The daily Alaskan., 1917-10-02

covery of Jane.
 "0h, tweetums tootums icrle diziP he heard the ravishing yoics Ae1ciatrn. "0h, tootums ickle blue Sashp
 lit cost U doQar and eighty-nine cents," said Jane. willie sat on the cakes"
 "Oh, no, he didn'tr Mrs. Baxter 1 laughed. He didn't quitep
 He had to go upstairs" said Jane. And as the stricken listener above smote his forehead she added placidfy, He tore a hole in his clo'es."
 She seemed about to furnish details, her mood being communicative, but Mrs. Baxter led the way into the 'iv- ing room" The hail was vacated, and only the murmur of voices and laugh ter reached William.
 William leaned upon the banister railing and thought thoughts about Jane. For several long, seething mo ments he thought of her exclusively. Then, spurred by the loud laughter of rivals and the agony of knowing that even in his own house they were mo nOpolizing the attention of one of the noblest, he hastened into hls own room and took account of his reyerses. Standing with his back to the mirror, he obtained over his shoulder a view of his trousers which caused him to break out In fresh precipitation. Again he wiped his forehead with the handkerchief, and the result was h. stantly visible in the mirror.
 William began n feverish examins- ton of the garments hanging in a clothes closet. There were two pairs of flannel trousers which would prob ably again be white and possible when cleaned and pressed. Beside them hung his last years summer suit of light gray.
 Feverishly he brought 1t forth. threw Of his coat and then, dehected by an- other glance at the mirror, began to change his collar again. To quicken the process he decided to straighten
 
 horn as a lever, he succeeded in bring ing the little cap or head of the button into It's proper plane, but his final effort dislodged the cap from the rod between 1t and the base, and 1t flew of into space.
 Here was a calamity. Few things are more useless than a decapitatei collar button, and William had no oth- CT. He had made sure that 1t was his last before he put It on that day; also be had ascertained that there was none in, on or about his fathers dress ing table. Finally, in the possession of neither William nor his father was there a shirt with an indigenous collar.
 At first he 6ld not realize the extent of his misfortune. Of course William searched his dressing table and his fa- ther's, although he had been thorough ly over both once before that day. Next be went through most of his mothers and lanes accessories to the toilet, through trinket boxes, glove boxes, hairpin boxes, handkerchief cases, even through sewing baskets Utterly he convinced himself that lR- dies not Se no collar buttons. but al a,..- .. them up and put them Gl .la.r own belongings. Jane, arr. his locked door upon an erraL yas bidden by a thick. unnat- ural ,oice to depart
 Mamma says, What iD mercy's name Is the m&tterY" Jane called She whispered to me. Co an see what ip Rercy's name is the matter with Willie. an if the glass cut him, after ell, an' why don't he come down. An why don't you, Willie? We're all hAvin' the incest timer
 "YOu g'wayg' said the strange voice within the room. "G'wayw "Well, did the glass cut you?'
 "No! Keep quiet. G'way"
 "Well, are you erer comM' |down to your party"
 "Yes, I am. G'way%
 Jane obeyed. and William somehow completed the task upon which he was engaged. Genius had burst forth from bis despair. Necessity had become mother again, and Williams collar was in place, It was tied there. Under his necktie was a piece of string. He had lost count of time, but he was fTantically aware of its passage. Agony was in the thought of so many rich moments frittered away upstairs while Joe Bullitt and Johnnie Watson made hay below. And there was an- other spur to haste in his fear that the behavior of Mrs. Baxter might not be all that the guest of honor would naturally expect Of Williams mother. AS for Jane, his mind filled with dread. Shiyers passed over him at intervals. It was a dismal thing to appear at a party, and that his own, in last sum- mer's suit, but when he had hastily put 1t on and faced the mirror he felt little better-for three or four sec onds. Then he turned to see how the back of 1t looked-and collapsed in 8 chair. moaning. (Continued tonorrow) / |[ZN85FFTSHFNl