The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-23
EVENING STORY
A Steam Sheveler.
BY r. RAY BAKER

There is no accounting for the
tastes OF some women when It, comes
to men," Gienquist observed, flicking
the ashes from his cigar. Maybe
it's their intuition" he added, drawing
his lungs full of smoke and exhaling
thru his nose.
The lawyer appeared more than
usually loQuacious this evening. He
had q reputation for being rather
taciturn when he was not in court,
but with me he always threw off the
cloak of reserve-and chatted freely.
During our after dinner chats,
which always took place in his office
on the seventh floor of the Boltwood
building, we had decided the fate OF
Bolshevism. solved the problem of III.
C. L., settled the railroad ownership
issue and thoroly threshed out theoso-
ply, spiritualism and new thought.
Glenquist and 1.
AS vet we had never discussed the
most perplexing problem of the ages
love. Maybe 1t was because we
were both confirmed bachelors and
did not feel in a position to talk au-
thoritatively on the question. How
ever, the marriage of mutual friend
had brought the matter before US this
evening. and casually 1 had inquired
why Gienquist had never selected
lifelong companion.
"Suppose you tell your story" he
suggested when I broached the sun
iect. "Then I'll burden you with
mine" T
"rll burden you with no stsry, l
reDiied There's no story to il.
lust naturally didn't take To the fair
sex, or rather they didn't take to me.
guess it was mutual. Have You a
story?"
when he broke the silence it was to
utter the words that opened this tais.
-Furthermore" he went on. 1T Is
strange that brains do not appear 10
be corlxidered much of an asset TO
man when he asxes woman 10 pc
case with some women. and very sooo,
bright and capable women. TOO !
mean. Perhaps. as I say, 1t Is their
Intuition. or their ability TO see far
ahead.
self into thinking I had brains. MAYBE
7 mistook my education for gray mat
ter. Yes. there is a difference. a
man may be fairly well educated and
still lack an adequate amount or
brains. On the other hand. without
being conceited. it seems that I may
Law claim to having at least a normal
supply of thinking machinery. 1 am
what you would call successful
criminal lawyer.
'I was terribly fond of Cassie We'll
don. six years ago. This was my
home town and also hers. We were
classmates In high school, and when
we were graduated I went to the uni
4versity and she became a typist in a
real estate office. During our last
ysarN in high school We had become
very closely associated in social work
and before we realized it were keep
ing steady company.
sponded regularly, and it seemed to
me that she cared almost as much for
me as for her. I pictured her pre-
siding in a nice little home when !
got started on the road to success in
my chosen profession, and aHhe I did
not breach the subject, I felt convinced
she would see II that way. Perhaps
I was somewhat egotistical. but really
I do not believe it was that. To be
sure, I was proud of the showing ]
was making in my studies and very
hopeful of the future.
whenever I came home she pro-
fessed tc be happy. over being with
me, and really believe she was. Our
favorite pastime was walking in the
woods with camera, and must con-
fess that. deep down in a trunk.
still have a number OF those snaps.
Just for funSI think I'll dig down and
take a squint at them tomorrow.
Things went on like this for some
time. and / am sure that she did not
keep company with any other partic-
ular fellow, altho she occasionally
went to dances and other entertain-
ments with some male acquaintance
who happened along and needed a
partner for some special social event.
This was only to be expected, seeing
that we were not engaged and 1t rot
being natural for young girl to stay
home and spend her evening reading
Robinson Crusoe' and Red Riding
Hood
"It finally dawned on me that I
had better get busy. 1 was in the
fourth year of my law course, but
Cassie was growing more attractive
each day, and as L was not home to
look after my interests 1t behooyed me
to get an option, on her hand.
L had spent that summer working
IN an attorneys office in CIarksburg.
and SO had not seen Cassie any more
during vacation than during the school
term. 1t was in the fall, and I was
home for few days, when felt that
the opportune time had arrived.
We were walking down one of the
back streets on our way to the woods.
A steam shovel was excavating for a
give me nerve. Cassie blurted out.
don't you think that-er-er-it's g
about time we got-got-down to the
business and-well. became engaged p
"She was looking intently at the
steam shovel. The thing appeared TO
fascinate her. with its chuggy-chug-
chugging and its snorting as it
strained at it's base and seemed sew
era1 times on the point of overturning
itself. thrusting the huge shovel
against the dirt wall and forcing 1t
upward, gradually filling 1t. the tre-
mendous. vibrating power OF the ma
chine winning against great resistapce
from the bank of dirt, as well as the
law of gravitation.
''She watched the big crane swing
the shovel round and dump its con-
tents into a waiting wagon. Then the
hoisting apparatus was again set at
work on the bank of dirt and the
process repeated. A lapse came with