The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-25
THE EVENING Story
Mildred and the Little House.
(By Mary l.. Parker.)

(By Mary L. Parker.)
Let's get married"
1t sounds easy and casual enough,
quite as if it were uttered on the spur
Of the moment; but Tom Corbett was
Tar from easy and casual when he said
it.
He had been framing the proposal
for several months, and tho various
glowing sentiments which he evolved
did not sound anything like the bald
three words which he finally used.
But pretty Mildred Mckay probably
by bashfulness in Toms adoring brown
eyes, for she said:
All right, Tom; let's"
Tom didn't know just what to do
or say next; but it wasn't very long
before he found Mildred in his arms,
warm her arms were.
Naturally, after a bit. they fell to
planning about the future, and found
1t an engrossing and fascinating pas
time.
Uncle Bob Will build us a little
house on the lot west of Mr.. Sim
mons" said Mildred. That's a nice
neighborhood, and you'll be close to
your work.
will he. Mildred ?"
of course he will. I'll tell him
that want him to-
Uncle Bob was wealthy and child
less dabbler in real estate, and Mil
dred was his favorite niece. He paid
In various ways for being fond of
her. From the time she had been a
small girl, he was expected to side
with her against her parents; to
avert threatened-and deserved-pun-
lshment; and to help get her own
way when Mr.. and Mrs. Moore proved
unexpectedly stubborn
They discussed the little house
RI h11i1 ~,
that lasted from the back parlor to
the front gate, and which consurn ed
nearly two hours in the saying. The
question of whether the shingles
should be plain or stained required a
caress for nearly every single
When Tom finally tore himself away
from Mildred and the front gate, the
little house had become a castle in
the air. He sauntered homeward
lnrougn the warm, odorous spring
night, too happy even to whistle.
The engagement was blushingly
confessed to Uncle Bob who, after a
certain amount of teasing, agreed to
bulld the little house. Tom and Mil
dred gravely assumed a business-like
air that spoke of mortgages and
monthly payments and similar prosy
subjects. Uncle Bob smiled quizzi-
cally at that, and made mysterious
and delightful hints about wedding
presents.
The little house began to go up in
the vacant lot next to Simmons.
Tom went four blocks out of his way
to pass it twice a day. Not that such
a course ever gained him a good look
at it When he was whiting a few
hundred feet, his face began to grow
hot; he seemed to have ewes all about
his head that discovered his neigh
bors-elect peering out ard smiling at
him. So he looked straight ahead
with a miserable assumption of in
difference, fastened his steps, and al
most ran by.
But the embarrassm ents of the day
were almost swallowed up in the de-
lights of the friendly twilight Every
evening he and Mildred, and some
times Uncle Bob, went down to the
little house and inspected it lovingly,
board by board. Mildred sure footed
as a mountain goat = which is
clambered about the bare rafters and
even out onto the roof. Together
they talked over the plans and sug-
gested minor changes which Uncle
Bob faithfully impressed upon the
carpenters next day.
One evening when they followed
the line of planks that led through
the hall and parlor to the dining room.
Mildred uttered little cry of disap-
pointment.
ooh, Uncle Bob!" she said, "I didn't
dining room. I wanted one of those
high, square ones, a buffet window,
you know
This room won't be any too
light" suggested Uncle Bob, doubt
fully. ''You see. it's on the north side
of the house, and I think two large
window are what You need"
Tom, hands in pockets, gazed out
the empty frame. Besides, with one
of those high windows Mildred, you
couldn't see out of doors. And it's a
pretty view off there
1t was a pretty view The little
house was on the crest of a hill and
the ground sloped away from their
back yard. Across a valley of green
cry, for the many trees were now in
their bravest panoply, doomed the red
brick automobile factory, in the office
of which Tom earned his comfortable
salary.
ST think the view is horrid," re-
piled Mildred. surprisingly 'and
don't want to be looking at that ugly
old factory all the time That's the
reason I'd like a high window
Tt may be ugly but it's the place
that is going to support u.s." Tom
spoke quietly, but he shut his lips into
q straight line in peculiar way he
had. Mildred knew that she dis
arrayed against the buffet window.
She answered emphatically. Uncle
Bob's kindly efforts could neither
stop nor turn aside the discussion
that followed. Their visit to the little
house was cut short, and they walked
home in constrained silence
After Uncle Bob had taken his de-
parture Mildred unwisely reopened
the subject of the window. What she
had said about the factory ranked,
though Tom tried to be fair. He was
hurt, and showed it. Mildred grew
unreasonable and then angry The
discussion andered away from the
window to other fields and grew ever
more bitter till Tom found himself
out in the street, homeward bound.
with his ring in his pocket and
throbbing pain in his hear.
The next day he would have tried
to patch up their differences. But
when he went to the Moore home it
was to discover that Mildred had al
ready gone to visit married sister a