The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-10
EVENING STSRY
.Jirn'S Will.
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

Jim, let me explain. was the big
Westerner Edith was going to marry
| and they had been out buying furni-
| ture for their house. The house itself
| had been a rock upon which their
| prospects of marital bliss had almost
gone to pieces, but Edith had finally
given in and allowed Jim to buy the
substantial horror of brick and stone
| that he insisted upon.
| Your little bungalow is pretty,
dear" he said when she took him to
| the house she had set her heart on. a
| low rambling Dutch type of stone and
stucco, but I'd feel like CULVER in
the Land of Lilliput You may have
| toy affair like that somewhere for
| the summer, if you want but I'll have
| to have something solid under my
| feet, dear. I've been accustomed to
solid terra firma for so long, 1 can't
| live in a shell now
| So Edith had consented to start her
married life in the house of Jim's
| choice.
But she had ideas of her own about
| furnishing it. What, then, was her
! chagrin to discover that Jim had ideas,
| too. He laughed at the spider-legged
set she wanted for the dining room.
| I'D upset the table the first meal,' he
| said. SHOW us something substantial
none of this doll house stuff" he in
| sisted, and Edith found herself, in
| stead of reveling in Queen Anne and
| adam sets as she had planned, trying
to decide on tables and buffets that
would have graced-or not-state dim
| ing rooms of royalty, and as substan-
! tial as the sarcophagus of Napoleon.
Seems to suit the house better.
don't you think" he asked.
! And Edith was compelled to ac-
knowledge that it did.
| She longed' for living room of
| wicker and chintZ, and a library of
rare old mahogany. But Jim would
/ have none of it. Heavy, massive leather
/ II III,
You forget I'm big, dearie." he
said. I'D go thru that light stuff in
no time"
But the worst had been the piano
She abhorred victrolas. but had re-
manned mute when he paid four hun
dred and fifty dollars for an electric
| one. The one thing she did insist
upon was the choice of a piano. What
she wanted was a two thousand dollar
grand like her own at home.
| But when Jim saw it he remarked
| Where do you put the rolls in?'
| THE rolls? oh, this isn't player
piano. dear. I'll play it, YOU see."
But when you're away and L want
music what shall L do?"
| But I'll not be away, dear. much"
| But can't you play on the other
kind, too? I'd like to have one that
goes by electricity. They're made,
aren't they?"
| They were, and Jim bought one for
! TOUR thousand
| Now, Edith was back in her own
room looking at her own pretty face
in the mirror of her dressing table.
| Was she quite sure she was going to
be happy with Jim. her big Jim, who
had come to New York and taken her
| heart by storm just when she had
about decided to marry Herbert Nor
row.
| Herbert was an artist and. she shiv-
! cred when she thought of his judg-
ment of her new home. He had such
VI wonderful ideas about furnishing.
| Just then her telephone rang. 1t
was Herbert Morrow himself.
| What do you say to a little spin in
my new car, Edith, just for old times
sake. It's a perfect day.
Any other time she would have re-
| fused, but some way now she wanted
to 60 They admired the same views,
| the same houses and gardens. the
shadows of cloud on the water, the
! film of new green on bra inch. She
thought it would be refreshing after
| trying day.
| "All right. I'll CO." she said. "A spin
| in the park would do me good"
A few minutes later they were fly
| ing over the broad, smooth driveway,
the col spring wind in their faces.
| bringing a wonderful color to Edith's
cheeks.
You're beautiful today, Edith. But
you're always beautiful. 1 hope Jim
Winter appreciates his luck"
Don't be extravagant, Bert. It's
likely to turn my silly head for any
one with your taste to make complf-
ments. Jims dear, but do you know
he doesn't know the Metropolitan
museum fl ON a straw stack when it
| comes to art
They both laughed gaily at this and
didn't see the dog that had started to
cross the road at the turn. There
was yelp, and the poor thing lay
kicking heap behind them.
Edith caught Herbert's arm. ''Oh,
| do turn back. We've run over him
and killed him.
He was only a cur. They've no
| right here in the park. you know.
There's a policeman-he'n shoot him
if he's not dead. Don't worry, my
dear girl, it's done all the time. A
few less to feed here would be good
thing anyhow. 1t would release thou
sands of pounds of food for the SOL
diers.
| 1t was an argument she could not
deny and she ceased turning to ascer-
tain the dogs fate, but the afternoon
was spoiled now; she asked to go
home.
New Workers are funny people"
Jim said the next day. Yesterday aft
ernoon I found a hurt dog in the
park-some car had run over him and
then gone ahead. A policeman was
just going to shoot him when 1 came
along riding Prince"
Didn't you let him? Surely it
| would have been more merciful''
"Merciful. I said the dog was hurt
didn't say he couldn't live. I al
most had to wallop the cop before he
put his gun away"
"Oh, Jim. what did you do?"
We'll, 1 couldn't take him to the
hospital on Prince, SO I stopped a car"
Jim grinned. 1T was big limousine
all lid with pearl gray stuff and
two men on tie box. Milady was out
for airing
You never did, Jim Winter"
Sure 1 did. And. l made the DO
liceman take care of Prince while l
lifted the poor thing into the car, and
then got in myself and held his head
The old woman iahbered and fused