The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-10
FOUR DANCING FEET

BY JANE PHELPS
Chapter 10.

THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING.
Chapter 10.
Poor dear Ma" Gertie wiped away
tear, ''she will miss me, I'm afraid"
Tom' busy getting thru the traffic,
waited a bit before he said:
"Of course she will! But I've missed
you all my life"
Nonsense! How could you rniss me
when you didn't even know there was
such person on earth ?"
But you were on earth, weren't
you? And so missed you"
They laughed and talked gay moth
ings as happy. young things will, in
terspersed with many love breathings
Tom felt all the joy of near possession.
Tomorrow at this time Gertie would
be his-his wife. With the thought he
glanced at her sweet face, and
obhvious, uncaring who might see he
leaned over and kissed her on her lips.
On, Tom! That old lady in the
limousine saw you, and she looked so
shocked" Gertie exclaimed. bIushing
III. shock her again. He suited
the action to the word, laughing gaiIy
as the old lady jerked down the cur
tain shutting herself out from any
would have called Toms open love-
making.
I'VE must go back now" Gertie said
at the end of an hour. Ma will be
looking for us. She's going to make
hot biscuits for you"
Her hot biscuits are something to
go for, I'll tell the world" Tom said
boyishly as he obediently turned the
machine toward home.
Mas been awfully good to us kids"
Gertie unused. It's been hard for her
sometimes. But Jennie's getting on
splendidly. If she wasn't I couldn't
marry you, Tom-even If do love you
SO it hurts"
IT hope it keeps n hurting! And
honestly Gertie, your mother will be
all right. Wen see to that. I'll be
her kid too after we are married. and
she can't refuse to let me do my
share"
Gertie laid her hand on Toms for a
moment. She didn't try to talk, she
couldn't! She was glad Tom was busy
crowded avenue now, and he was star
ing straight ahead. bent over the
wheel.
But Tom Norris-talking like that
tears hot in her eyes, and wiped them
away with the back of her hand Be-
fore she left she would tell Mattel
her just what Tom had said. Was
there ever such a dear man? And was
there in the whole world a girl as
| fortunate as she?
What had she ever done to deserve
such luck? She wondered as she
looked at his profile. She. poor un-
educated girl. That she had been the
support and comfort of her mother
all the years past; that she had gone
without unselfishly that the others
might have: that she had worked so
they might be kept together, and have
the education she lacked, never oc-
Cured to her as a reason she should
reap any reward.
That all these things had made her
very precious in Toms eyes, these and
her sweet innocence in spite of her
surroundings she had not graSped.
Here we are! I hope the biscuits
are stiH hotl" Tom said gayly inter-
rupting her musings. You haven't
spoken to me for ten minutes. What
have you been thinking about?
"You-and me-"
Were one after tomorrow, you'll
have only one to think of then" He
sensed a bit of sadness in her; laid 1t
to thoughts of leaving her mother, so
natural.
The biscuits were just out of the
oven, so Tim informed them before
they laid off their wraps
They're here, MAI he called. Now
we can have support
1t was a gay meal, and afterward
they spent a quiet evening in the little
living room talking over the wedding
that was to be in the morning.
Tom left early, and after he had
gone and Jennie and Tim were asleep,
Gertie and her mother had a long
quiet talk. Gertie told her what Tom
had said:
"He said that! He said he'd be my
kid too?" Mrs. Cummings repeated,
scarcely able to believe it. "A man
like him, my boy!"
yes, Ma. And he meant II too.
Tom always means what he says"
(Tomorrow-Gertie is Mrs. Tom Nor
ris.)