The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-31
The Eoes,i,le Story

The Eueni1e Story
Hunting tho Rasz2edssz1e.
(By Daudine Sisson.)
AZ q child with her picture books
Florence Tarbell had come to know
q whole lot about bears and lions
and tigers. She had been taken to
tho zoo and seen the elephant and
the rhinoceros and the camel. At
boarding school her lessons In nat
ural history had read:
THE black bear could once be
but has now been driven from most
OF Them"
1.-The woodchuck il . harmless
animal. but very destructive to gar
den produce"
''The raccoon inhabits hollow trees
and eats CLAIMS and chickens"
The fox IL q sly creature. and
causes the farmer much loss of
poultry"
The squirrel. the hare. the pole
cat and other animals were men
toned. and when Miss Florence left
school she felt sure that she could
tell a 'possum from q grizzly bear
II she ever met them together. 1t
was only in early spring when she
went to the country for a week to,
visit = maiden aunt and get rid of
that frog in her throat, that she
learned of the presence in this land
of an animal called the raxxledaxxle.
1t was her aunt's cook who told her
about it in strict confidence, and then
only after she had crossed her heart
three times.
The cook was fat and forty and ro-
mantle. Never had she left her kitchen
range long enough to be married.
She was instantly interested in the
girl from town. II she could aid Miss
Florence to capture q knight she was
cheerfully willing to do 30. She had
once offered to aid the aunt, but had
been told in reply that IL she burned
the meat again nothing would save
her from discharge. She came to the
girls room after the aunt was snug
in bed and whispered: So
Do you want = light Of darA-eom-
pIected husband?" a Hs,s '--.ss's
Why. Mira. what are you talking
about?"
kind"
But have no thought Of mar
riage."
Didn't you come down here to hunt
the razzledazzle2"
Vv1A0t vi S6Etn u tual
Il don't know how you have been
brung up. never to have heard of it.
The razzledaxzle is an animal It is
about az big as q rabbit, but amt one
Neither e It q 'possum or q skunk"
s'Well?"
1T lives in a hole in bank. If
you find it looking out at you it IL a
soon going to fall in love with you.
II he amt looking out, then it's a
man."
Il don't believe itv'
Hush, child! II there's one prowI-
ing around the house out door he will
overhear you! II he does you may
never get a husband at all. That fs
the real reason never married. II
mortally offended the raxzle-daxxle
when was about your age. 1 said I
didn't believe in him.
Did auntie ever see one?" was
asked
mo! She's been near-sishted from
her infancy.
Are there many Of those animals
around rs
They are mighty skeerce, but there
Is one over in our woods Don't you
has no more romance about her than
4 Washboard. You can sneak up there
BY yourself tomorrow"
Il guess win. but only to show you
that there's nothing In such tales.
Why. there were hundred girls in |
heard Of the raxxle-daxxle.s'
Then. Miss Florence, you mark my
words. the most Of them will marry
vfllains!" retorted the cook n she re- l
tired to her own room.
AT 10 O'Clock the next forenoon Miss
Florence started for . walk down the
road to the few acres Of woodland.
Look out for wet feet" cautioned
the aunt.
Keep your eyes peeled for the rag
e-daxzler' whispered the cook
The girl had said she didn't believe
In the legend. but was there ever a |
maid that wasn't at least curious about |
{. and hoped for an opportunity to be-
aeye? She began looking sharply |
about her as she entered the woods. |
She soon routed up a rabbit and dis
turbed squirrel, but no raxxle-daxxle. |
BY and by she rat down on q log and |
ut the cook1s- declarations
The spell was broken! The fateful |
animal appeared.
It looked Ike q small dog, but OF /
course it couldn't BE- At least. Miss |
Florence had never taken notice Of 4 |
shaggy and cock cared and bob tailed |
log.
It appeared very suddenly It sased |
It her. It Erow1ed. It barked. She l
raised an arm and 1t fled. ~
rose and followed.
Three hundred feet away. the gsriI
found . fresh burrow In q steep bank /
The animal had disappeared from
night In that direction, and must have
TITS all nonsense. but TIM going tot
have peep into that hole" said Miss
Flcrence. and she began climbing the
bank
It was : task for an active boy. sheI
haA mot vet reached the hnrr0~ ~l,nsn