Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-23


him.
do come in and sing something,
Billy" she whispered. I'm afraid the
evenings beginning to drag"
Warden arose dutifully and followed
her into the house toward the piano
while She announced from the door /;
Come on everybody, Billy's going to
sing"
And everybody trailed into the room
where Billy was already running over
the piano keys aimlessly.
"What'll you hayeT he asked over
his shoulder to the gay assemblage.
Something sad-something mushy-
or something frivolousi"
Something frivolous!s was the
unanimous request.
So Billy's fingers strayed into a syn
copating melody as he threw back his
blond head and sang In his rollicking
baritone:
In q certain situation
While engaged In q filtration,
When she asks you II forever
You will love her
Don't fall In CONSERVATION
For that maiden's appreciation,
Nor make promise that youth never
Love another.
BY Judicious implication
And little OSCILLATION,
Break 1t gently and be clever
Love the girl, but not forever.
For forever IL a long, long time!
Forever is long, long time" ap-
plauded one of the men. fright you
are, Billyw
A little later after he had managed
to break away from the piano, Edna
Barns caught him In the hall and faced
him accusingly.
"a man OF your talent ought to be
ashamed to have such frivolous phil
osophy, Billy Wardon," she said Inn
patiently.
Billy was bland and his eye was in
nocent.
"Since that heartless song Of yours,
Emily Wayne has been out In a dark
corner of the veranda weeping her
eyes out" she chided.
81 never made love to Emily Wayne
In my life" he protested.
"You make love to every woman you
meet-with your eyes, Billy" she &C.
cused.s
81 don'ti" denied Billy rudely.
"You do, too" she insisted. "You
even make love to me that way
you're doing 1t nowp
For an instant his serious glance
sought hers as she stood there looking
up at him. "This is a grand little old
life-not" he said. with pathetic
grin. Emily Wayne loves me- love
you-you love Jim Bradley-and Jim
loves Emily. Outside Of that we're all
as happy as bunch Of pickpockets at
a prison wardens' convention" And
he moved off gloomily toward the We
randa in search Of the grieving Emily,
while Edna watched him go with
q perplexed little smile on her lips.
But he did not find Emily. although
he did find Jim Bradley. smoking
moodily.
"Jim." said Billy, "what we want In
this world don't amount to much, but
what the women want-that's differ
enti Now, want Edna, and you want
Emily-but women being contrary,
Edna wants you. and Emily wants me.
Now. it's up to us to make them happy,
so the only thing to do Is for you to go
ahead and marry Edna and I'll 60 and
find Emily and ix 1t up with her"
But don't want Edna" protested
Jim violently. "and I'll be darned If
I'll stand your marrying Emily. I
want her myself"
why. you big chumpl l don't want
her-wouldn't have her on a bet. But
we've got a chance to make the two
finest girls In the world happy by a
little sacrifice on our part.
Finally. after much persuasion, Jim
agreed, but when he decoyed Edna out
onto the lawn under the trees, she was
thunderstruck at his proposal.
"Why, JIM" she said. 81 like you
one-and he is so stupid ] guess I'll
have to propose to him myself"
But Billy was not so easily discOur-
aged. "You see, it's like this. Emily.
I've been thinking about marrying you
for a-Some time-and we might just
as well go ahead and have it over
with"
BILLY" laughed Emily, "you remind
me Of the Charge of the Light Bri.
gade, but even so. might marry you
II it weren't for the fact I'm In love
with somebody else"
'Well," said Jim grouchily, as the
two of them conferred by the front
steps. syour dope was all wrong. And
we're both out Of IT. Emily, 1t seems
loves somebody else. but 1t isn't me
and Edna loves somebody else, but II
isn't you. There's no eternal triangle
to this tragedy, it's more like a hollow
square"
81 guess we have leased them
enough" came In Emily's amused
voice. but can you imagine two grown
men being so stupid7"
mo, can't; but then" said the prac.
teal Edna. stupid men make the best
husbands"
Whereat Billy looked at Jim and Jim
looked at Billy. Then with one and
the same impulse they charged on
those two defenseless maidens with eff.
fective suddenness.
And an instant later Emily was muir.
muring: 81 thought you'd know 1t was
Joke" While the practical Edna was
pleading-"Forever isn't long, long
time-is Il, Billyr
mot for a stupid husband" said
Billy blandly.
,,-,. w.. Fla. 49,.