The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-28
EVENING STORY
Leak in the ssDike."

heart and hand Matthew Earlwick had
several items on the credit side of the
ledger, but on the debit side was one
large one that counterbalanced all the
others.
IN so far as Marian was concerned,
the fact that Matthew had a genial.
radiant. unselfish personality was suf-
ficient. His curly light brown hair
and his expressive blue eyes were also
acceptable, altho merely incidental.
The high financial standing of his
family had nothing to do with it, as far
as Marian was concerned.
The high financial standing did have
considerable to do with it, according
to Richard D. Benefits ideas. 1t was
the only item on the credit side that
he considered. OF course it was not
Richard d. Bennett that was going to
marry Matthew, but he was the girls
father and insisted on having a say
in the matter.
THAT girl isn't going to run off and
marry some boob, even if he has loads
of coin," was the way sir. Bennett ex-,
pressed it. Her old dad has a few
greenbacks of his own, not anywhere
near as many as the Earlwicks. but
enough to keep her in a comfortable
home and prevent her starving"
The big item on the debit side was
the fact that Matthew Earlwick never
had done IAN honest days work in his
life"
Get out and earn somes money of
your own" he admonished the young
man on the occasion of their interview
whel Matthew pleaded to let Marian
make him happy. II know your father
has heaps of it. and I am not exactly
a pauper myself; bus no one can tell
what may happen to fortunes these
days. Get job-even if it's driving
milk wagon-but get a job! Then
come and see me about it. But don't
you dare show your face here again
until you have proved that you are
some good in the world"
$50 Matthew Earlwick made himself
scarce around the Bspnett home.
I'll get job, an right" he de-
clared. land you'll never hear from
me till I do. I think just enough of
Marian to prove it by some hard
work.
Thereafter he was not heard from.
At least Mr.. Bennett did not get any
word from him. and SO his commands
in that respect were observed by his
would-be son-in-law.
There was no guarantee, however,
that Marian was in ignorance of her
lovers whereabouts, altho she man
aged, for diplomacy's sake, to carry a
doleful expression on her face when in
her fathers presence.
There was a certain sparrow that
frequented a branch of a maple tree
Just outside the window of Marian's
room, and that bird was wont to peep
thru the window whenever there were
no insects that needed attention from
his bill And the sparrow. could have
told Papa Bennett a few things if he
had been so inclined. He could have
revealed how Marian delved into her
dressing table and read and reread
letters; he could have disclosed that
the pile of concealed missives grew
steadily each day, and that none of
the envelopes bore postage stamps.
1t went along two months, with Mr..
Bennett still without any word con-
of Matthew Earlwick. One day he
called his daughter into the library
and said TO her:
You see, I was right about young
Earlwick. He hasn't the stuff in him.
or else he doesn't care enough for you
to make good on job"
Marian smiled slightly, and bit her
lip and replied:
"Give him a chance, father. A man
can't make good in two months-ex-
cept in books"
That same night the accident" oc-
CURED. The accident was frozen and
burst water pipe and a consequent
flooding of the basement in the Ben
nett residence. Mrs. Bennett brought
the intelligence to the head of the
house while he was peruSfng the even
ing paper and enjoying black cigar
in his den-
dashing the paper to the floor and
rushing from the den. Can you beat
it? A flood on our hands and the
very night Winslow is out" Winslow
was the sole male servant employed in
the household.
Papa Bennett rushed to the cellar
lcfa nd cnnId hear
swishing and a scattering that were
not exactly pleasant to his ear. 1t was
cold down there in the cellar and it
was warm in his den. Furthermore,
that swishing and scattering did not
indicate that the temperature of the
cellar was rising.
.sB-r--r!" he shuddered, trying
to huddle his corpulent form into his
rather tight smoking Jacket. We'll
I suppose somebody has got to stop
the leak in the dixie, and it looks like
I'm elected"
He turned the light switch and
started g.ngerly down the steps, but
halted on the second one from the
top and shouted back:
Marion, call a plumber. and tell
him to violate the rules of the profess
sion and get here quick"
Then h. continued the descent, but
| he took only few steps. The stairs
were somewhat uneven and slippery
| and Mr.. Bennett was nervous. The
| two Conditions combined to acceler-
ate his progress and he slid gracefully
into a foot of water that had accumu-
| lated on the cellar floor. Somewhat
dazed he scrambled to his feet, gasped
| for breath, shook the water from his
head and wiped it from his eyes and
| shivered:
where's blame leak p
| he groaned in despair, his teeth chat
| tering.
| The swishing sound, now much
louder and more foreboding, guided
him. and the dim electric ligh
| showed him a fountain squirting from
| the wall. Grooming, chattering ant
shaking, he attacked the stream heat
| first, SLIPPED, almost lost his balance
and finally managed to get his hant
over the leak in the pipe. He stopped
the flow considerably, but could no
| entirely dam the torrent