The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-22
The Eue,,ing Story
Tho PlotteKs.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)

10 NJ IW0uIy-OuCp 81 90 ~ e~s~'~
dispute about 1t.
Did any Of the guests believe her!
No. Not one. There were three wo-
men there who had held her In their
arms when she was a baby Inere
were q dozen girls who could remem-
Der that she was in long dresses years
ahead Of them. -
There were two guests who -7ere
particularly interested in that question
of age. Stephen Nash had been. shin
ing up to Miss Blake for q year. He
was twenty-eight years old, ana
tt ough somewhat gmitten, he WorI1eo
considerably about her age. He put II
h. about decided to withdraw from
the race. He had read ard heard
that after the age Of twenty-five wo-'
mans habits are formed and she can
not be moved from them. # diss
Blake was really as old AZ himself she
would be an old woman In ten years
more.
Mr.. Nash heard. some Of the whis-
pered doubts, and next day, when he
happened to meet Miss Louise win
chester in the street, he said: Do
you think Miss Blake Ii. over twenty:
one years old?" =.
why don't you ask me It don't
think she IL over thirty!"
II woman will never tell her age
If she can possibly help 1t, SO ether
womeu-even girls-take a malicious
satisfaction in adding to their years.
And, in addition to that sentiment IN
this case, the girl owed the old maid
one. ON a certain occasion the old
maid had spoken Of the girl as q
mink. When this title IL applied to
q girl It IN Fans that she is thirty and
shy. and that she will say yes with
her eyes and no with her tongue:
Miss Louise didn't deserve the title.
IwA In - =.
caus. she was care-free. If she an
swered young Burt Reddick that she
didn't know whether sh loved him
or not, she was only hbbing little, as
most girls do. He + d seemed 30 very
sure Of q different answer that she
wanted TO take him down a peg or
two. -, :.
"Can you find out her true age for
me?" asked Mr.. Nash.
''It must be recorded In the family
every likely
"And when I used to cali there the
Bible was kept ON q stand in the par
lor''
but it isn't now. At her party last
night she claimed to be twenty-one."
'weu?'
How many chocolates can you eat
in a week % s IL
"A pound a day"
"You copy the record Of her trth
from the Bible and the chocolates are
yours
It'll do my best to earn them"
Miss Fanny Blake had q brother
fifteen years old. He was head over
heels in love with the girl Of nine
teen. It was his first love. 1t was
calf-love, but calf-love SINNERS and
seethes and bubbles. It 10 all the
world to the calf He loses his appe-
tite; he grows thin; he signs when
he is awake, and he groans a. he
sleeps.
Miss Louise took occasion to meet
the calf-lover at an early date and
to say: Frankie, is it true that your
folks have no Bible in the house %
who has been telling such . story
as that?" he demanded.
but a person who calls there has
looked all around without being able
to see q Bible
"And why not? Because sister
Fanny gave me q nickel to carry 1t up
in the garnet and say nothing about
it!''
"Oh, she did, eh?. frankie. would
you like to go fishing with mo tomor-
| row."
you bet!"
Ibid you ever read the story Of
Lazarus in the Bible?''
IT never did,
IF 1 had a Bible would read the
story while you fiahed."
That will be bully! can bring
ours along"
But II Fanny or your mother"
But 1 can sneak It out tonight and
hide it somewhere
| And that sacred book wa, sneaked
out and taken along on q fishing trip,
and while Frankie fished for bullheads
and suckers Miss Louise read him the
story Of the beggar. She also turned
!
| Josiah Blake was born on such q
date.
| Hannah Blake, his wife. was born
| on such a date.
Fanny Blake, eldest child, was born
on such a date.
frankie Blake was born ON such a
date.
AS soon as the record was copied
Miss Louise remembered an important
engagement that must take her home
at once.
But / haven't even q nfbble yet"
protested the boy.
| ut isn't a good day for fishing"
But read that over again about Lag
arus. wasn't paying much attention. %
"Oh, he will keep to some other time. -
And off the girl went to place the
record in the hands Of Mr.. Nash, and
receive her chocolates-seven pounds,
full weight
And then Mr.. Nash did a mean
thing. He gave the old maid the nit
ten. OF course. he tried to ease his
conscience on the ground that she had
tprevaricated about her age, but sup
pose she had?
Isn't an old maid a. good as an old
bachelor any day in the week And
couldn't she make the best pumpkin
pie of any old maid In the county.
| and didn't she have q way Of grating
| nutmeg into her apple sauce that made
1t taste simply heavenly?