The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-28
Euening Story
Her Wise Old Relative.
BY FRANK II. WILLIAMS

ORAL the sweet and pretty girls in
the little town of Brampton, Madge
Hoffman was the sweetest and the
prettiest. And because she was all
this and also had been to college and
was the only child of a rich, retired
farmer, she had more beaux than all
the other girls in the city put together
almost.
But in spite of the way that life
seemed to SMILE at her, Madge wasn't
happy. Most of the time she was list
! less and wistful. Most of the time
And tho she danced and played from
day to day, it was plain TO be seen
that her heart and her thoughts were
generally elsewhere.
l The trouble was this: The one man
Madge wanted TO see among her beaHx
wasn't there. This man was Harry
Jennings. They had met and fallen
I in love when attending the same CO.
educational college. During their last
/ year in college together they had made
wonderful plans for their future. Fig
uring prominently in these plans was
! a little bungalow for two and, a vine
| covered porch and a. rose garden.
Then, quite suddenly, the dream had
gone to smash.
| One day Harry had come to Nadge
with a despairing look on his face.
"Madge," he said, they tell me
your father is wealthy and you're ar
only child and-and--''
Deep trouble was mirrored on Har-
ry's handsome, honest face as he gazed
at Madge.
Yes" was the reply that Madge
had made.
The look of despair on Harry's face
had deepened greatly.
Don't you see what this means %
Harry had asked I'm working my
way thru college. 1 simply won't
marry a girl for her money. And you
| can see what that means. 1t means
I'll have to work awfully hard to get
as much money as you've got. There
isn't much chance that I'll be success
full in doing SO right away. So we
better parti I'm come to you just
as soon as I've made enough"
OF course there had been tears and
pleading on Madge's part, but Harry
had been obstinate. He had left col
lege at once. Since that time Madge
hadn't seen him and his letters had
been very infrequent.
This was the situation just year
after Harry'S departure. And it was
| when Madge was feeling particularly
blue about the matter that the follow
ing letter came to her from Harry:
| Dear Madge-It is evidently going
to be a long and hard struggle for me
to get together as much money as
should have. So L am going to pass
out of your life. You shouldn't be
asked to wait for me, and, of course
1 couldn't stand it to have you support
me. I've got a job in South America
I'm going down there. III be gone a
long, long time. While I'm gone 1 hope
for your own sake that you will be
happily married. But before going
simply must see you again. So IL
come to your town within a few days
I'll call you up. when 1 come"
This letter thrilled Madge and yet
dismayed her. She was iLQmensely
pleased at the thought of seeing Harry
again and yet dismayed at the tone OF
his letter. She didn't want him to give
her up. She didn't want to marry
someone else. She wanted Harry, and
only Harry.
/ Consequently it was only natural
that after the first ecstacy of their
greeting some days later at Madge's
home during the afternoon when her
family were all gone that Madge be-
gan pleading with Harry to change
his plans
TITS so foolish, Harry" Madge
:. cried, when we both care for each
other for you to let your pride stand
in the way of our happiness. What If
you haven't much money? My father
could give you a fine job and
Harry made a gesture of anger at
this
That's just the point" he cried 81
won't be a pensioner of any one, let
I dlOne your Oau. I've got TO come 10
you on an equal footing or not at all!'
Harry, you've got the wrong slant
on all this" declared Madge, with de-
termination. Since getting your letter
I've thought it all over and talked it
over with an old relative of mine who
is pretty wise. And he says that the
thing you should do would be to come
here and go to work for my father.
| And
moi Mo-" cried Harry.
"Oh,' cried Madge, despairingly. 'I
can't explain it to you as this relative
of mine can. You come with me and
| talk to him. Please"
For moment Harry hesitated.
"All right" he said sulkily at last
| but don't let your father know any
thing about me. He'd just naturally
| kick me out of the house If he thought
| that there was anything doing between
u.s. OF course. he wouldn't want