Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-06
LOVE ON RIVERSIDE
BY KEITH KENYON

| Nr" AVANt Wtiuou IIIuCu ulmtClI
upon his utter lack Of sentiment. He
lived on West End avenue. with his
mother and two sisters. He had sue.
coeded to his fathers place in the
trm at the latter's death. and was al.
ways alluded to as Junior" Weldon.
He had never known want OF worry.
he was q rather stolid. clean-shaven,
healthy young fellow. with a sense Of
humoF and no enemies.
Every evening after dinner Il was
his custom to take a short stroll with
his two bIueribbon terriers along Riv-
erside drive. = And into this quiet
hour. one night in October, there in
truded the scream OF a woman
Weldon stopped and waited. It had
come from the strip OF park below the
drive, Almost Immediately he saw a
girl funning along the path. and as
he looked she beckoned to him family.
The stairs we're at One Hundred and
Second street. With the dogs at his
heels, he sprinted back and reached
her side as she stood leaning against
a tree, white as death and half uncon,
scious.
What's the matter?" he demanded.
my fatherl" she breathed. Il am
afraid he is dead" 11~-
Weldon did not quite realize that
he was supporting her as he led her
back to the seat half hidden by the
tall shrubbery. Some way, too, he was
catching her broken words--there had
been no work. they we're without food
or money, her father had been very
i'll, he Tsshed to die.
Don't worry" he told her. "Tll look
after everything"
Which, after all, was only his in
stinct of efficiency. He was used to
looking out for everything, and felt
that he could handle any situation,
even this. But as he stood over the
old man, with his handsome, highbred
face and closed eyes, he had his first
lesson in what life may do to its chill
dren.
He's not dead,' he assured her,
listening to the faint heartbeats Its
exhaustion" r s..-.' ,ssssass..-,s s.---
Starvation" the girl insisted bit
terlyi ---<%Egs HSssss--''.------
Weldon saw a policeman approach
ing. Just how he did it he never quite
remembered. but taxi was hailed and
he had both of them, the girl and her
father, placed in it, and took them
straight to his home. It was an ad-
venture, the first he had ever run into,
and it interested him keenly.
Viola Mclean, she told them her
name was, They had lost their home
in Maryland and had come North,
thinking to find some sort of employ
ment. Her father had been a me-
chanical craftsman. His health had
failed, and she could not leave him.
While her father was slowly gaining
his health in an upper chamber, with
a good trained nurse to care for him,
Viola tried to make herself useful to
Mrs. Weldon. The two daughters we're
in college, and gradually the old lady
began to rely on her. Junior" saw,
and smiled to himself. And the days
drifted by for a month, until one eve
ming, as he was ready for his walk,
she followed him out into the wide
entrance hall, dressed for walking.
May go with you?"
Rather" He held the door open,
and they went out together Would
you like to walk or driver
"Oh, w6lk. ! don't want to drive.
l only wanted chance to speak to
you-seriously"
Go ahead" His eyes rested on her
amusedly. 1t was the unacceptable mo-
ment, he knew, and he had prepared
himself for it.
Il want to know where I can get
work. You have been so good to me
and to father, but l must work and
pay it back. I'm strong now, you
know, and l want to- He worries con-
stantly for the South, and his home
there and friends. I'm hoping some.
how can get him back"
IF you remained here and worked,
who would he go to-"
His sister-my Aunt Catherine.
She has a tiny place near Belair, and
he would be quite contented with her
l could send him money"
What would you do hereg
Don't you think l would make a
good social secretary? OF course, I'd
do anything / could; but would like
that. ! asked your mother"
what did she tell your"
ITO ask you"
Junior" mentally registered a spe.
cial prayer for mothers and their in
tuition. He led her down the old stone
steps into the park section where he
had first found her. She looked up
at him with a worried look in her
eyes, the look that he had not seen
there in a month. and Junior" forgot
the proper formula for proposing. for
got everything except that they two
were alone in the tender, misty twi-