The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-18
EVENING STORY
The Thing That Counts.
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(By Sarl Reed Silvers.)

Mildred looked up at him with
| rather wistful eyes. They were rather
| pretty eyes, too, as Jimmy had more
than once noticed; and hidden in their
| depths was a light which. if Jimmy
had been a little wiser. would have
told him something which would have
| made his heart miss beat or two.
But Jimmy was ignorant in the ways
of woman. Mildred was the only girl
he had ever really known, and he
knew>her so well that he had begun
! to look upon her as he would a sister.
! They played tennis together, motored
around town in JImmy's big car and
''bawled each other OUT whenever the
| occasion demanded.
They had grown up together. Ever
since the new little girl next door had
stuck out her tongue at him Jimmy
had felt rather proprietary interest
| in Mildred. Perhaps the years
| wore on and Mildred grew into the
! promise of womanhood she wondered
| if Jimmy'S interest would ever be 9TH
er than neighborly. But. whatever her
| thoughts, she kept them strictly to
i herself. And Jimmy, satisfied to let
things run their course, took Mildred
| to dances and card parties and forgot
| that perhaps other men would see in
| his companion charms to which he
himself was oblivious. Mildred had
never cared much for .'her men; she
smiled at them and da ..ced with them,
| but in her attitude Was an impersonal
note which rather discouraged further
| advances And so, until the Assembly
ball at the Country club, Mildred and
| Jimmy pursued the even tenor of
their ways.
And then John Hastings appeared.
| He was sitting the porch of the
club when Jimrny's car drew up. and
as soon as his eyes dwelt upon Mil
overspread his features. When Jimmy
| returned from parking the car he
| found Mildred in animated converse
ton with good-locking young man
who was evidently a stranger in
| Bridgetown.
"Oh, Jimmy" she exclaimed, hap
PLY. This is John Hastings, whom
met last summer at the shore. You've
heard me speak of him, I'm sure"
Jimmy had heard her speak of him
a good deal. and he regarded the new
conner with interest. He saw a black
haired. black-eyed man of about 80,
with a weli-formed nose and rather
aggressive chin. A sudden dislike for
the stranger came over him. But jim
my was nothing if not polite, so he ex-
tended his hand pleasantly.
I'm mighty pleased to meet you,
he announced in a voice which seemed
perfectly sincere. Mildred has told
me about your good times last sum-
mer.''
"Oh, yes" the man answered, Mil
lie and I enjoyed ourselves very
much"
Mile! A sudden unreasonable jeaI-
ousy smote the heart of Jimmy Bar
rett What right had that fellow to
call her Mile? Vaguely Jimmy re-
called incidents Mildred had told him
Iabout in which undoubtedly Hastings
must have had IL part. AT that time
he had listened patiently and had dis
missed them as trivial; now they as
summed monstrous proportions
From within the club the orchestra
- Terff
ed to Mildred.
May 1 have the pleasure?" he
asked
Mildred, with a glance at Jimmy s
unexpectedly frowning face. dimpled
mischievous1y.
I'D be delighted" she answered.
i When they returned from the dance,
they found Jimmy standing where they
had left him. During the five minute
in which Mildred had danced with
Hastings, Jimmy's heart had revealed
itself Waiting in the shadows OF
the porch, under the lure of soft
, music, Jimmy suddenly discoveret
that Midi ed McAdams meant more to
him than any one else in the world
l jealousy he watched as she smiled up
into the lace of her partner. he i'm
agined that there was light in her
eyes which he had never seen before
The possibility of her being in love
with Hastings came to him with start
t ling suddenness What if she was
Jimmy leaned his head against the
, porch pillar and frowl.ed miscrab1y
What # Mildred were in love with
another man?
He tried to smile, however, when
! the other two returned. Hastings. his
: face rather flushed, nodded absently
> > to Jimmy.
''Millie is just as perfect a dancer
as she ever was" he announced Then
he turned to the girl. Il hope that
!, you will give me good many more
dances tonight"
? Mildred glanced at Jimmy, who was
laring ct her almost fjercely. Some
thing in lis ewes made her catch her
breath sharply and her heart sudden
. ly threatened to run away from her.
You may have the third one after
this" she said to Hastings, 'anG after
that I'll think about it,.
Jimmy claimed Mildred as his part
ner for the second dance. He didn't
:. say much, but the girl ina gined that
he held her just little tighter than
i was necessary. When the dance was
over he led her out into the farthest
l recess of the porch.
Did you have very much to do
with Hastings last summer" ne ask
; ed abruptly
Not SO very much Why? DON.
you Hks him p
: He seems like pretty fair sort OF
chap" Jimmy answered honestly
But nate him just the same
=. Mildred regarded him with startled
I eyes.
why, Jimmy" she said II didn't
think you'd act like this"
Cant / hate a man if / want to -
Jimmy demanded. do you like him
very much?"
Yes; very much
OH
The bottom of the world suddenly
! fell out under Jimmy's feet. Mildred's
, calm statement that she liked Hast.
; ings very much left him gasping for
|. breath. If at that moment he had
: glanced at his companion he might
have seen the hint of a twinkle in the
corner of her, eye. But Jimmy was
looking off into a future which was
blacker than night itself.