Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 268, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1914 — RICH MR. SCHMOKER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RICH MR. SCHMOKER

By LOUISE OLIVER.

The entire family guarded Evelyn as though every atom of hgr were

gold. And little wonder, for even yet the Hixons had not recovered from their surprise that a' beauty had been born into the family. Ella and Jane and Mary and Belle, the elder sisters, were all tarred frith the same stick that

had left its mark upon Mr., and- Mrs. Hlxon, and that stick had left no trace of beaujty among them. Then Evelyn had appeared, an elfin fairy with laughing bine eyes, fluffy golden hair and skin of rose petals, white and pink. Before she was one year old it was decided that her husband mast be at least of a profession; before two he had risen to the rank of a judge; by five ,he must be a governor, and at fifteen, president. Indeed, as Evelyn was nearing her eighteenth birthday they had begun to talk of royalty. Then Harry Alder came to town to work in Nick’s drug store at five dollars a week and serve soda at five cents a glass. It was a case of necessity with Hairy—no frivolous notion that 130 a month would buy dance tickets and white trousers marked down to $3.89 from $5. His engineering corps had been disbanded by a flaw in the right of way of the new Interurban trolley line, and be was a thousand miles away frofia home and mother, and father had said he was old enough to shift sos himself. Anyway, he had answered Nick’s advertisement, and hare he was. Thence, one day in the early fall, came Belle and Evelyn for a sunde of nuts and chocolate, and after that governors and royalty needed have a care and look after their fences^ Belle finished her sunde leisurely, while Evelyn looked over the post cards. Behind the card rack—not quite—stood Harry. Just past a tinted reproduction of the court house were Harry’s brown eyes. The brown eyes and the bine eyes looked into one another and the bine eyes fell. “It's frightfully warm, dear,” said Belle. "We’d better get home so you can lie down. Your face Is so flushed.” 1 That night Mr. Schmoker called upon Papa Hixon. Mr. Schmoker, although not a governor nor an earl, held much the same respect in the family as Sindbad of Haroun-al-Raschld. He was rich. In fact he owned the trolley line that was having trouble with Its right of way. Mr. S— — told papa he was looking for a wife and let papa infer that Evelyn suited his taste exactly. “1 has trafeled all ofer America,” said he, “and nefer —nefer has I seen euch great peauty.” Papa, knowing that Evelyn needed a little care in the handling, said he would think it over, and asked bis guest to Sunday dinUer. Evelyn developed a mania for writing letters and postcards, and making trips to the drug store soy stamps. M, , m , mmt m . . \ m . «...

That week Evelyn ate and drank, breathed and lived Mr. Sehmoker, till she grew weary of his name. Satm*> day confirmed her fears when she overheard papa tell mamma that Mr. Sehmoker was worth $10,000,000, and that when he was his son-in-law he would do so and so, and so and so. Immediately Evelyn scribbled a card to some one and ran down to the drug store for a stamp. Nick was out and Harry was holding down the store alone. He was back of the prescription counter counting pHls when Evelyn rushed in. "Oh, Harry, darling. It’s getting to be terrible at home. Yon know that fat old Mr. Sehmoker who owns, your road. Well, papa has made up his mind that I have to marry him. They’ve always said I had to marry money, you know. I know how it will be—diqgdong, dingdong about it until I go mad, or die —or worse than anytihng—give in.” "Hush, dearest. You’ll never give in. You’re going to marry me!" “This minute, Harry, dear, if yon sky so!”

“On five dollars a week?” “On five dollars a week!” * "But we’d starve. Evelyn, dear, we must not be foolish.” Mr. Schmoker, who had dropped In to buy some of his strong, black cigars, heard part of the conversar tion. He went back to hlB hotel and wrote two letters. One was to Mr. Hlxon» regretting his hasty departure from town and requesting his kindness toward bis (Mr. Schmoker’s) private secretary, whom be was leaving in his place, Mr. Harry Alder by name. Later he went back for his cigars, and when he was gone Harry found a letter for himself on the counter. “Marry the little Evelyn,” said the letter. “She is the prettiest girl In America.. I Inclose a check for f 10,000 —a wedding present to you both. In a month come to me in New York. You will be my private secretary until I can find something better for you. Wishing you success, I am v«y truly yours, Hans Schmoker.” Copyright. 1914, by the McClure Mewspapsw Syndicate.) » * k. ■ V'“:XSO