The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-09
The EUening Story
(By Hope Ainslie.)

patiently at his fine old meerschaum,
and tapped his foot against the knob
of the brass andirons. The floor clock
had chimed eight several minutes be-
! fore and Anthony Saxton had not put
! in an appearance. This was unusual
| for Anthony Saxton was always on
! time for their evening game, knowing
| the testy temper of his opponent for
one thing and begrudging every min
ute lost from their daily battle of
pawns for another.
After bit, Mr.. Podderington's keen
ear detected the sound of rubber tires
on gravel, and the lines of his wrink-
| killed. old face SOftened as he touched
a bell. One could never tell at An
thongs age which game of chess would
b. the last, and although he would not
admit it in the least, he had been wor-
ried about his friends lack of punctu-
atty.
Hello, JIMMY" Anthony, fat and
apoplectic of complexion, waddIed in
to the room. Sorry I'm late.''
Mr.. Podderir ton, busily setting out
the ivory figures upon the board a
servant had just brought. did not look
up. Sorry" he grunted sourly. ''You
| look it! What did you come at all for
i if you have to be late? If you don't
want to play any more, why,
''Tut-tut, Jimmy Don't be so vine
gary. I'm late because 1 had to send a
telegram. Nellie's girl is coming to
visit her granddaddy. I had a letter
was a baby, and-let's see-how old is
she now? L forget, but she graduated
last spring. Seems hard to realize that
Nellie has girl that old! Why it
seems" went on Anthony looking
reminiscently into the glowing logs.
But the other cut him short
Are We, or are we not, going to
have game tonight? If you'd rather
have quilting bee, where every one
can talk his head off, we might ar
range it. Walter, please take these
things away. 1t seems Mr.. SaXton-"
Anthony put out protesting hand.
"All right, James, I'll play right now
and won't say another word. I was
only trying to explain why was late"
And secretly tickled to DEATH"
snapped Mr.. Podderington, moving his
queens pawn two spaces with a jerk
When your relation arrives that
means an end to all this. I hope you
realize
Il don't see whyi I can bring her
along evenings when it's my turn
Yes, and nice thing it would be
to have a young chit hanging over
our shoulders telling us how to move.
Why, you're talking too much now.
around?'
Nj. Saxton looked his wretchedness.
Mr.. Podderington, having planned a
foxy move and produced that particu-
lar look of abject humility upon his
cronie's face that it was his delight
to see, decided to change tactics
All right, Tony, don't worry. We'II
fix it some way. I have it! I'll send
for one of Bertha's boys to visit me-
Anything over twenty, say. She's got
four, but blamed if 1 remember how
old they are either. Two of them
ought to be able to keep each other
out Of our road, Ell? I'll send word
first thing in the morning. There
now, drop the whole thing and play"
exclaimed Grandpa Podderington as
he moved his kings knight a space
straight and one diagonal and peck
eted a bishop of Anthony's. your
novel, he cried eXultantly. And so
the game went on.
The week before Mr.. Anthony Sax
ton received the disturbing news of
his granddaughter's visit, Mrs Tom
Weatheroy happened to look out of
her 1Vlng-room window just as Viz
giHia Weatherby and Harold Harcourt
parted company. Virginia had been
shopping in town and it seemed signi-
ficant that she should be delayed until
Harold's train time, that they should
travel home together, and that the
young man should feel called upon 20
accompany her to the door.
Mrs. Weatherby's keen eyes de-
| tected something in his manner, and
his reluctance to let go of Virginia's
hand at parting, that made her brist;e
with indignation. And when Virginia
came in with blazing cheeks and :
soft, happy light in her deep blue eyes,
the rage in her mothers heart over
flowed its bounds.
Virginia, this nonsense between
you and Harold Harcourt has got to
stop. I've told you so a hundred
times. 1t was bad enough to have a
silly schoolgirl affair with him But
you are a grown woman now and OLD
enough to understand when we say
that you simply must not have any
thing to do with a Harcourt. Your
Grandfather Saxton would never per-
nit it. You must remember your
duty to your family. If we allowed
such a thing as a marriage with any
one of the Harcourt family, we should
be cut off without a cent Remember
what 1 tell you. 1 never want to see
Harold with you again.
And after a heart-to-heart talk
with Mr.. Weatherby, it was decided
that it was time to remind Grand
father SaXton of their existence any,
way, and Virginias trip was planned.
We have already heard how the
word was received in Faversham,
where two old men disposed of human
destinies as they would the pawns II
I their favorite game.
Virginia" said Grandfather SaXton
across the prodigious dinner table the
first evening, IAN old friend is COM
ing tonight to play chess. It's been
our custom for years-we take turns
about going to each others house. 1
WONDER he stopped. Something
| in her sad face made it hard for him
to suggest that she make any effort
to entertain a strange young man at
his bidding. He felt guilty in being
a partner to the outrageous plan, but
he had never expected q pretty, SEN
sitive, white-faced little thing like this
| And the young mani Would he stand
for monopoly by this young woman,
or. worse, care to be a monopolist
| himself.
! The OLD man felt sudden misgivings.
"Podderington's an old fooln' he ex-
nj cd Suddenly RI Nir0inia'S