The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-09-27

"Oh. tweetums tootums ickis dirir
he heard the ravishing voice exciaimL
"Oh, tootums ickle blue sashr'
1T cost Q dollar and eighty nine
cents" said Jane willie sat on the
cakes."
"Oh. no, he didntr Mrs. Baxter
laughed. "He didn't gutter
He had to 20 upstairs" said Jane.
And a. the stricken listener above
smote his forehead she added placidly.
He tore Q hole In his clo'es-"
She seemed about to furnish details,
her mood being communicative. but
Mrs. BAXTER led the way into the ''liv-
ing room" The hall 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. seethins 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 fastened into his own room
and took account Of his reverses.
Standing with his back to the mirror,
he obtained over his shoulder 4 view
Of his trousers which caused him 10
break out In . fresh Precipitation.
Again he wiped his forehead with the
handkerchief. and the result was IN
stantly visible I'm the mirror.
william began a feverish examina-
ton Of the garments hanging In q
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 II forth. threw
OF his coat and then. detected BY an
other glance at the mirror, began to
change his collar again. To quicken
the process he decided to straishten
the bent collar button. Using a shoe
horn as a lever. he succeeded In bring
ing the little cap or head Of the button
into its proper plane. but his Hnal
effort dislodged the cap from the rod
between II and the base. and II 6sw
on into space.
Here was Q calamity. Few things
are more useless than q decapitated
collar button, and william had no 9th
Or. He had made sure that II was his
last before he put II 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 shirt with an indigenous collar.
At nrst be did not realize the extent
Of bis misfortune. OF course William
searched his dressing table and his f.
Tiers, although he had been thorough.
" over both once before that day.
Next he went through most Of his
mothers and James accessories to the
toilet through trinket boxes, glove
boxes, hafrpin boxes, handkerchief
cases, even through sewing baskets
Utterly he convinced himself that IA.
dies not only use no collar buttons, but
also never pick them up and put them
among their own belongings. Jane,
arriving at his locked door upon IN
srrand. was hidden by . thick. unnat'
ural voice to depart
Mamma says, What In mercy't
name In the matterT" Jane called
She whispered to me, Go an sec
what In mercy's name is the matter
with Willie, an II the glass cut him
after all. an why don't he come down.
An why don't you. williel We're oil
avn the incest timer
"You g'wayr' said the strange voice
within the room. "0'wayr
swell, did the glass cut your
"Nol Keep quiet. 0'wayw
well. are you ev~ comm down te
your partyr
"Yes, I am. Gwayr'
Jane obeyed, and william somehow
completed the task upon which he wal
engaged. Genius had burst forth from
his despair. Necessity had become q
mother again, and Williams collar wal
in place. II was tied there. Under
his neektie was a piece Of string.
He had lost count Of time, but b.
was frantically aware OF Its passage
Agony was in the thought OF 90 many
rich moments FILTERED away upstair'
while Joe Bullitt and Johnnie Watson
made hay below. And there was an
other spur to haste In his fear thai
the behavior Of Mrs. Baxter might moi
be all that the guest of honor would
naturally expect Of Williams mother
A. for Jane. his mind filled with dread
shivers passed over him at intervals.
II was q dismal thing to appear at
party. and that his own, In last sum
mers suit, but when he had hastily
put It on and faced the mirror he fell
q little better-f0r three or four sec
onds. Then he turned to see how the
back of II looksd-and collapsed in Z
| chair, moaning.
He had worn these clothes on the
previous Saturday. and. returning from
q glorified walk with Miss Pratt. h
had demonstrated q fact to which his
near demolition Of the waters this aft
ernoon was additional testimony. Thu
fact. roughly stated. 70 that . person
Of seventeen In love II liable to oil
down anywhere. william had dream
lily seated himself upon q taboret II