The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-02
THE EVENING STORY
Pasteboard Hearts.
(By Littell McClung.)

cloak Leap year passed out some
time ago.
Helen Almond smiled forgivingly at
his ignorance.
Dolly saved tonight's affair purpose
ly until all signs of leap year had ms
appeared she replied. Nov she
thinks it is high time for the men to do
the proposing"
That's the attitude, is it?" the young
method in Dolly's hardness. I suppose
there will be the usual red hearts ana
green mittens?"
mo sir, there'n be a change in colors
at this party the girl said. The
heart are to be blue, true blue-I helped
Dolly select them myself! The mittens
are to be a shade of yellow, suggestive
of lemons, of course. Yes, 1t Is Oh.
slangy, but 1t certainly Is appropriate.
LAS for me-" rejoined Askin, Il ex-
pect to get a few mittens, for I'm not
adept in proposing"
$50 rye noticedw the girl ventured.
But do expect you." he continued
ignoring her thrust, TO give me rea
large heart-two Of them If NOBODY
happens to be 1ooking!"
Don't be too sure about that, sir!
she warned. eff you don't act with
proper gallantry may hand you a
mitten."
ssI dare your he challenged. i
"Oh, WE'LL" she answered, maybe y
won't after all. But please see that
you do it properly"
'I'll do my best" he declared. But
we had better be going, for II you ar
rive late you may miss several appears
for a heart or two.
This fear was groundless. for they
were ushered in before the heart-and-
mttten contest began.
lawfully glad to see you botn!
cooed Dolly Watson. 81 know where
one of my hearts is going.
Helen flashed the hostess a reprov-
ing look, but 1t was wasted, for she
turned to make similar comment to
other guests.
Following the usual greetings and in
Productions, came the contest with
whisperings that an unusually hand
some prize awaited the winner. The
men were to propose by progression.
hearts and six mit+ens. Each could
choose his own words and methods and
he had two minutes for every accept
ance or rejection.
for the start-Askin found himself sep
arated from Helen by nine or ten girls.
ne glanced about to see three men I. sink
book fashion. and with mock-serious ex-
pressions begin to plead with three girls
for as many hearts. In moment both
drawing rooms were babel of confusion.
The absurdityy of the thing struck Aslzin
him for ne making such OF
pretty girl already, preparing to give a
his his cause in ardent sentences -e
Then, without another seconds con-
spirit of the contest and began to propose
as best he could to young woman he
hardly knew. The. girls face lighted up
bell sounded she drew forth a heart and
fastened it to his lapel.
Inspired by this success. .Askin stepped
before the second girl and then the third,
varying his declarations of eternal de-
yyotien as much as possible SECOND.
and after he had proposed to the fifth
girls, five blue hearts were dangling from
But while several men had three four
mittens apiece, he noticed that he was
in front Of him boosted six of them. He
landing the coveted prizes without ap-
Suddenly and unobserved some one slip
ped a bit of crumpled paper into Askin's
.'You are op doing well. o Keep it up. III
want you to win the prfzei
Askin was in dead earnest now. No
longer was the contest absurd or even en-
PERTAINING. The congratulations Of the girl
were at stake, and he determined to win. |
AS he began to offer his love to maid
Board boa he noticed that the pi man in front
was still getting hearts. His eye. flashed
defiance at his rival, and his eloquence
half a dozen avowals. his words came |
with surprising smoothness. He received
Then he looked ahead and saw that only |
three girls separated him from Helen. |
sRe nrde She ms from
That heart was for him, he knew.
voice began to fail him. This brought on i
tering the most disconnected sentences. 1t
went from bad to worse, and In another
minute he was utterly confused and I'M
Relief came with the bell. tap. and in
the. brief interim he slipped out Of line
servatory AS he thought of the situa-
ton he simply could not go back into the
bench in despair, disguised with himself |
for bis fee bfn 59 master no h ror
giving Trn up SO foolishly When the prize was
almost within his grasp?
For some time he sat listening to the
tinkle of the little silver bell. Everything |
became comparatively quiet again. Sud
denly behind him he heard a soft football |
der. He looked up-into Helen's reproach-
ful hats the matter. campbe,l." the girl
why in the world did you let that other
fellow beat you? Why. you didn't even
stay to propose PRO pose, to me- and l had heart
Helen, that's just the reason couldn't
keep up that shamI" he blurted out. BE
cause you were there! 1t was fairly easy
proposing to all those other girls. but the
thought of saying those silly, trumped-up
words to you unnerved me completely"
"Why, Campbell. couldn't you say them
to me?" she asked quietly
For answer he turned quickly and
grasped her ha1f-resisting hands.
because, dear GIRL he whispered, DE
cause I simply couldn't willfulIy seem
ridiculous before you. Because, well-Il
love you too much that's why! Helen,
for me? Haven't you a real one? If you 1
have. I want to ask for 1t in earnest
now"
A few minutes later the name of the
man who had won the prize was an
nounced. But Askin knew that he, not |
the fellow who was given a handsome
smoking set, had secured the real prize
nf the evening -(ConYrighted. 1909 hY As-l