The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-24
EDening Story
The Swami and the Judge.
BY MARTHA Nee. WILLIAMS.


what ?"
Nothing so simple" Pop, other
wise Hon. Arson Trimble, growled,
crushing the sheet he held: THE
mater writes she is bringing home with
her one of those Swami things.
blacker, no doubt, than the ace of
spades-and is sure I'll be delighted
to have him stay month"
Good Lord!" with whistled obbli-
cato. Surely not herei Has she
clear forgot her raising?"
Looks like it-but there's a lot
more-she says all the fashionables in
town are daffy about the fellow-and
that to carry him off this way. puts
her quite at the top of the heap. He's
going to lecture-talk sublimated
damn-foolishness, and do mystic
Eureka! Then we're safer than
safe. See him now in a purple tur-
ban, and green swaddlings. gazing into
crystals and things-at SO much gaze
and telling the world things it has
known since Adam was a yearling-
but won't recognize in his lingo" Tony
interrupted. BE sure the women all
will fall for him-hard. Freakish to
the freaks. you know. Our game is to
sit tight, Dad, look mpressed-solemn
as billed owls-and have our laughs
together"
f'Heres better" Dad interrupted;
I'm going to be a shining convert
plan giving my life, also my money, to
the great cause. That will fetch the
mater TO her senseS-you know shes
keen on having things for herself and
baby. Wouldn't bat an eye If said
her soul was in peril-but dinner rings,
and tiaras and things-and a com
ing-out party to knock Hillwood silly
a hint of losing them will make her
sit up and take notice"
Let me salute-a diplomat wasted"
Tony said. rising to make an ex-
aggerated reverence. :" Sir" with ora
Paris make no doubt you could have
fobbed off our dear allies with Green
lands icy mountains-and tucked
Mesopotamia oil fields into Uncle
Sans vest pocket"
We'll. have to live down to my
son." dad said modestly,. Then the
two went gayly about their several
affairs. The letter, coming in the
last mail. had waited over dinner
Luckily it was fine dinner-tne
thought of mamma and the impend-
ing Swami on the morning train might
have lessened relish for it.
ON the steps Mr.. Trimble said:
you'll tell FIorry, of course; but
mind she don't pass it on to her IA
ther. Then the fat would surely be
in the fire.
Mrs. Trimble's protege failed utter
" to run to Swami form. His COM
plexion of the palest olive was set off
by London garments of the best,
mighty we'll chosen as to lines and
color The sole Oriental touch was
a. queer, heavy bracelet locked about
the left wrist and visible but rarely.
His voice was clear, of singular range,
and for the most part pleasant, but
with now and then a grating note.
Possibly that was what moved Tony to
| say to Miss Flora Campbell: 81 want
to wiring his neck, for all he LOOKS SO
like a white man" In response Flora
giggied softly-perhaps over mem
cries of ardent Swami glances encoun-
tered only that afternoon. E1illwood
femininity had surely fallen for him
hard. His conferences in the big
brushes. Thus the town knew that,
tho Tony guyed Swami-ism and all its
works, his father, sitting remote, lis
tened apparently spellbound. Yet 1T
was something of shock to have him
bring Baby, sole daughter OF the
house, home from school over the
week end, explaining that he was con-
science bound not to let her miss this
| chance of coming to the truth and the
light. Mrs. Trimble ragged, but vain
| ly. She was an adept in the patter of
the cult, but when. her husband be-
/
pie variety-she reverted violently to
| the speech of sanity. She was an
| swered only with a rapt, far-off gaze.
Evidently her husband had gone Into
the silence" marking the true mystic
convert. She wanted to shake him,
| to stick pins in him even. But when,
after a bit, he reused, saying passion
! lessly:
"All must be laid on the altar-our
fortune. our children, ourselves" she
| smothered a shrek, cried hard for
three minutes, then rushed to cal
a famous, retired judge.
Come! At once!" was all she said
but her tone spoke volumes. Hence
the judge came next day, the very
seriousness. Tony met him at the
train, on the surface quite the same
But as they stepped from the car he
said, with a twinkle: IF you could
land an ambassadorship under the
new administration, I think the ma
household--and give her family Q
change OF air"
She did not fall upon her father
neck-instead there was a short secre
session in her small sitting room. The
judge listened, nodding, to a recita
that was two-thirds accurate, ther
shot at her: you're afraid of some
thing-tell me what?"
Losing everything-most of all m,
husband" Mrs. Trimble answered
He is bewitched-I want to murdei
that Swami when I think of him.
brought it on myself that wretcl
fascinates my baby also, shall muir
der him--or die myself
"Don't-not for a day or So" tn
judge answered, chuckling unfeel
ingly. "Baby's in no dangey-I thinl
. she inherits my legal mind"
/, She did. In proof. half an hou
later she said straightforwardIy t,
Tony: watch your step, Buddy-els
the Big Injun will run over you"
How conner" from Tony.
by way of strong boxes and things
said Miss Baby. big Injun has sun
rise trances-in them he tells dadd.
what to buy and sell in town. Yo-
+ know dad has got fat hen on in tn
, sfreef-"