The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-20
EDening Story
Mildred,. Wager.

SlCoi DeIoF0 the piano IN Mlldreo
Browns little parlor. Mildred Brown.
music teacher. sat beside him on a
little, straight chair, watching his fin
gers intentIy. Harold looked scowl-
i1gIy at the music opened before him,
tFen looked hopelessly at his big
fingers, moved them awkward1y over
the Keys and struck. or rather at
tempted to strike, the opening chord
of the new piece teacher had given
him to study a week before.
"Ouch,'' said Mildred. her face reg
istering a sensation of actual physical
pain.
Iiarold took his fingers from the
keys and turned toward Mildred.
Teacher, I'm sorry,'' he said. Does
it really hurt you when / make mis-
takes?" He loked intently into the
reproachfuI eyes. I'm really sorry"
'If you were sorry, r-said the teach
er averting her eyes. you'd play bet
ter, Doesn't it hurt your ears when
you play discords?"
mot in the least" contested Har-
old
Mildred sighed. 81 guess you just
aren't musical she said.
II don't suppose 1 am Besides my
fingers are gsand clumsy
Il really don't see why you take
lessons then. hate to encourage
you
Harold again looked little too in
tently into the teachers eyes. You
haven't encouraged me. You haven't
said one encouraging thing about the
way play yet. If you want to know
why L go with the music I'll tell
you. It's because 1 am SO darned
fond of the teacher"
How absurd" Mildred said, with
eyes still averted; then cautiously
lessons before you had even Seen me
so you must have wanted to"
81 suppose it was a case of plain
loneliness" sighed Harold. There's
so little to do here in Stapleton. I've
been here six months and until 1
started taking music lessons from you,
two months ago, I~had never set foot
in anybody's house. The movies bore
me to extinction. I like golf. but no
one has suggested putting me up for
the Country club. / never saw such
an exclusive town as Stapleton.--'
"Oh, Stapleton has a heart of ice,
Mildred agreed. I've lived and
worked here six years, and I've never
been in any ones house except to give
lessons. The people think 1 am So
cially beneath them Because 1 teach
music"
And they think I am their So
cial inferior because
Because you came here to be man
ager of the Stapleton Mills without a
social introduction, because you are
a poor young man without a fortune
and without family. name that dates
back to the colonial years oh, 1 know
Stapleton. The only time they over
look the fact that a person doesn't
come from one of the first families is
when he has a nillions or So
Harold Shipway listened intently.
do you really think they are as mer-
cenary as that? 1 thought perhaps
they hadn't taken me up because they
hadn't got around to it I can't be-
lieye money counts for SO much -
Harold folded the music on the music
holder before him. you know don't
care for society or that sort of thing.
Only having ben brought up in a place
where my people knew every one I
got used to being made to feel at
home.a .telh you It's great having
people's doors standing open for you.
and knowing you'll be welcome once
in a while for dinner" Mr.. Shipway
sighed, Now, little teacher, I've said
enough about myself. I'm no duffer at
music, but 1 like to hear it. Besides,
I'm a little tired.1
But aren't you going to try!" said
the teacher, very much surprised to
see her hitherto docile pupil rising
deliberately from the piano stool
where he was supposed to sit for an
other half hour.
| mo, I'm going to sit in this COM
Portable chair and get you to play
something with a good old-fashtoned
tune to it. Won't you, please pc
Mildred Brown answered by draw
ing the morris chair nearer the piano
and lowering the back to a comfort
able angle. Then she lowered the VIM
dow shades to keep out the late after
noon sun and sat down at the piano.
First she played Home, Sweet Home
and then she played Mendelsso11n's
Spring Song" and then a half dozen
old fayorites that all sounded dimly
familiar to Harold -Shipway tho he
couldn't have told you the names of
their composers and Mildred didn't
trouble him by explaining.
When the clock struck to remind
teacher and pupils that the lesson was
over. Harold rose to go.
'Its been a little bit of heaven '
he said. II won't bother you to try
to teach me any more,' he said. ST
guess I'm too much of a dub-I-''
'Oh, 1 don't want you to stop"
said Mildred with alarm. "Only I
hate to take the money when Pm not
teaching you much. But don't let's
talk about that was just wonder
to stay and have dinner with Aunt
Nellie and me? It's really only sup
per; still Aunt Nellie would be CAD,
know"
Harold Shipway had followed Mil
dred to the door. "Of course, I'll
SLStyp ne SdlQ lOllOWlHB IleE out Oh
the little parlor down the hall toward
the dining. room door, but before
they reached the door, Harold Ship,
way drew very close to the little
teacher. He laid two hands on her
slight arms and for a moment stopped
and rested his head YEARLY on the
little shoulder, then he turned and
kissed the cheek.
You shouldn't do that" scolded
the teacher. and Harold was prompt
in his rather lame apology.
4 arr sorry, hut 1 suppose It is
because I'm so lonely here in Staple
ton. I just couldn't help it,
At Harold Shipway, feeling much
less lonely than he had felt earlier
in the day. was taking his departure.
1t was as he parted that Mildred Of
fered her wager.
Really there's no reason why Sta
pleton shouldn't open its doors to you
1 am going to make a wager that
within a week you'll have been in