The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-13
EVENING STORY
Daddy, Aims Carrots.
CRv lane Oshorn.N

Bah was sitting darning socks in the
mellow glow of the living room table
light when Babbette appeared at the
door. Bah, in a. gray frocki with Il
white fichu, hair parted in the middle,
and spectacles on her little nose, was
demure. Babbette was Respondent,
captivating. She made one breathe
fast just to look at her, standing there
with round, bare arms and round
young body. Steve, reading his paper
and sitting opposite to Bah at the
table, swallowed hard and blinked.
Whats the matter dear?" Bah
asked. taking off her glasses ana look
ing at him anxiously. Doesn't Bah
bette's dress look pretty? 1 copied il
after one in shop window on the
avenue. We didn't think it looked
home-madey."
"Oh, that's all rights immense.
Steve hurried. That's not the
trouble. l was trying to grasp the
idea that that girl there is my daugh-
ter
Steve Newell rose with his hands
in his pockets and paced. the room
meditatively for a minute, while Bah
busted herself fastening the buttons
of Babbette'S gloves, tucking in lock
of hair here and looSening a few there.
Steve paused when he arrived before
the mirror over the mantlepiece.
peered in and then, striking match
which he took from his smoking coat
pocket, lighted one of Bab's candles
for ornament only-that stood in brass
sticks on the mantlepiece shelf. He
held this up to the side of his face and
peered in. No, there was not a gray
hair in the bushy mock of auburn,
S ,arcely a wrinkle, unless one could
call those few crows feet-the sort
that gather, Steve assured himself.
even on the faces of young men who
a n xxyifh raj
eyes
He blew out the candle and clenched
his right hand fingers into a fist and.
/ with his left hand on his right bicep,
felt his MUSCLE Then he Strengthened
! himself up to his full six feet, stood on
/ the balls of his feet and inhaled as if
! to test his lung capacity.
1T can't be- he told himself. I'm
| not ready to be that girls father
I'm too young. I'm only a boy-and
! before many years I'll be a grand
| fatheri" He looked at Bah sitting so
cohtentedly by the lamp. She had re-
sumed her darning and Babbette was
standing reading Steve's paper. Yes,
| steve reflected, Bah was content to
| take a back seat. What was it to her
| that Old age had been forced upon
/ them and that for all their days and
| nights to come they must sit there
reading papers and darning socks or,
| if they did go out. be mere spectators
What on earth's the matter with
you, Dad ?'' queried the 1s-year-old
daughter, glancing up from the paper,
and then, not waiting for him to ans
wer, II wonder where Goggles can
be? I sure I'd be late and here he
is keeping me waiting" she went on.
Goggles, who's Goggles?" queried
Steve.
Bah and Babbette looked up in sur
prise. why, Goggles is Babbette's
makes it so nice for Babbette."
''Which-Goggles or the eight cylin-
der?" queried Steve
Don't be silly, Dad" said the re-
splendent young thing, as she folded
j her warm arms about Steve and kiss
ed him on the chin in a thoroly daugh-
terly fashion, I'm not a bit inter
ested in Goggles-but any one would
dote on his motor"
Steve caught the faint perfume-in-
/ toxicating, exotic-that chung to his
daughters evening frock. When he
had courted Bah, he recalled. girls
used some simple scent-violet or lily
| of-the-valley. Those were simple
days. What a thing it must be to be
| young, Steve thought, young when
girls used perfume like that-redolent
| of strange eastern romance. Persian
gardens in the moonlight, Indian tenn
pies and tropical islands. Steve's i'm
! preston was not distinct. but it was
none the less vivid. And Goggles. Just
because he had an eight cylinder.
could share the society of a goddess
like Babbette. Steve rubbed his eyes as
| if to wipe the film of twenty years of
! married life from them. What thing
to be young again, he thought Why.
he was young. People often told
him he didn't look thirty and if it
weren't for that lovely creature there
calling him Dad he might sometim es
forget that he was nearer to the half
century mark.
Bah had run off to the telephone
! bell. and came back with the color of
| her pink and white cheeks heightened
! with rage.
isn't he perfectly horrid?" she
! stormed ut was Goggles, and he's
at Nellie Drew's aliG telephoned to
| say they'd stop for me. He says he
| was at Nelne's for dinner and Shorty
| Tucker, who was going to take Nellie,
! telephoned he had been detained and
couldn't bring Nellie so said he would
/ have to bring Nellie and they'd stop
for me Why didn't he tell me he was
! going to have dinner there? Nellie's
! an old cat-I oughtn't to say that of
| one of my fraternity sisters, 1 know
but it was down right mean" Bah
bette stopped suddenly and look of
! inspiration flashed across her face.
pad" she cried selling him in her
J strong arms You don't look thirty
and you're lot better looking than
any Of the other boys You take me
/ and don't let them know you're my
father. None of these boys know you.
and the lights won't be bright; I'll
call you Carrots cause you've got
auburn hair and it's a fad you know
! to call the boys None such name.
Carrots Clay-that's a nice name. No,
YOU don't have to dress-come just as
/ YOU are, and while you're putting on
your hat and coat I'll just telephone
in case Goggles and Nellie haven't
| started and tell them a friend of mine
/ who happened to be having dim er
with me is bringing me. and If they
| have started and do come. why.
! Nanny, you tell them that l started
on with a friend of mine. who was
anxious to take me. and tell them
1 you're so glad it happened Just as 1t
I Of az