The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-01
EVENING STORY
Tempting the Professor.


Madge Gleason's rambling old house
seemed to be charged. 1t was his Gus
tom to devote the hours between and
6 to the sitting room, or study, that
with the adjoining bedroom-both on
the ground floor of the Gleason house
had Tor i've years constituted his
home. For the rest he took his mea-
ger meals at the Brewster boarding
mouse, over the way.
1t was bad enough to have to eat
there-he rejo1ced that he could room
at the Gleasons. But on this New
Years eve he silently dragged his way
thru the hail to his rooms at half-past
"a half hour before his custom.
1t really wasn't lbs fault. He had
no intention of being an eavesdropper,
but the fact is that probably never in
the five years he had been resident
at the Gleasons had anyone ever
CHANGED to be engaged in conversation
in the kitchen pantry at the time the
professor was in his study.
Thru some ramification of arrange
ment of the old house the wallis of the
study on one side were identical to
those of the pantry on the other.
"I'll have that turkey here by 4
o'clock sharp tomorrow" came a
voice that the professor seemed to
recognize as belonging to Miss Madge
Gleason's intimate and neighbor, Mrs.
Silas Drew.
Hes always in at that time; hasn't
! missed it for five years, and dinner is
at as usual at Brewster's, found
out. And they aren't even having
chicken I pumped the butcher boy.
They ordered boiled beef, and that 1
believe is treat"
MY goodness, and she charges 50 a
week just for meals!"
MY goodness agreed Madge.
"IlI have it all stuffed, of course,
and all you want to do is just to cook
it's that the idea? Just the way
you did Christmas? Do you think he
smelled it then ?''--
Couldn't have helped it, assured
Madge Gleason. 81 left all the doors
open all the way thru. You know
how roasting turkey does penetrate.
do hope you don't think 1 am calculat-
ing
Heavens, no." agreed the conf
dante, with an emphasis on the mo-"
1T isn't as if you were a young girl, or
as If every one in this town wasn't be-
ginning to wonder why something
didn't come of it. He's been as de-
voted as any many of his type could
be for five years-ever since he first
came here-and people must see that
you haven't any other suitors. One
might as well be frank.
And if he has just got into the rut
and having a happy home without
doing anything but pay his rent in re-
turn, he needs his little lesson You've
always had him to all holiday meals
before this, and Sunday supper
should say once a month at least; and
toast and tea.
People know that, of course, and
tho it is quite proper having him here
as long as there are other dodgers and
old Aunt Liza is in the house, still it
does make you look little cheap.
And, my dear. he is a perfectly good
catch, too-you'd really be doing
we'll"
well, I don't look at it that way"
came bluntfy from Madge Gleason.
but l may as well tell you I do like
Curtis-like him a lot and-welI, I'm
not a romantic school girl. 1 know
that men need prodding once in awhile
and perhaps the way to the heart of
man of his age is thru his stomach
his stomach by way of his sense of
smell. And there really is nothing so
tempting as roasting turkey. I felt
SO mean not to ask him in for Christ
mas. even tho all we had was roast
pork, and I know he was surprised
and now not asking him for New
Years, when I always have-well,
do think it is. making its Impression"
Have no doubts, my dear. A man
never appreciates a thing until he
can't get it. I do wish you'd relent
and come over yourself and share the
turkey after you4 have been smelling
it all that time
mo, want to be right here, thank
you. 1 guess I'll have sausage meat
Aunt Liza likes that and it is cheap.
She'll bring the turkey back at G. Did
she roast it all right before?"
ITO T." said the neighbor. "And
no one but Dinah knew it had been
out of the house. told her that since
I'd had the grippe I didn't like to
smell turkey roasting-that it took
away my appetite if I did. and she
never had the least suspicion
Curtis Marlowe waited until the
neighbor had had time to reach her
own threshold, then he crept softly
out thru the Gleason hall and, with all
the joy of the season throbbing in his
veins, went straight to the butcher.
He bought there a large, fat turkey
Wide with surprise were the eyes of
the butcher, for he knew that the
professor was not squanderer and he
knew that he was one of Miss Brew
ster's "mealers."
Don't mention anything about
this" commented the professor, re-
the butchers boy in her confidence.
Happy New Year and many of
them!" And he was gone.
He stopped at the grocer's. That
was more difficult In fact it was SO
difficult that he ended by asking the
grocer to put into a basket "all the
perquisites for good New Years din
ner. including rch dainties as could
be bought for So" The grocer did as
he was told. promised secrecy. and
away the professor went with the
basket on one arm and the turkey
under the other. He managed by
stealth to deliver his treasure to and
to have a short cODfab Will, Aunt
liza in the kitchen without Madge
Gleason's knowledge. and SO great an
admirer of the professor had the old
cook always been that he had but to
ask for secrecy to seal her lips eff
fectually.
The next day the tantalizing smell OF
turkey circled like incense in a low
vaulted cathedral thru the rooms of
the Gleason house. 1t was entirely to
Madge's satisfaction. save that she be-