The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-08
EDening Story
Tom Barringer's Short Cut.
BY lane OSBORN

When adverse circumstances made
it necessary for Grandmother Auden
to come back TO the old Auden place
in Millville with her granddaughter
Laura, it was the grandmother whose
spirits ran high while Laura was de-
pressed.
'tJust when most girls are having
good time I'll have to bury myself off
in an old factory village where don't
suppose there are any young people
any regular people would want to as
soeiate with. And it's just because
Uncle Harry once lived there and
bought that house that no one wants
to buy"
Cheer up" said Grandmother Au-
den, a youthful young-oid woman of
sixty There are some nice peo-
pie. The Barring GERS
POOH" shifted Laura. Don't I
know about the Barringers2 1t was
old Mr.. Tom Barringer that Uncle
swore to be mortal enemies or some-
thing. 1 was introduced to that in
sufferable son of his. Tom Barrin-
ger. at a college dance. I. told him
that an uncle of mine had lived in
Millville-that was enough. MT. Bar
ringer looked at me as if I were a
scorpion at least, and never asked
me for a single dance. guess his
father passed on his hatred of our
family to his sen along with his mon
ey when he died. The BarringeFs and
their crowd are the only decent people
here, and the head of the Barringer
family hates us. So that's that"
Perhaps your uncle Harry was
partly to tlane" suggested the grand
mother. For my part 1 have no
grudge against the Barringers-oniyI
do wish they'd keep the smoke from
their old factory from sitting in the
back windows"
That's the penalty we have to pay
for trying to live in a house that's
plumb UP against the factory grounds.
No wonder We couldn't sell it. And
another thing" sputtered Laura. 'I
wish his highness, Tom Barringer,
wouldn't cut across our property
Every morning, noon and night he
walks across the end of our place to
and from his old factory. OF course
it cuts off three or four blocks. but if
he hasn't any use for us he ought to
keep off from our place."
Perhaps he doesn't realize that
that field really is part of our
grounds" suggested Grandmother Au-
den.
Well, he ought to find out"
snapped Laura. IF he wants to make
a. short cut thru our place he ought
to ask permission"
Grandmother Auden smiled. She
smiled so long and SO merrily that
Laura asked her, rather abruptly,
what caused her amusement
II was just thinking" was Mrs
Auden's only reply.
Two days later there were work.
| men on the 5old Auden place. They
were driving stakes along the entire
rear and side of the Auden property
Later it became evident that this
series of stakes was to support wire
fencing six feet high.
While this work was still in pro-
QreSS the UneYnpcted-OT Al least nm
expected to Laura-occurred Claire
Barringer called at the Auden place.
Claire Barringer was Tom Barringer's
elder sister.
Those Audens are putting up a
fence her brother had announced.
ST wanted to get out an Injunction
4 against them, but my lawyer says
they've a perfect right to fence in
their own property. Now be an angel
and go over there and persuade them
| to leave space, for my short cut. It
tmeans precious minutes to me every
| day. If can't cut thru their place It
will mean a good half miles distance
to the factory. I'll have to use the
| car. That's a nuisance. Just run
along and fix matters up.''
But you didn't want to have any,
| thing to do with those Audens," sug-
gested Sister Claire
"Of course I didn't and I don't.
| Harry Auden offended father and 1
don't intend to forget it. But 1 can't
! let a family feud stand in the. way of
a necessary convenience. You can
make it quite obvious tLat your call
| is merely on business"
So Claire had consented. She used
tact and then persuasion, and finally
| begged Grandmother Auden to leave a
! gap in the fence for the convenience
| of her brother.
'I am sorry" smiled Mrs. Auden,
hut r1ll to 10
| fence. 1 have always priced priva cy
| above everything else. Really, I am
sorry
And that was all the satisfaction
Claire got out of Grandmother Auden.
Two days later the fence was COM
stormed more than ever against the
Audens. He lost precious minutes a
| day, and every minute counted in the
career of an ambitious mill proprietor.
you've got to go again." sug-
gested Tom, but Claire refused.
Then he decided that h, would buy
the section of property thru which his
short cut had run. He made an offer
| thru his lawyer, but to his surprise
Grandmother Au6en refused.
t'Those Barringers are impossible"
said Grandmother Auden to Laura one
day. 81 am really glad that we have
not been forced to meet them socially
T"
ST don't see how you can call them
impossible" was Laura's retort. Laura
was always fond of taking the defen-
sive when her grandmother was on
| the offensive. They come of an ex-
cellent family"
But that Tom Barringer looks I'M
possible" went on grandmother. "I
/ do hope If you ever meet him again
you won't encourage him"
TT isn't likely I'll have a chance"
remarked Laura.
But the next day Laura had an op-
portunity and in a way most unex-
pected, at least to Laura.
She was out prospecting for posi-
BILE flower beds in the new1y-fenced
portion of their property-at her
grandmother's suggestion, of course
when she heard the fall of feet behind
her She glanced up and there was
Tom Barringer who had just man
aged to swing himself over the six
foot fence.
Laura looked up in surprise She
I