The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-18
~ MR. BECK. you must take
my part now. won't you? He's
so headstrong about tour

so neaoStrong ABOUT u-ouf
marriage. I mean. But l have coaxed
a promise from him to follow your adj
vice. and you must advise him to post
pone It"
Mamie Coyle was walking Impatient
ly up and down Mr.. Beck's comfortable
little sitting room while she sp ike.
and he was sitting deep back in a
huge easy chair. leaning sideways on
one OF the arms. with his hand under
his chin. watching her. kindly. whin-
steal look on his broad face.
oh! I have no patience with you!"
she burst out There you sit and sit.
saying nothing. and trying your best
to look stupid"
My dear young lady" he said. with
gentle amusement at her vehemence.
Its my business just now to listen.
not talk"
'Oh. 1 see! You want to hear the
what you call. the facts. before you
give your advice. And 1 suppose I
must. humor YOU, Only we haven't
much time. as he will be here in half
an hour came early to have the
FIRST word with you. Now. where shall
I begin?-
AT the beginning"
We'll. that's nearly two years ago.
We were all walking-we school girls.
I mean-two and two. in Kensington.
and he came riding slowly by on his
bicycle. looking at each girl as he
passed. with a laugh in his eye. Miss
Gurdy-our dragon. you know-was
just fit to be tied. Some Of the girls
Uttered. and I laughed myself at Miss
Gurdy's starched face. when his eyes
looked strainght into mine and sent
o thrill through me that killed the
laugh. He raised, hts hat politely and
rode straight away, and Miss Gurdy
called me a bold faced mink because
I bIushed. 1t was all very wrong. of
course. but I couldn't keep him out of
my head for a week nearly; till one
day when we were alone in tie dormi-
tory Flossy Burton--you know little
F1ossy? She knows you. anyway-you
got something or did something for
her; something wonderful. butIforget
what 1t was!
"Oh, we'll. she gave me a letter with
poetry in It. from him: full Of praise
and love and all that; and ending up
beautifully:
IL will your faithful lover be
Through time unto eternity
"He had met Floss at her uncle's.
Mr.. Warrington. and had asked her
all about our school. He Knew me by
the little dimple on my chin-only
think! So she told him I was her
favorite of all the girls and he sent
the letter by her.
Miss Gurdy would have packed US
both out of the school II she had
known; at least, she would have sent
me packing. but Flossy is an heiress
-,
and she can do just what she likes
with Miss Gurdy.
II had three letters from him be-
fore / wrote one little line: but he
said he would kill himself II I didn't,
think Miss Gurdy began to suspect
something. Flossy wanted 20 visit the
dentists so often. and always insisted
on taking me to hold her hand. One
day Miss Gurdy nearby caught us
Give and me. you know. She came
suddenly into the reception 'com when
We were alone together. Put luckily
we'd Just had a tiff and he was sitting
at the far end OF the room. reading 9
newspaper upside down, aid was
looking out OF the window.
When left school and went home
to live with mamma ne called to see
her one day and told her he loved me,
and quite won her heart So now. we
are engaged you know. and we can
go to places together. and-still-and
still he isn't satisfied
What more can he possibly de-
sire?" asked Mr.. Beck. without smile.
He wants me to marry him straight
away. He's inst twe-ty-,hree and u
half. and I'll be nineteen my next
birthday. and he thinks we are quite
old enough to get married. and agree
with him In that. butch! it's ter
rible-
What's terrible?"
"Oh. the way he goes on! You sea,
he is an only son; that Is to say, he
was an only son. but mis- father is dead
and his mother. too. and I don't trust
his uncle Marmaduke. and what's more
] never WILL"
Now where does Marmaduke come
mr.
olive lives with his uncle in beau
tiful house in Park Lane, but the
house Is Gives: that IS to say. it will
be Gives. and he-that is. Clive-has
. wonderful property in Kent. with
woods and rivers and a great park
with deer in it. and. oh! such low ,ly
housed / was all over 1t last w.ak
But there was a cruel thing put in hi.
fathers wili-that he was not to ge
the property until he was twenty five
unless he married before that xi;r
his uncle's consent But II he married
before twenty-five without the con
sent. the property was all to 60 10 his
uncle.
The uncle. Marmaduke Meredi III
Is a big. pompous thing. with an ugl,
smile that hate. and I'm sure he will
never give his consent. Put Give say
he will. and that anyway he couldn'
wait for two years even for a million
1t isn't two years. you know-only
year and a half and Give says he'll
get called to the Bar and earn lots fo
both have little money Of my owl
that would help us. 1t lint the none,
] care about but I'm afraid he'd b,