The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-04
EVENING STORY
Mine Enemy Goeth A.Fishing,


Kane Allenby. standing on the portico
of the low-built plantation house.
whose walls were fairly crying out for
paint, that your papa could help you
out with your trousseau in August. but
Kane says the cotton won't be any bet
ter than last year. and the interest is
due in September. He thinks we will
have to sell a COW. But, dearie'-she
f1aid an affectionate hand on the grace
full shoulders of the tall blonde girl
who was just taking leave-"once you
are married to the Hedworth heir you
can have plenty Of pretty clothes. Oh.
Reba, Kane and I are SO glad you
won't ever have to endure the priva-
tons we have had these ten years-so
glad!"
Reba's eyes grew misty. Ten years
before, when her father had married
| Rodney Cloudy's widow. they were
prosperous The next year the dread
full boil weevil had struck the cotton
fields. For six months Reba had
hoped to help the hard-pressed par
ents. but last week
Thomas Hedworth Sd was the only
kinsman of his grandmother, and old
Arethusa Hedworth had all old
Thomas Hedworth had made in cat
tie grazing. Old Thomas hadn't got
all of it honestly ~(heaven only knows
how many another and less powerful
! cattleman he had frightened off the
J,
money. AMI it would all be Tommy's.
| ! His grandmother had told him she
was going to settle 100000 on him
the day of his wedding if he married
| to suit her. And Tommy would hand
| it all over to Reba-that she knew!
Then she'd pay off that wretched lit
| tie So, 900 mortgage that was torment
| ing daddy and her stepmother, Miss
| Louie, and fix up the house and help
! them school the boys, her stepbroth-
ers, Tony and Eddie, fourteen and
| twelve But now-since last week
| she didn't expect to marry Tommy!
| "Good-by DEAR" her stepmother
! held open the gate as she drove out,
| going back to Cousin Lettie Mangus.
with whom she boarded in town; my
| love to Tommy"
On her way to town Reba went over
! it all. Mrs. Frederick Cloud. whose
husband had been cousin to Miss
Louies first husband, was an ardent
| adnirer of Miss Louie. on whom she
| imposed herself as frequent visitor.
| ordering what she liked for dinner.
! while she went fishing with the little
dered the Allenby plantstion.
| But Cousin Clarissa was very I'M
popular with Tony and Eddie; also
she was an intimate friend of Tommy
| Hedworth's grand.n Jther, in San An
tonic. Not that that mattered. until
she Quarreled with Reba over a long
distance call. Reba was not to blame,
but Mrs. Cloud chose to think so, and
promptly took train to see her old
friend. Mrs. Hedworth.
A few days later Tommy, Just of
the train, came to Reba's boarding
| place.
That old cat-I beg your pardon.
Reba. I mean Mrs. Cioud--has been
| to grandmother" ne blurted cut.
| And nOw-poW ora odrna saws il We
if we are married.
| She'll cut you off without a shill-
ing as they do in story books." Reba
smiled in his troubled eyes.
| He nodded. That's It, But that
won't keep me from you. sweetheart
What did your grandmother say
I'd done?"
She said-please forgive me for re-
peating it, Reba-you weren't "a suit
able wife for her gran 1so 1! L begged
| her to invite you to see her, SO she
| could see you were a Thousand times
too good for me; but she wouldn't
listen. SO l. came On to tell you. be-
| fore the old cat could spread my in
tentions as she gauges them"
| Reba stood up. You go back h )me,
Tommy Hedworth. and tell your
grandmother we are not going to
marry"
Not going to rlarry!' Tommy
threw trembling arms about her: he
| was white to the lips. 'Reba, don't
you love me?"
''Of course I do, foolish But You
do as 1 say. I'm not going to make
you lose your rightful inheritance"
''Oh, Reba. lets let it go! 1 meant
when it was mine to do justic, to
some of those people," he flushed as
fathers deeds, those people whom
grandfather defrauded. I meant you
should hefp your father and Miss
Louie as much as you wanted to. ]
meant to do SO much, Reba, but
you-you'H take me without it, won't
you? 1 will get something to do, and
you--you have SO great a head, when
we are married, you can manage
we can do on just a little. can't we:'
You do ash say, Tommy" she told
him. even if her heart sank; I'll try
to make things come right"
Tommy hadn't ever known what il
was to do without things, and she
couldn't bear to have him useIessly
come to endure privations. He should
mt either, even if she had to give him
up. But her eyes were red that eve
ming when on the street she met Tony
and Eddie going home.
Hello. Sissy!" Tony greeted her
"Wisht you'd come out and go fishin
with US tomorrow. Cousin Clarissa
and her pet, Marian Mckay, thai
ninny she's been tryin' to sick Ton
Hedworth onto, are comin'-
"Wisht Cousin C'liss'ed fall in the
river! I'd love to see her get a duck
I'M" observed Eddie
why, Eddie. she can't swim!'
Reba's tone was reproving, but there
formed in her brain a rash and des.
. perate plan, necessitating Tony as con.
fere.
Next morning when Mrs Cloud
| w Y1p a hat 60
clad in lawn, arrived at the Allenby.
she found her pet aversion there. But
she looked past Reba without recogni.
ton and requested that a sweet potato
pone. ice cream, peach-spice cakes and
fried chicken be on thaIdinner menu