The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-29
TIE EVENING STORY
An Un.xise Interxention.
cav Mary wnndA


If any one had asked Mr.. William
O'Neill-afectiona known to his
/ friends as Billy'-why he had ordered
i've boxes of cut flowers sent aboard
the Oceanic before sailing, he would
have answered with one OF his Jolly
laughs:
Oh. there Is sure to be some nice girl
/ aboard who win like themH
Wherever Billy went there were sure
to be nice girls. AS he himself ex-
pressed It.
When am out at the mine there
are no girls, and when 1 am away thsre
are too many for my peace of mind. I
love them all so much that can't set
| tie down on one. Don't mean to -lother
my head about it till I'm thirty, any
| way"
His forethought in ordering howexs
for a problematic nice girl was char
acteristic of this up-to-date young Irish
American. Starting out with the inten-
ton of getting out of life everything
That was IN 1t, he had been emtnently
successful. At twenty-five he had con-
siderable both Of income and leisure,
| a host of friends, and as warm a regard
from divers nice girls as he guilelessly
encouraged.
The Oceanic Justified his expectations.
Not only was there q nice girl aboard,
| but by the flrst morning out acQuaint-
anceship had so far progressed as to
permit the presentation of a box OF flow
ished some of his friends.
Milicent Burton-HalloWell was not
/ beauty. Her good points might pc
summed UP in a low and charming
voice, fragile daintiness of feature and
| figure. 1t is probable that few men had
observed her closely enough to detect
even these attractions, for the most
noticeable thing about her was her
mother.
Mrs. Burton-HaIlowen was not ag-
hut she Ak a<.1F
and Milicent by a wall Of ancestral
responsibility. 1T was this that gave
1 the dare to Billys Irish blood. There
were no dead lines, so far as he was
| concerned.
Since love Of mischief had supplanted
the blind god, Billy could play the game
with clear head and an untroubled
heart. 1t was the mother who received
/ the most Of his attention. He was
| deferental; he was thoughtful he was
| politely conversational, and. most pot
! ent of all, he was patient listener to
tales OF heart trouble" mysterious
! aiiment that made AIilicent a patient
| slave. Under this sl1illful handling, the
! dragOness almost purred.
Yet it was the daughters heart that
beat faster when he neared her deck
chair. He had made the most Of the
little time he had had alone with her. Mrs.
I Burton-HalloWeu had mercifully suf-
fered from a days seasickness or the
opportunity would have been lessened
more about life he said to himself
| She has had to carry too heavy a
load of dead ancestors and has known
too few live people
AS an antidote, he administered tales
of life as he had found it-somewhat
modified. 1t is true. but the acme of
| romance in Milicent's eyes. To have
had no family since his mothers sec
ond marriage drove him from home at
15 and no name but the one he wrote
for himself on the rough pages of the
great west-that was glorious! He told
/ of the finding of his mine in the wild
Montana gulch. and of his pleasuring
since IN San Francisco-further east
IN New York-further still, in London
and Paris.
When the girl bent her face to caress
a red rose-one of BiIly's roses-tucked
in her belt, her cheeks were a match.
Even Mrs. Burton-H aIlowell noticed her
unwOnted color THE sea air agrees
with YOU" she remarked
A1ilicent assented in her usual color
less fashion. Yet all the while her
heart was singing that this was the
very incest trip across she had ever
made. 1t undoubtedly was. Billy al
ways gravitated into social leadership.
and he drew the Observation-Disclosures
into unusual frivolities. A rather as
tonished colonial dame found herself
refereeing bowling contests and chap
eroning the concerts and dances in
which Billy-and Milicent-tOok a
prominent part. If, as the days pass
ed, misgivings arose, she comforted
herself by the thought that the ship
acquaintanceship would end with the
voyage.
on the last norning-the oceanic
was to dock at there was another
person with misgivings- At the
farewell dance of the night before he
had managed to sit out several num-
bers with Nilicent. AS he led her to
a sheltered corner by one of the boats,
she was really pretty in her delicate
blue draperies. And then, under the
enchantment of the moolight, he had
said the things he was in the habit of
saying to nice girls under similar cir
cumstances compliments. half
voiced ayowals, heart stirring more
from the way in which they were said
than in themselves. Milicent had
listened almost silently. It troubled
him, however. to recall the 1utter OF
her lashes and the tremor in her voice
when she said good night. Was II
possible that she did not understand
that it was a game? The other girls
had understood
He frowned impatIently as he ar
ranged his tie before his tiny cabin
glass.
at last, and his face cleared. I'll stop
off in Philadelphia on my way west
and give her some good times!" To
light-hearted Billy a good time was a
panacea for every Ill. Il will have to
clear the way with the dragoness frst,
he concluded prudently-
Soon after breakfast he found Mrs.
Burton HalloweH alone in her deck
chair.
'Miicent is packing she explained.
sShe always does it, on account Of my
; heart trouble"
If Billy smiled to himself, he was
wise enough to preserve an air Of sym
patfv. HIS request to call seemed
prompted by an extended interest in her
health.
At the words, Mrs. Burton Hallowell
stiffened. Il hardly think 1t necessary .
she said sedately- You said that you
were in a hurry to get back to your
mine. I cannot allow you to stop off in
Philadelphia on my account
But I am coming to Philadelphia,
:. r,,,r.ra IN hllsiness,' said Billy.