The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-03
EVENING STORY
A Matter of Thousands.
BY H. B. SEARLE.

Gene Ter-ill. who was playing at
law until he had opportunity, as. his
friends surmised, to set himself up
by marrying money, had dropped in
this noon, when old Ware, who de-
tested him, was out, for a chat with
the junior partner OF the real estate
firm of Ware & Yantis.
who's been doing you, now?" yam
tbs smiled.
"Nobody!"T Genes engaging laugh
rang out. Il was thinking of your
peach of bookkeeper. Looks
good, unselfish sort, too, Ell? Well
mothers cooks daughter lives next
door to them, and she says that Slade
girl spends every penny she earns or
can rake and scrape together on
clothes, and makes her mother keep
boarders for their living.
Mrs Slade wants to sell the big
house, but the girl won't have it un-
til she catches some fellow that won't
make her work. The old lady ism
strong, but she does the work for all
that houseful, and the daughter new
er helps any. But she's pretty enough
to do as she pleases" Gene laughed
easily, land Pm not letting her self
ishness stand in the way of my being
halfway in Lowell"
Gene had a streak of the knave in
him and Yantis knew it, but his re-
marks, made so carelessly and natur-
ally, somehow this time carried the
conviction of truth.
The year before HOLSTER Slade had
come to Bromley and installed his
family in the handsome old McCord
place. Then he had died very sud-
denly and when his affairs were set
tied his widow and daughter had
found the big house was all that was
left to them. Then Holly, the daugh-
ter, had secured employment with the
Ware Yantis firm and her mother
had filled the house with boarders.
When Holly came back to the Of
flee from her lunch, her soft cheeks
glowing, her hands full of yellow DAFT
fodils that she knew the Junior part
ner loved of all flowers, Yantis rose
courteously to open the door for her.
but the especial smile for her that for
a. month had been in his grayblue
eyes was gone.
That evening Terrill managed to
overtake the girl and walk with her
on her way home. Before they reached
her mothers gate the wondering hurt
in her eyes had partly disappeared
and she asked him in with semb-
lance of cheerfulnes.
Terry, you've made a fair start"
he congratulated himself. card won't
pay her any more attention if he once
gets it in his hard head she's as rot
tenly selfish as I made her out-and
if he lets her alone 1 fancy I can get
her heart turned in my direction and
the ceremony safely over before that
occurs
That meant an old mans death.
1t had been a month since Terrill had
saved Josiah Barnett, old and feeble,
from the onslaught of a reckless
chauffeur in a city half days jour-
ney from Bromley. Terrill had given
the old gentleman his name and adj
dress, but the incident had almost
passed out of his mind. until a few
days before when Barnett had sent
for him.
1--WE got just one living relative
he told Terrill. Her father, my cousin,
| died year or SO ago. 1 can't remem-
Der where, but 1 want you to hunt
up the daughter. 1 can't live more
than three months, the doctors say,
and tho I never, saw the girl, she
| just. as well have the forty thousand
I've got to leave as anybody else. I've
made my will and if you don't find
| her before I'm gone, keep up the
search afterward until you do"
All the way home that evening the
| click of the rails sung in TerrilPs ears,
| Il have bequeathed my property to
my cousin, Holly Sladei"
AS the spring days passed Yantis
grew pallid and thin, and, to old
| Wares wondering CONSERVATION, ir-
| rita BILE.
To add to the anguish of believing
|
unworthy, Yantis came to realize that
| Terrill intended to marry her. He
wondered amid his pain. Gene was not
a man who would marry a poor girl
| Then, late in April, Charlotte Dent
| Ter, II years old and plain and re-
puted heiress to $4,000, came to visit
her cousin, Mrs. Theodore Olevant.
Holly did not think it was neces-
! sary for Gene to go auto riding every
morning, and every evening with the
homely Charlotte, but somehow she
| did. not care She had not cared very
much for anything all spring. She
| had given a listless consent wher
Gene had asked her, with ferven
protestations of love, to marry him
but she had not been moved.
1T does not matter" she told hin
| when he asked her to keep the en-
gagement a secret. Nothing mattered
One sultry evening, near the end Of
the third week of Charlotte's visit
Yantis modify strolling in the town:
park came suddenly upon a couple OF
young people sitting on the soft tur1
in a secluded corner. They did no
see him, and he was backing softly
away when he heard Gene TerrilF.
persuasive voice.
You're sure you're going to ruI
away and marry me tomorrow eve
ming, Charlotte dear? You'll not fai
me, sweetheart"
'On, III not 1all you, Gene dar
ing!" the girl answered
Yantis caught his breath Hac
Gene been playing fast and loose will
Holly?
1t was Yantis's evening for hearing
conversations not meant for him. Al
his steps took him unconsciously to
ward the old McCord place, and h,
slowly passed the high privet hedge
voices came softly to him from a rus
tic bench beside the hedge.
"Oh, mother, darling the voic'
that two months back he had though
the sweetest in the world, was saying
''it worries me so your always beins
SO tired! It's cooking for those dread
full boardersi Can't We give them VI
and give up the big house? We coulC
make out on my salary"
THE boarders pay, Holly. I wan
to put by some for fathers stone, anC
II can't bear to sell the house il
which he lived last, dear
-