The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-09
The Euening Story
Out of an Old Trunk.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay

One of the ancient and interesting
things to be found in Grandma Par
house was the big scrapbook she had
been forty years making. She had
begun it when a girl, and now, at the
age of sixty she was still occasionally
pasting in an item.
The first third of the book, as might
| be expected, was devoted to such
items would interest girls, and
| among them We're recipes to make
yourself beautiful, the significance of
dreams, how to catch a beau and other
| nonsense.
Each year when Miss Leonore Min
| turn, grandchild, came down to pass a
| few weeks with grandma, she hailed
| a rainy day with joy. She was Is, but
she would get that big scrapbook
down the floor and lie at full
| length as she read it. She had been
brought up in a city, but she had the
same superstitions and caprices of the
| girl of the country.
| eff you dream of black fox three
| nights trimmings you will live and die
an old maid" read one of the items
The girl partly believed it. but
when she asked Grandma for cor
roboration the answer was disappoint-
TT may be so, but 1 never knew a
case of it,
Didn't you ever, know a girl who
dreamed of a black fox three times
mo nor red fox, either. There
was Sarah Jumper. She dreamed of
a coon five times running, but instead
of living old maid she had three
husbands before she got through"
But it surely means that you are
| going to fall in love if you look down
the we'll and see your face in the
water"
Eyes. 1 suppose it does; but girls
are pretty sure to fall in love, even if
they never look down a WELL
But as the girl read on she gave
of
across the following:
eff the sun comes up very red and
you are standing under a pear tree
and a white dove aHghts on your
shoulder, it means that you are going
to meet a stranger.
why, 1 should think it would. 1t
seems to me it ought to-
Grandma, I don't believe you be-
lieved in any of these things when you
was a girl" pouted Miss Leonore.
well, you will find one here that
asleep under a sunflower and is
awakened by the twitter of robin,
strange young man is coming along
to fall in love with her"
But did you ever know it to hap
pen?'
Hannah Baker always vowed and
declared that it happened, but Han
nah was a good deal of liar. She
said that the man who came along
was Tom Perkins whom she afterward
married"
And they lived happy forever
more?"
mo, they didn't. That's the worst
thing about dreams. Hannah and
Tom fought like cats and dogs with
in three months and separated"
'-And never made up 2?
Not as ever heard of. You
mustn't pay much attention to those
old items about dreams and things
Those were days when girls were very
silly"
1t was the first time that grandma
had ever cast doubt on the abso-
lutte veracity of the items, and the
girl went out into the orchard and
sat down and had a good cry. She
had believed since she could under
stand, and it was a bitter disappoint-
ment to be told at last that she had
been believing in a lot of nonsense
Grandma finally called her in to show
her how to make custard for sup
per- and Miss LeOnOre dried her tears
But something may happen yet"
"Of course it may. Things are al
ways happening. I've had that spot
ted COW for thirteen years, and I'd
have as soon thought the Judgment
kick, but what did she do the week
before you came but haul off and
give me a rap that sent me agin the
fence. Keep your feet dry and things
will happen right along.
Three days later while Miss Leo
more was chasing the calf around the
lot she ran a thorn into her foot. If
she had had her shoes on at the time
she would have escaped the thorn.
Grandma had to take her teeth to the
thorn, and there were yellS ana sobs
II told you something might hap
pen any day, and now it has"
But I won't be able to step on that
foot for several days" was protested.
Il know it, and that's what you get
by playing the tomboy. 1 will make
a bread and milk poultice to draw
the poison out
The next day grandma received
word by a boy that a woman half
mile away wanted her and she said to
Miss Leonore: You will have to keep
house alone for a couple of hours,
but there is nothing to make you
afraid"
But there may a young man come
along" was answered
But you get into this rocking
chair and put your foot up in this
one, and don't pay the least atten-
ton if any one knocks. peddler
may come along but he'll go away
after he is tired of knocking"
Grandma had gone about half an
hour when there came knock at the
door, No, it was not a knock. The
old lady hadn't quite shut the door
after her, and the wind had pushed
it back without the cripple being
aware of it. There she sat, almost
dosing and the poulticed foot looking
as big beer key.
'Ahem. Ahem,"
"Oh, N.Y."
1t was a young man in the act of
lifting his hat, and he stood fairly in
the door.
Il called to see he began.
you must go right away, sir"
Couldn't 1 ask"
No. sir; go away
yes I beg DardOn.'