The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-02
Epening Story
An Old Mans Gold.


Mrs Frances Sparks had made up
her mind. Her love for Kathryn, her
daughter, had triumphed over her
avarice.
Perhaps avarice is too harsh term.
Mrs. Sparks by no means worshiped
money. 1t was simply a question of
having to get money some way, else
the Sparks family, consisting of, Fran
ces and her nineteen-year-old daugh-
ter, ould founder on the rocks of fl
nancial ruin. Their last resources had
been consumed In the desperate effort
Kathryn's college education, and the
mother had gone to work in milli-
merry store. Still, the expense over
balanced the income.
Providentially. 1t seemed, Nathan
Gordon returned from Alaska well
supplied with precious metal or its
equivalent in paper about the time
Kathryn came home for her summer
vacation. Mrs. Sparks had known
Nathan years ago when they went to
made Kathryn acquainted with the
returned prospectof when the three
met on the main street of Rutherford.
Mr.. Gordon seemed strangely at
tracted to Kathryn at the start, and
before Mrs. Sparks woke up to the
meaning OF things, he was calling at
the Sparks home and occupying con-
siderable of Kathryn's time. When
she did realize what 1t meant Mrs.
Sparks felt juhilant at first, believing
d way out of the financial dilemma
in which she found herself had been
opened. II Kathryn would marry Mr..
Gordon the Sparks family would be on
easy street.
1t made no difference, at first, that
Kathryn was only nineteen while Ma
than was forty. He did not look more
than thirty, and might have passed
for that only Mrs. Sparks remem-
bered school birthday party long
ago in which Nathan and she had
been the principal figures because
their anniversaries came on the same
day, altho he was three years her
elder. Frances, in her younger days.
had been a bright pupil and forged
ahead OF others Of her own age.
When love came to be considered,
Mrs. Sparks was skepticai. She did
not say there was no such thing as
love, but she was rather inclined to
the view that marriage was q business
partnership. Kathryn's father had
been killed in a railroad wreck in the
west after leaving his wife and baby
during one OF the periodical domestic
disagreements to which the Sparks
household had grown accustomed.
Fortunately, his life had been well
insured and thus the widow and her
child had been able to keep the wolf
a safe distance from the door.
Then suddenly one day Mrs. Sparks
came to herself. Could such a mar
riage be a happy one? Could a girl
of nineteen settle down with q man OF
another generation? Could his wealth
possibly atone for the wide difference
in their ages? She recalled the song,
which told of a girls beauty being
sold for an old mans gold" and it
made her afraid. What had she been
thinking Of? She must interfere.
But how could she interfere? Ger
tainly it would not be quite right for
her to take the matter up with
Kathryn after she had permitted the
affair to go this far. yes and even en-
couraged it with her reticence. 1t
would be undiplomatic. too, for such
interference usually defeats it's own
aims. But Kathryn's beauty must not
be sold for an old mans gold" IL
there was any way to avoid it. Nathan
was not an old man by any means.
from Mrs. Sparks viewpoint, but IN
contrast with her daughter he was.
As Mrs. Sparks thus cogitated she
looked out of the window of her bed
room and saw Nathan Gordon get out
of his roadster and start up the walk
to the house. He progressed with a
determined gait and something told
Frances that the crisis was at hand.
This was substantiated presently when
she heard Mr.. Gordon downstairs ask
ing for your mother" In as much
Oe
Frances was the one sought.
Il believe she's upstairs, but she
may have gone out" she heard
Kathryn say. "rH go up and see."
He's coming to ask permission to
marry Kathryn" Mrs. Sparks told her
have time to think a way out of the
mess"
She slipped into a jacket and hur-
ried down the hall to the back stair
way. Descending, she FASTENED out to
the garage and presently emerged
driving the Sparks family motor. At
a fast pace she drove out into the
street and away.
Nature is a good person to consult
when problems arise, and Mrs. Sparks
drove into the counFry. Her mind oc-
cupied with her new-found troubles
she happened to glance backward and
see Nathan Gordon's roadster pursu-
ing at good pace. With him was
| Kathryn.
Frances opened the throttle and the
little car hummed; but the big road
ster behind drew nearer, utterins
shrieks which might have meant "gei
out of the way" or wait a minute
Mrs. Sparks chose not to wait. She
could never face them now. Her plan
Of action bad not been shaped.
! When she saw that she could not
outdistance her pursuers, Frances
stopped the car by the road and rar
into the woods. treading a well.
travelled path. Presently she came tc
a clearing in which stood a big oak
with it's trunk grotesquely shaped
| into a seat. She sank into this natu-
raj chair. hoping she would not be
! found.
AS she sat there the problem of hel
daughters welfare suddenly left hel
mind and she became conscious thai
memories of the past were crowdine
in on her. And no wonderi This was
the place where her class at schoo!
had held a picnic ages ago. and she
| had sat on this same oaken trunk with
Nathan Gordon. 1t made her smile In
spite OF her anxiety.
The smile fled, however, when she
saw Nathan himself approaching In
company with Kathryn The latter
Jagged behind while the former ap.
preached the oak.
| Now I've got voli he said ri.