franklin and help Nellie out of her
trouble"
got my letter. and now We are on the
way there together. l never could be-
lieve that the whale swallered joiner
until this very mint. But shall now
believe it the rest Of my life. and Dan'l
IN the lions den on top of 1t. What
does your niece charge agin my
nephew
|. Aunt Jimminy!s BUT that's whaf he
charges agin her. Say. we've got to
have long talk and see what can be
done.'
The trouble had come about log
ically. Britt Hope was a good looking
young man. Miss Nellie was good
looking and attractive young girl. They
moved in the same set and presently
fell in love.
Nothing wrong about that whatever.
Failing in love is one of the laws OF
nature.
Miss Nellie Marshall had a well-off
father. Britt Hope was a widows
son and had to care for her..
Mr.. Marshall allowed his daughter
SO week pin money. Young MT.
Hope earned a salary OF $1S a week. :,
for his consent the former ought to
have asked: Young man, how can
you support her on your salary?'
But he didn't ask it. He knew that
1t would be a waste Of time and breath.
The father who does ask it only hurts
the young mans feelings by mixing the
sordid with the romantic. bank
clerk who is not in love can figure to
q hairs breath. One who is in love re-
fuses to figure at all. >.
why, we can get along splendtdly,
was the way the lovers put 1t to each
other. If they had been asked to
!, take a pencil and figure up the cost
of the sugar and butter and meat they
would have felt fnsulted.
They were married, OF course. Then
should have come a woodbine cottage,
but the rent was too high. The land
lords charge SO a month for the cot
tage and tuck on the other SIS for the
woodbine.
They went to live over a grocery
instead. 1t not only fronted on the
main street, but there was a stove
, pipe hole in the kitchen floor through
which groceri
off the ice. Mrs. Hope put this for.
ward as an excuse for living there, and
all her friends were satisfied.
|, Mr.. Hope had to have his high COL
lars. his games of pool. his cigars and
! other little extravagances. and although
! the father stopped her pinmoney. Mrs.
Hope went right on in her career. One
evening, after about three months OF
married happiness. Mr.. Hope came
!. home with furrowed brow. and in an
swer to questions he threw a bill on
: the table.
what is that?' he asked
why. the butchers BILL" was an
swered
And that?''
"Our grocer's BILL
And that?"
, Its the coal bill. isn't it!''
, II should say it was. Nellie. what
has become Of the money I have
given you every week?'
. II have used it,
And yet these bills show that we
, are $50 in debit"
| OF course. the wife cried, and there
were r.s ':ln.l,-tions and charges and
counter-chargee. and the god Of love
. flew out OF the window. and the
! grocer's boy heard enough through
, the stLvepipe hole to make him pause
i, and exclaim: Gee. but I cali that
going sonnet"
1kis was the beginning Of . trouble
thai grew and grew with the passirs
of time until 1t became unbearable.
: Neither the fathers nor the mothers
. " ould be drawn into It. The young
husband refused to lessen his per-
sonal expenses. and. Of course the
. wife was defiant about It.
. Cupid is a curious little critter. He
says to q young man: Here's q fine
. young girl Marry her"
: He doesn't ask anything about f.
nances or cooking. but when he has
. made q match of It he goes away
!, patting himself on the back AZ II