The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-11
EVENING STORY
The Japanese jug.
(By Sylvia TurnsI.)


people call wedding gifts 1 1on't know
what TODD. and it's blue and white.
Imagine that with Jacobean furniture
and dull olive decorations. think I'll
put it in the bathroom. l. goes beau
tifully with the white Filing
You poor fish,
''Rennie-'
'I mean goldfish, daring. Don't
you know the value of shat thing?"
The recent bridegroom stood before
the long, dark oak table ceaming on
the object that had just emerged from
many wraPpirgs. 1t was nearly two
feet high-a jug of blue snd white
porcelain. About it coiled in s!nuous
folds a most engaging dragon.
Uncle Barnaby has collected Chin
| nese procelains ever sim 1 can re-
member" informed the young hus-
! band. Il am sure it is worth its
| weight in gold. Well have to make
| a place for it somewhere. If 1 were
| in your place I would get pedestal"
! What kind of a pedestal?" asked
| Evelyn, scornfully.
"Oh, sort of white one" Ben
tried to make his tone genial. You
know what 1 mean. The kind they
put them on up at the museum"
81 KNOW" she said. gloomily. Par
dozen when you come home. dearest"
Ben eyed the jar apprait ingly
| I'll bet I could bring a hundred if
I had what that is WORTH he said.
You know, Eve, Uncle Barnaby's
the queerest old duffer. He lives all
alone at Crag-y More up on the Hud-
| son. His name is Barnaby Wynne-
| Jones, and he was born in Wales. 1
| haven't seen him since I ws-s in knee
breeches. I believe he has a general
| suspicion that everybody is after his
money, and that has sort of alienated
/ the family. bet if he could see my
bride he'd be glad that he sent such
a gift
THE dear old thing Evelyn said,
happily. Lets invite him down for a
week. Perhape he'd take a fancy to
you, and do something wonderful.
The following month Uncle Barnaby
arrived. He was a little, light-eyed,
alert man, with not very much to say,
but nothing escaped his ken. Almost
the first thing he spied was the porce-
lain jar on its pedestal in the sunny
| dining room. Evelyn had put tall
sprays of Towering almond in it and
japanese print on the wall behind it.
The pedestal was of ivory white, after
all, but it really made a very attract
| i've corner.
| "Humph!" sad the old gentleman.
Looks pretty good. doesn't 1t
reverently. And Eve added:
1--WE been up to the library and
read up all about japanese and Chi
nese porcelains."
You did, did you? Then you prob
ably found out that this is an imita'
ton"
The silence in the dining room for
A moment was unbroken. Eve did not
dare look at Ben. She was thinking
very rapidly. An almost irresistible
temptation to laugh stole over her
At least she had kept Ben from buy
ing an expensive pedestal to put the
jar on.
YES" Uncle Barnaby went on
pleasantly, 81 flatter myself it's one OF
the best limitations I have ever seen
1 had a lot of them made before
started disposing of my collection.
don't suppose you heard, Ben, two OF
the companies 1 had stock in went UT
in smoke, SO to speak. I've been rid
ing close to the wind for good many
years. One reason why l came down
here was to look around quietly for g
tidy little job of some sort. 1 haven
told anybody else in the family about
this, but you've always been steady
going sort of boy, and you were coun-
try bred, too. I'll tell you. Ben, Chi.
nese porcelains and Japanese jars
can't satisfy a man when he's lone
some"
The worst of it is" Ben told hi,
wife that night. you can't tell wheth
er he's joking or in earnest. Hes {
regular old Bre'r Rabbit for clever
Eess. He's just as liable to tell US al
!. that just to see how We'll take it an(
how We'll treat him. 1 don't believ,
he's lost everything he had"
We'll, I'll tell you," Evelyn wa
braiding her long brown hair thought
fully, as she sat before the three-fol,
mirror of the dressing table. Let
treat him as if we believed every
thing he said. There's one comfort,
7 the old thing does get broken now
: doesn't matter. I'm rather sorry
invited Miss Rutherford up for tea t.
l look at it,
: DONE tell her" advised Ben.
t "Oh, but she'll know, she's a con
no1sseur on porcelains."
The following Saturday Ann Ruth
3 erford arrived. Uncle Barnaby's bac1
! was turned as she entered the room
l Altho she was past forty Evelyl
: thought w. what stunning lookin
, n1zed authority, because of her ow
e beautiful collection. AS Uncle Barn
ably turned and saw her a look c
y utter amazement spread over his face
e while she gave a little exclamation c
e pleasure. why, Mr.. Wynne-Jone,
d to think of seeing you down here i
r New York at this time of the yea
s You've come for the Creighton auc
t ton, haven't you? The pieces ar
| marvellous, L hear
After she had gone the old ma
8 beamed happily at Evelyn.
n Round me out, didn't you?" h
: asked. We'll, did come down fo
# that sale, and your jars a real on
:. just wanted to try you out, and
r tell you one thing. if you'll invite An
4 Rutherford down often and kelp m
make her Bennie's aunt I'll give yo
=. some procelains that will make thu
n look like a toothbrush mug. She
the only person that 1 believe know
IS more about porcelains than 1 do"
q Evelyn went into the campaig
Is heart and soul. She willingly forgay
= the old gentleman his kindly decor
i ton in the spur of the chase 1t wa
j. such fun chaperoning this pair
Is lovers, she told Ben. From being
d hermit, Uncle Barnaby suddenly d.
veloped into a joyous spendthrift an