The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-10
EVENING STORY
Old Sandy Helps Cause.
(By Osborn Jones.)

was the kind of suffragist that felt it |
to be wornan's privilege to do the pro-
posing as well as the voting, Hen |
riette was suffragist, of course, but |
she wasn't that particular kind of suf- |
fragist. Randolph had heard her say |
so. After she had managed to bring
the conversation up to the delicate
question of proposing Randolph might |
easily have done the rest. But Ran !
dolph didn't realize how easy this
would have been till lie was alone
the evening after the discussion.
The Saturday afternoon after he had
definitely decided to propose he I'M
fortunately did not find Henrietta
alone His rival in her attention was
the old man-of-all-work, Saunders,
known more Familiarity as Sandy-tho
any reference that that name might
once have borne to his hair and COM
plexion had ceased to be apparent for
Sandy was toothless and his spare hair
was white-surely not a very formid-
able rival. But any third person is
rival when man wants to propose,
and when Randolph entered her
bungalow living room Henriette was
kneeling on the floor before a packing
case with Sandy at the opposite end.
$50 sorry, Randolph she said with
a smile SO preoccupied that 1t was
worse than no smile at all; you'll just
have to excuse me while 1 go on with
this case. They're things for the suf-
frage bazaar. It's to be in a week and
I've had to take the craftsmanship the
last thing
During all the call that afternoon
Randolph never once found a turn in
the road from which he might have
directed his own remarks toward a
proposal. The case vas soon packed
| and Sandy shuffled way with it, but
| Henriette'G thoughts were still en-
crossed with the bazaar. And i'm
agine suddenly skipping from remarks
on the fish pond at suffrage bazaar
! or fancy bles and lemonade booths
! to proposals!
then, that when HenrietIe suddenly
asked Randolph to promise to do
! certain favor" and to promise before
she had told him what it was, he held
up his large masculine hand and swore
rather foolishly to do anything in
I Gods world that she wanted him to-"
What she wanted him to do was to
get Mr.. Tilden to let the suffragists
/ borrow what was known as the Til
den mansion" then unOccupied, for
their bazaar
! iii do what can, Henrietta
Randolph said solemnly, but it may
be very embarrassing for me and for
him. You see, he is a client of mine"
Randolph had not been practicing
law SO long that he did not use this
phrasing with some degree of self
Sa tisfaction-.and there is a lawsuit
now going on over that house. You
!
been out of the house for a year, 1t
was leased by Mr.. Hamburger, the
brewer. Loads of money, you know,
and could perfectly well have paid the
rent even though he did decide not
to live in the house. Now Tilden is
suing Hamburger for the rent and
Hamburger makes the claim that the
house could never be heated. We tried
to settle it out of court, but we
couldn't. You wouldn't understand
hn tor I1T1io 90 II oh M hnr
! with them. But the case is coming up
i and I'm particularly anxious not to
lose OUT
Randolph lowered his voice and dis
cusSed the case in a way that was not
/ entirely professional THE fact seems
to be that the heating system Of the
house was all wrong, and you see how
it would injure me and Tilden if some
/ 500 or 500 of the most prominent wO-
men in town were to go there on a
nice cool day, as it is quite likely to
| be in "a weeks time, and find out
what barnlike place it is. So, you
see you will be working against my
interests if you urge it. Still, 1 have
promised
But suppose all those 500 hundred
people went there and roasted almost
to death? Suppose the temperature
there went up to so or 80 and all the
| windows had to be opened-would
that help your case?'
| Randolph's eyes showed keen inter-
| est and for one fleeing moment he
forgot that his sole interest in life for
the time being was to propose to Hen
riette. why. certainly, that would win
the case for me. But
Il don't suppose you have taken
tsgood look at the furnace, or that Mr..
Tilden has, either" Henriette sco1ded.
II can say that we have, little girl
Randolph had never used those words
before in addressing Henriette, or any
others so intimate You see, we
| lawyers don't go about things in just
! that way"
Henriette snorted an expostulation
that indicated contempt for lawyers
! in general, and Randolph's mind went
back to the main consideration.
IF you're not busy tonight, let's go
investigate that Tilden mansion. If
you start right away you can get he
| keys from Mr.. Tilden and be back
| by T."
Randolph had risen from his chair,
almost eager to be gone, since it was
the prerequisite of a solitary ramble
thru the old house with -Iepriette.
Surely if he could not manage a pro-
posal under such favorable circurl-
stances he never would be able to do
so.
He was just at the door, willing,
with the bright prospects for the
evening wildly before him, 20 depart
with scarcely a word of farewell.
IN get Sandy to go along with
u.s. came Henriette's cheerful con-
| tralto. He knows more about fur
naces and things than any man we
| ever had-and you might buy some
candles on your way, for the light will
be all turned off, 1 suppose"
Randolph's roscate dreams had fad
ed away. Even an empty house didn't
! offer favorable background if the
ubiquitous Sandy were to be the third
party still.
The trip was taken to the Tilden
mansion that night in HenrietteS
little roadster, with Henriette at the
| wheel. Randolph at her side and the
weakened Sandy sitting at Randolphs
feet with his own rough-shod feet
protruding to the running board, and
in the same guise they returned The
hour spent at the mansion was one
| in which Sandy was master of cere-
| monies and Randolph found himself