The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-16
EVENING STORY
Wanted-A Chauffeur.
BY BERTHA r. MCDONALD. I

BY BERTHA II. M DONALD.
When Mrs. Hastings discovered her
daughter Mildred had promised to
marry Harry Prescott she raised
great disturbance and forbade the
young people seeing each other. She
was determined to marry Mildred to
one of the millionaires who visited
their summer resort every year, and
Mildred was equally determined to
answer the call of her own heart only.
So there had arisen between the two
a battle royal in which the community
was greatly interested.
Harry Prescotts only fault lay in
the fact that he was struggling bar
rister, with no particular fortune save
his honest heart and steady ways, but
that was sufficient to taboo him for
ever as u future son-in-laW for the
fastidious Mrs. Hastings.
She was harassed night and day
trying to keep the lovers apart, but
the town was not large and nothing
short of locking her daughter up
seemed to solve the problem.
Mildred" she said one day, SEEM
ingly apropos of nothing. 'How would
you like to make your Uncle William
d little viSit?
I'D love it!' answered the daughter.
| But why the change of heart, Mum
| sic ?''~
There's been no change of heart. 1
| suppose it's no more than human to
allow you to visit your dead father
brother once in a while, even If L
don't particularly like him"
Mildred was a wise child. She saw
fit not to question tn goods the gods
provided and went away with a song
| in her heart and a merry twinkle in
her eye, while Mrs. Hastings sighed
a sigh of great relief with each sue
ceeding mile which rolled between her
daughter and that insignificant
Prescott
Uncle William was delighted to
have his favorite niece with him.
DO you shiny a car about as we'll
as ever?'' he asked, pinching her rosy
cheek.
when Mumsie lets me out, but
she's so afraid I'll smile on some man
few cents less than Millionaire that
she rarely lets m9 drive alone"
well, you can go alone here all
you like. and when you get tired of
driving the car yourself we'll adver-
tise for a chauffeur"
I One day soon after this an idea
popped into Mildred's little brown
head which refused to be silenced, and
she remarked casually to her uncle:
Il had a letter from MumSie this
morning-she's about ready to whisk
me home again. There's a brand new
millionaire in town."
Bother take the millionaires! I
need you here"
Wen put off the evil day as long
as possible, Uncle, but don't you think
! we'd better get the new chauffeur and
let me break him in before L have to
go?"
well, maybe, but you tend to it
put the ad in and then I'll interview
the scamps as they come along"
OF course it couldn't have been Mil
dred's fault that there was only one
applicant in answer to their adver-
tisement; and if Mildred was just a
wee bit nervous when the applicant
was being interviewed Uncle William
never appeared to notice it, Mildred
proceeded to break in" the new
chauffeur with q, vengeance, but if
uncle noticed any growing intimacy
between the two he made no COM
ment.
Finally. Mildred decided to take
Uncle William into her confidence. The
animosity between him and her moth
er was thoroly mutual, and she was
reasonably sure of his being a strong
ally in any project which was some
thing Mrs. Hastings did not want.
Il suppose you've guessed, uncle
dear. that Mumsie sent me here to
get me away from a man she didn't
like?" she queried.
''Um-er-perhaps PSI
well, she did, and he's the very
incest man you'd ever want to know"
who is this paragon, anyway
"At present he's your chauffeur, but
| most of the time he's the smartest
lawyer in our city,
And then uncle laughed long and
loud and merrily.
What are you going to do about
il? ?" he asked when he could get his
breath.
I'm going to marry him by some