The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-04
Eoenir7g Story
The Big BulIyi
BY RAY BAKER,

Ella WinsIow, her niece, slipped
her tea, which had been diluted con-
siderably, and arched her eyebrows,
and said nothing.
lingering the cup handle in pleasant
anticipation. Here I'm near fifty,
and have had two husbands, and"
Here she paused to convey the cup to
her mouth and set it back on the
saucer with an air of contentment.
Leaning across the table. she resumed:
and 1 don't know but I'd take
another chance, If I got one"
Her niece looked idly out the win
dow of the cabin.
1T amt NATURAL" Aunt Emma
persisted. for a young woman TO Sc
clude herself like that from male So
ciety. Now, there's Frank Samson.
for Instance"
Ella turned, with a gesture of i'm
patience.
Now, what would be the sense of
burdening myself with a MANI" she
exclaimed. when women can get
along all right on their own resources,
why take on such a responsibility?
and bully me around? All men are
bullies at heart, if not in actions
Frank Samson. especially, is too physi-
cally strong to-be morally strong
He'd try to break my will, and I don't
want 1t broken. I like to have my
having it,
+ Aunt Emma drained the cup.
Ella" she said, surveying her
niece's profile, you're too good look
ing to be a man hater. Now. II you
were very plain and unattractive it
might be excusable to talk that way.
Furthermore, you surmise too much
You get a thought in your bead and
never stop to consider you might be
WRONG; know lots of tender
hoe fraH
were that kind. NO man could be
| mean to you, am sure"
You're talking of the men of an
| other generation" Ella retorted.
I'm talking of present-day men.
I've seen enough of them in bust
| ness to know they're heartless. My
employer sent me on q vacation. pre-
tending to perform a kind deed; y but
know the real reason was he realized
I required a rest in order to do MY
best in his interests. He bullied me
into taking the vacation. It's natural
fora man to be bully. You may call
it something else-determination, for
instance-but it's just plain bully.
want none of it,
You're wrong" her aunt said de-
cisively, but there's no use arguing.
Maybe some day you'll be convinced
you have been unjust"
- Maybe" Ella admitted, grudg-
ingly.
To tell the truth. Frank Samson had
attracted Ella more than she cared to
confess. She resisted this attraction,
however, for she was sincere in her
aversion to men and was determined
never to marry.
Ella was a successful business wo-
| man, having recently become mana
ger of retail tire concern in Chicago.
In the slack months of winter she was
ordered on a ninety-day vacation by
the bullying proprietor, and she chose
her aunts. home in California as the
place to spend it.
= Aunt Emma was comfortably fixed
financially, but she lived in a modest
cabin on the outskirts of the small
city. She took it upon herself to en-
tertain her niece by inviting young
men to the house, and in that way
Ella became acquainted with frank
Samson, member>of one of the city's
foremost families. - r.
= His father owned a large orange
grove, and Frank attended to the
wholesale marketing of the fruit. He
had spent two years in college, but
was too interested in athletics to waste
time on his books, and was called
home.
Frank was more. than six feet in
height and was broad, too. He had a
good-natured way aboutAhim that in
terested Ella, but she told herself it
was only veneer that would rub off
| on close acquaintance. Nevertheless,
she couldn't help thinking of him con-
tsiderably.
The day following the dialog about
men Aunt Emma and Ella went for
walk in the forest that surrounded
the city. They were lovers of nature
and liked to wander among the tall
trees.
They had walked for perhaps half
| an hour along "a patA when angry
voices at one side Attracted their at
tention. Curiosity prompted them to
part the foliage and look into a clear
ing. where two men stood face to face.
Il tell you you can't have it," said
one of the men, tall and broad-shoul-
d&red
"And why not?" questioned the
other. shorter but equally broad, with
a thick necll< rs it yours ?"
mo, but it's not yours, either, and
you let it alone OF there'll be trouble"
and the larger man held a fist under
the others nose.
+ Ella felt sick at heart, for she had
recognized the aggressor as Frank
Samson. She saw the other man stoop
toward the ground, and then Frank
gave him a shove that sent him
SPRAYING on his back
Ella ran away, but her aunt did not
follow.
II knew it'll knew it," Ella repeat
ed over and over as she ran toward
the cabin; and once in it, she INDUCED
in few tears. Altho she would not
have admitted it, she had begun to be-
lieve Frank different from other men.
Her aunt appeared soon, putting
from excrtion. for she was stout
Twas a big disappointment" she
gasped, settling herself in a chair and
tanning herself with a book. There
wasn't any fight at alL-Frarfk Just
picked the other fellow up and gave
him a good spanking, and booted him
. down the hill1
THE big bullyi'' Ella cried. ct
knew he was like that. A. big. husky
fellow picking on smaller man.
That's a fine example of present-day-
man for you. Aunt Ella"
To save herself. she couldn't help
bursting into tears. and she lay on the
sofa and gave full vent to them. Aunt
Emma looked astonished for a mo-
mcnt. then crossed the room and
patted her niece's head.
s s.,There. there. girl. dnn,t take -nr,