The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-24
EVENING STORY
The Yamping OF Mr. Dart.
BY DWIGHT TINGLE. SCOTT.

~ Ia
And all that rouge and those eye
say, girls. 1 don't see how Theda
Bara holds her job at all.''N
And do you know" interposed
Miss Prentiss, of the cost department
''she smokes like a chimney? Mrs.
Dean just missed catching her with-a
cigaret in the rest room yesterday
And how the men hang around her
desk-have you noticed it?" This
from Miss Brady, the office cashier.
Even Mr.. Dart l passed his desk
this morning; she/ had finished dicta-
ton and was sitting there talking.
Heard her say, If you're fond of regu-
lar music, you ought to hear two new
rolls have, for our piano. They're so
jazzy they just make your toes tickle.
And say, the big drouth hasn't hit our
house. yet, why don't you come over
some night?' And Mr.. Dart laughed
and said he would be there. with
bells on"
Get that, Elsie?" called Clara For
rest, of the billing department. You'd
better look after your Mr.. Dart, or the
new 'stenog.' will be running away
with him.
Elsie Hastings bit her lip and coll
ored t. the tips of her, pink ears.
"Really. girls. Mr.. Dart and 1 are
only good friends. He is free to do
as he chooses"
Bravely enough pretty little, Elsie
said it, but there had been "a cruel
tugging at her heart as she watched
the office vampires bold overeures to-
status of Elsie and Phil had been only
that of good friends, but Phil had
been coming to see her every week for
the last six months. a
He was fond of music-the light
classics, which Elsie played so well.
Their tastes were alike in books and
pictures. without a word passing,
Elsie had come to feel that Phil only
awaited the time when his future
might be little better assured to turn
their camaraderie into something more
serious.
oaly this week he had gotten the
promotion for which he had been
working So Elsie had been looking
forward with, more than the usual
amount of happiness to Friday night.
Then came Mayme Debussy, and
things changed.
How could Elsie attribute to any,
thing but this Phil Darts apparent
abstraction that morning when he had
dictated to her? Certainly his mind
had been far away for he had fall
tered and revised and repeated him
self in way foreign to his usual con-
fident manner.
Some regular-fellow that Dart
and perched languidly on the corner
of E1sie's desk.
The noon whistle had sounded, but
Elsie was fastening to finish a bit of
work before going to the lunch room.
1t was like a. sudden challenge-this
direct mention of PhiPs- name Elsie
felt herself color. She wanted to look
Mayme squarely in the face and an
swer indifferently. Instead she heard
herself stammering:
Yes, Mr.. Dart is NICE
''Ill say he is. You know" and
Mayme smiled down at the other in
a patronizing way. 81 don't see why
some of you girls don't go after him.
But it'll take real class to-get him,
think could learn to like him pretty
much myself"
The color i'm the other girls face
heightened quickly. Il don't think
Mr.. Dart is the sort who would care
to have, women go after him. ;"
The new stenographer laughed
mocking1y- "Pshaw.. you don't know
much about men. They are all alike.
They liked to be vamped."
And Mayme Debussy slipped down
from her seat and moved toward the
lunchroom with a superior and
worldly-wise air that set Elsie to
pounding the keys of her machine
Could it be that/Phil Dart was like
that? Before Friday night Elsie felt
sure that he was. Moreover, deep in
her heart she evolved a plaza plan
to beat this flashy rival at her own
game.
During the few days Mayme lad
been in the office Elsie had studied
her carefully. She had made note of
her slangy talk, her vapid manner
isms.
AS a first step. Elsie called at the
store where she had just bought a
c nj y, Ii 20
|, it too extreme at the neck, she or
dered 1t altered. This alteration she
Cancelled. Next She went up to the
Here. to the jangling of a-thin-
toned piano, young man., thru a
music. proclaimed in syncopated
measure:
Just take It from me,
Just take it from me.
You can't shimmy oil night,
On cup OF tea.
This musical gem and others of a
like nature she bought, and when she
left the store she had also acquired
a lip stick, an eye pencil and, to these,
she added "a, package of cigarets.
Come right in, Phil" Elsie gushed
as she met him at the door. .'r have
got some of the SWEETEST new .nusic-A
you'll Just love it to death"
Perplexeds Phil followed into the
parlor. to encounter the scent OF
smoke. Elsie.s brother had followed
instructions. The room reeked OF
them. Deliberately Elsie took a half
smoked cigaret from off the keyboard
and tossed it into the fire, slipping
the partly used package into the
bodice of her dress.
ViHaciouSly she ran thru the music
dispensing the interludes with slangy
comment, thanks. too, to her Btother's
coaching. On and on she prattled,
but Phil Darts usual quiet mood be-
came omihous Suddely 1t dawned
upon Elsie. vt was still the other wo-
mantle real vampire-he did not
care for this pitiful little imitation.
She had failed. Oh, the bitterness OF
ito lose-him to such a woman. Oh.
the awfulness Of herrtrying to hold
Observation-Disclosures
STheGeOroe NJ