The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-28
Eoening Story
Mantrap? I'll Say So!
BY V. e. BUNDY.

Not even the most uneriticaI of be-
holders would have said that Pa Hur-
ley was cut out for an aesthetic
dancer. And yet, as he went thru
strange contortions at the door of the
Star Cafe" his dusky little restaurant,
the beholder would have been hard
put to it to explain his actions other
wise than as some extremely eccentric
dance steps.
Pa Hurley sdefied all the laws OF
gravitation and the limits of the hui
man anatomy's flexibility for several
seconds. His arms were full of gro
ceries and his heart was full of rage.
Pa Hurley had not ventuged on a pair
of scales for ten years, and the last
venture had indicated that he had
passed the two hundred and eighty
pound mark. Pa hadn't lost any
weight thru worry or otherwise, in
those ten years.
Pa was still venting his indigna-
ton with the patch of zee on the side
literal downfall, when Joe Lacey, who
had been an interested spectator from
half a block away, entered the restau-
rant behind him.
Minnie, Minnie" Pa Hurley was
bawling. 'sGit some ashes and put 'em
on that ice at the door. ! durn near
busted my neck and dropped these
eggs. That places a regular man.
trap, I tell you You hear me?'
The old man passed on into the
whether the order had been obeyed or
not. In five minutes he had forgotten
it in the excitement OF bossing the
cook~and the 'pearl-diver" over whom
he reigned, and he wouldn't think of
It again until he slipped again on
the '.mantrap." Pa had recovered his
mental poise almost as soon as his
physical equilibrium
Minnie didn't pay much attention to
the order. It was more or less Min
MES way to do as she pleased anyhow.
and after you had seen Minnie you
didn't much wonder at it.
Minnie much preferred, just at that
time, to be getting OUT The "set-up' for
Joe's breakfast, and taking Joe's order
for "a stack of cakes, cuppa coffee,
and two eggs. over
And that wasn't much to be WON
dered at either, for Joe looked almost
as good to Minnie. as Minnie looked to
Joe. Except that Minnie was far more
adept at concealing the fact.
Minnie did look all out of place in
the dingy little eating place. Her COM
plexion had not yet suecumbed to the
greasy food and atmosphere of the
and erectness, and her trim feet and
ankles had not yet become the sloppy
and misshapen APPENDICES which are
sooner or later the heritage of every
biscuit shooter" who must spend
hours every day on her feet. Minnie
was still young and undeniably pretty.
There was a connection which no
one ever guessed between the two
facts that Minnie kept working at the
star" and Joe, tho he could have
afforded to board almost anywhere he
pleased, continued to take three meals
a day there.
II didn't really matter much to Joe
what he ate, or where, so long as Min
| ~ rtz+ fn h trra Ar3d nj
would rather have fetched Joe's stack
of cakes than to have been paid
great deal more money for deity ar
ranging grapefruit, toast, and mar
expensive restaurant in town. y .
Joe had arrived in the town four
months before, ION the rods and a
case hardened victim of the wander
lust. He was nearly broke when he
arrived, and had selected the Star as
the most likely place to get the most
eats for the least cash outlay. When
ne had seen Minnie, who brought him
his ham sandwich and coffee, Joe
had instantly decided that this was a
good town in which to winter, and be-
fore the day was done, had a. job in
an implement store near the restau-
rant, setting up farm implements.
He had soon displayed a surprising
knowledge of machinery, and ma
tural bent for it, which had been i'm
His job was now steady thing, and
Joe was doing very we'll indeed. And
he hadn't missed a meal at the Star
since his advent.
One thing troubled him grievously
his shyness. Outspoken and capa-
Bile at his work, and anything but
a modest, blushing violet among the
buns with whom he had travelled, he
was dumb as a post in Minnte,s
presence, and his fingers, SO deft with
.l.s.fS y,
knife. fork, and crockery, when she
was about him.
Joe never dreamed that Minnie
guessed anything of what was in his
mind regarding her. He never dared
to exchange more than FEW com
ronplace words with her.Aand to give
his dinner order was an adventure
Minnie was nothing loath to talk to
him, but Joe simply couldn't do It.
There are men like that.
His inarticulateness was no less
trial to Minnie than to himself. Min
ME had tried everything she knew.
to get him past the barrier, and had
failed.
In her heart. she liked him all the
more for it. Trust a woman not TO pc
deceived when man cares for her;
But it was exasperating to have the
man stammer and turn red when she
spoke to him, none the less exasperat-
ing that she knew the reason why.
This morning Joe doWned hlF Dreak-
fast in his usual silence, paid his
check at the cash register over when
Minnie presided between taking and
filling orders. and went to his work
with a mumbled remark about the
weather.
He had forgotten the patch of icy
sidewalk and like Pa Hurley, he per
formed some Involuntary gymnastics
when his feet struck it. He recovered
his balance and went on his way to
his work, cursing his elumsiness, be-
cause of how silly he must have ap-
peared in Minnie's eyes. But Minnie
had not even seen him slip.
AS she gathered up the soiled dishes
which he had left, Minnie was in
temper which nearly got the better of
her love. She broke a cup, and the
accident Helped to relieve the spite