The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-04
Euening Story
Tell EN- Nothing,
NBY III. LOUIS RAYBOLD

mani. cried Bill EDWARDS, waving his
napkin to attract attention, land it's
summed up in these words: Catch
'em young (Which you did,, treat
| 'em rough, and tell 'em nothing"
Hear. heart" cried the crowd
gathered in the dining room of the
Westlock Lawn club to bid George
Evans goodby as bachelor and god
speed as benedict.
BayIey Robinson watched the pro-
ceedir.ss with amused eyes. His turn
at this sort of a thing would arrive
presently, for his wedding day and
Janey's was set a brief six months
away Consequently he wasn't averse
to gathering any random scraps of adj
vice and slowing them~aWay for future
use. This little catch-phrase doggerel
I, he had just heard. for instance
| Spoken in jest, would it bear serious
consideration?
| Catch 'em young" Janey was just
past twenty. young enough certainly
for these days when many girl man
aged to slip in college course and
career before marrying.
| Threat 'em rough"-well, hardly,
considering his six-foot-one and
Janey's scarce five-foot-five.
Tell 'em nothing" There. now,
might be a point. For Janey was the
most inauisitive little soul on the face
of the earth. where did you eat
lunch today. Bayley?" What made
you ten minutes late, dear?," What
are you thinking about-business, or
me?' That was Janey Middleton.
And the question was, would 1t
wear off with married life, being
/ merely sentimental interest in him
and his doings altogether commenda-
BILE, or would he, hereafter, be ac-
countable to that slip of femininity for
every thought of his brain. every mo-
ment of his time? Bayley decided,
/ -icrIaf rrrit0
Janey. So many marriages were
wrecked nowadays because of fail
ure to take a firm stand at the be-
ginning, he told himself. The thing
to do was not so to merge ones own
| individuality with that of the loved
one as to lose it entirely, but, while
becoming theoretically one whole, to
remain actually two halves
! AS result of this decision Bayley
determined on a course of action
which. carried to a conclusion, might
ultimately have changed his wedding
church music and solemn promises
! into simply, 1.-The day on which 1 was
to have married Janey."
As it was-well, it began with
telegram. Bayley was the eastern
representative of a tremendously big
concern dealing exclusively in
women's highgrade tailormades, to
speak in terms of the trade" The
telegram announced the intended visit
of a buyer from one of the most eX-
elusive shops in New England's largest
city, visit which would probably Gull
inmate in an order mounting well into
| the thousands.
Bayley knew this buyer-had
/ known her for years-kenw her for
/ capable, intelligent woman about ten
years his senior, with a mind single
! to business. Now had it not been for
Bill Edwards silly doggerel. Bayley
/ would have explained all this to Janey,
and all would presumably have been
4 we'll, But it unhappily occurred to
I Bayley that here was an excellent OPP
portunity for beginning that policy of
| telling Janey nothing Janey would
never know and would be spared any
! slight feeling of jealousy at her Bay
| ley ordering "grilled lobster for two"
| when somebody else than she was the
other one of the two.
So, in the due course of events, Miss
Dobson and Bayley had their lunch
con. Bayley's firm received a $4,000
order. out of Which Bay1ey pulled
nice little commission, and that eve
ming Bayley presented himself. as he
always did on Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday nights, at the Mid
dleton apartment.
| While waiting some few minutes for
| fancy Bayley's thought dwelt com
placently on his com mission. which
would go to swell that particular fund
! labeled wedding trip expenses, and
| on his wisdom in sparing Janey the
details of his business.
| Then in came Janey, softly, auur-
ingly gowned in old rose taffeta with
| quaint draperies which emphasized
| her slenderness. If her wistful gray
eyes were a bit teary rather than
laughing Bayley didn't observe it.
| being much more concerned over the
| dexterity with which she evaded his
eager arms and customary kiss and
slipped over to a prim stright-backe
chair instead of sinking down into
the blue velour depths of the other
corner of the davenport on which he
himself had been sitting.
81 say. Janey, dear!" he said, dis
turbed, nothing wrong?"
! ooh. no." returned Janey,- with a
promptness and sweetness of emphasis
which would have warned more ex-
psrienced man. Then. Where were
you, around 2 o'clock, Baylcy?" she
asked-quite casually.
| Me? oh. L was out"
| "Alone?''
''No-o-that is, you see, an out-of-
town buyer happened in And you
know how it is. I've explained, dear.
that when people come on, it's often
up to me TO put them in a pleasant
frame of mind, and eating is always
sociable way of spending the time, and
| So
| What buyer was it?"
i Janey's artless questions couldn't
! have been more involving if she had
deliberately planned them for his I'M
| doing.
.Dobson," he said, desperately.
/ "Dobson. of Boston"
'M-m-m." said Janey. Miss or
Mrs. %
1t was no use. How the deuce"
| he began.
! "Oh, Bayley!" walled Janey why
didn't you tell me? It's not the thing
itself but the concealment that mind!
You see, father said could have the
ear downtown this afternoon. and I
waited until l was sure you had re-
turned from lunch. Then I telephoned
to see If 1 could bring you home at
five The stenographer said you mad
gone out at one. saying you wouldn't