The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-24
EVENING STORY
The Liar.
By r. RAY BAKER.

By r. RAY BAKER.
Anything hate is a liar" an
nounced Nina Martin; land I know |
you're lying to me when you tell me
Ebenezer won't run"
Jay Perkins took his weight off his
right foot and rested it on his left.
and looked rather sheepish.
We'll. she won't" he asserted. stout
| ly. There's something wrong with
Ebenezer. You must have heard her
| cutting up when 1 took her out of
the barn. When 1 put her in reverse
she tried to go forward. Then, when
1 haven't been able to make the motor
SO much as flutter.''
Nina's lip curved in a sneer.
| Ebenezer has never been out OF
order a day." she shifted. '.I know
you're lying just because you don't
want me to go after the mail with
you. I don't know your reason, but
maybe you have another girl on the
| road somewhere that you want to call
on: so you decided to ride the mare
| and leave me home"
Jay tried to get in another word,
but the effort was doomed to fail be-
fore it was made.
You ought to be ashamed" Nina
| went on, especially on this ami
versary of the birth of the father OF
our country, who never told a lie in
all his life. Even when he cut down
his fathers cherry tree just in fun.
he went and owned up to 1t like
man. 1 can't stand liar. tell you.
and I've just about decided that we
| might as well call everything off be-
tween U.s."
Nina was genuinely angry. She had
planned a shopping trip in anticipation
of her wedding a month hence. and
the announcement that she would be
obliged to forego her visit to town be-
cause the auto would not run aroused
her wrath.
attending college when his parents
bought a 120-acre farEi. Shortly after
the purchase Jays father died and left
the land to the boy ana his mother.
Neither of them was acquainted with
the science of farming. but Jay was
DESTROYS of learning something about
it, SO he and his mother disposed Of
twothirds of their interest to Nina's
father, who was on the lookout for
just such land. and who agreed to a
partnership of the whole 100 acres.
rather than to a purchase of part of it.
Jay and his mother continued to live
in the small dwelling that Mr.. Perkins
had erected on the land. while the
} Martins built a large residence some
distance from the other house
Nina was attending boarding school
at the time of the transaction. but
when she finished and came home.
she and Jay struck UP a companion
ship that quickly ripened into some
Il 411ng deeper. and they had become
washington birthday anniversary
with which this tale deals.
! See that book in the bookcase? 2"
said Nina, resuming her TRADE. well.
that's the Life of George Washing
tom and you would do well to read
it. Now. go ahead and-and keep
: your date with the other girl"
Jay opened his mouth to remon
, strate. but the look on her face caused
: him to change his mind; SO he left the
, house, carrying q sickly grin. and
, mounted the horse that was waiting
| for him..
Her nose pressed against the win
. dow, and tears creeping from her
ieyes, Nina watched the mare gallop
; out of sight with her fiance.
Think of anybody trying to tell me
, such a barefaced lie-such a weak
: pointed in that nan. The old auto
{ mobile would run on the bottom of a
lake, and 1 know it,
This brought an idea. but she hest
tated before acting on it.
: 81 guess father wouldn't care" she
unused. IF he were here I'd ask him.
. Mr.. and Mrs. Martin were spending
' the day at the home of a relative in
r the adjoining county. having Travelled
thither in the spring buggy; for Mr.
Martin had not go to the point OF
: trusting himself at the wheel OF
; "Ebenezer.''
Nina left the house and approached
the car, which was standing outside
the entrance to the barn. 1t was a
relic of the early days of motor travel
, but it always had given good service
{ and had been used nearly every day
, during the present winter, which hap
) pened to be one of the open kind
There was only a patch of snow here
and there over the landscape, but the
? air was Just sufficiently biting to make
| it exhilarating.
"Just the day for a ride" she told
( herself, land I'm going to take one
and prove that Jay Perkins told me a
fib."
She returned to the house and pres
: emily appeared with a heavy Jacket
hat and gloves. She set "Ebenezer's'
: spark and gas throttles at the right
angles and proceeded to crank the
motor. On the second turn the engine
: began humming.
There! Listen to that" she said
, triumphantiy. land climbed into the
machine. She let In the clutch, shift
r ed the gears and "Ebenezer" rolled
smoothly down the road.
5 Didn't tell your she laughed. 81
i think I'll go on to town and do my
: shopping and show Mr.. Jay that he's
not at all necessary to such trip
) But as "Ebenezer" was approaching
: the line that marked the boundary of
the Perkins Martin land, something
happened. The car stopped dead still
| in the road. altho the engine roared.
, Clutch must have slipped out" de-
, cided Nina: but all of her manipulate
ing of levers and pedals would not in
: duce "Ebenezer" to bulge.
Nina sat back puzzled. The engine
continued to hum, but not a wheel
would turn.
Something surely is wrong she
= said. 1T started out fine. and
) About that time the balky automo-
bile condescended to resume locomo-
ton. Before Nina could get control
! OF the wheel. the machine went off
r the road and crashed into the orchard
that lined the highway.
l. A tree branch sweDf Nina from the