Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-31
CHAPTER XVII


for some glimpse of her man. Where
was he? Why wasn't he with her
to bask with her in the spotlight
of her young popularity? Did he
even know that the wife he had left
so short a time before as a shabby
unknown, had blossomed in the brief
interval-a short half hour-into a
celebrity? Where - oh, where was
her man, her Jack?
Forgotten now the ch~attering. flut-
teriEg, flappery young things sur
rounding her. Almost wildly her
gaze darted from n group to an
other, seeking, hunting for the tall
form in blue serge Then she caught
sight OF her father and he, respond
ing to her frantic wig-waggering,
made his way to her side, wondering
at her manner.
"Have you seen Jack lately" she
questioned him, in. an agonized whis-
ped. He shook his head, staring at
her perplexedly.
"Well-go find him." she com
manded, ficrcely. Hes with-her!"
Being with Her" evidently con-
stituted good and sufficient reason
for instant, decisive, pcremptory ac-
tion on Jills part-or on that of her
friends. BY the emphasis placed on
the pronoun one might, almost, have
said il constituted ground fer legal
action.
"Pipe down, little woman, pipe
down." ~counseled Peter, softly.
There's no call for being worried
about Jack. He isn't lost. C'mon."
he added. laying his hand on her
arm. "Ill treat you 10 an ice cream
soda. You must be thirsty after that
exercised"
He piloted her acress the room 10
a door leading into a sort of combi-
nation grill and ice cream parlor.
Potted palms % feet tall, in square
mahogany veneered cases, with mar
BILE tops at which patrons stood in
being served. filled the place.
Shaded rcd bulbs cast a mellow
glow over the scene. A pretty wait
ress in a pretty white uniform took
their orders, flashed them a smile in
return, and whisked away IN her err
rand. Then Peter, his hand still on
Jills arm, felt the muscles 20 sud
denly tense. AZ the same instant he
saw and heard the cause. IL was in
cased in q very small gown OF SHIN
mery lace and stood very close to a
tall form in blue serge. On the
marble counter in front Of each was
a Lovers Delight" the retail price
Of which was % cents.
What Peter didn't see. and didn't
know was that on the very day be-
fore Jill had asked sack If he could
spare her 80 cents 70 put with the
1 1-ll.- - E.NLa~ Lad nfu.1 hnW m
ward the purchase Of a new pair Of
stockings. Jack had been lawfully
sorry-it sure was awful 10 be poor,
etc" And Jill had worn her old cot
ION stockings. And-and now he
was spending that sum to treat this
Nike girl. . What jill didn't
know was that "this Mike girl was
doing the treating-that Jack Stuart
had confessed frankly 10 her that he
was broke" Little things, insig-
n~ificant things-but, on, their vital
Importance in the summing Up OF
marriage totals!
Peter Justin's keen old eyes looked
on the little bit of the life drama
unfolding, as it were, under his very
nose and his heart ached for the
woman III his side. Her love-dream
at its bast. had been more or less OF
a poyerty-ridden nightmare. and nov
he stiffened at what he saw
and wh.t he knew the young wife
saw. He shot a swift glance at her
noted lie compressed lips and mar
rowed fds. and just a tinge Of Eel
low sympathy shaded his censure q
the young man in the blue serge
suit.
For shat TO which they had just
been witness was not, IN itself, any
thing for a wife 10 tear her hail
about-that is. providing the wife''
presence at the moment had beer
known to the two.
Ii was really a perfectly harmless
If rather silly-little incident. ant
its like has been enacted thousand
az times in thousands Of places b,
thousands of couples. 1t even ha'
a name. The act being called Eating
the Flopena"-or omething hk'
that. There are. however, varioal
ways in which the act may he per
formed. On the occasion recorded u
this instance. the young mar said
LET US eat our bananas toCeth
~ a Filopena. Miss Sweeney" y.
this the yo1ng woman in the shin
merry gown replied:
"All right. But--you don't have 4
call me Miss Sweeney you know
You might call be Mike"
Thanks. Then you must call m
Jack"
"All right. jack"
Then they ate the Filopena 70
~ether; ne ate hers and she ate his
Then they laughed. At what an
! for why they could not have tolC
! II was at that iuncture that jill
! stepped back and then out from II
shadow OF n palm just as II she wer
entering the room at the momen
and had seen the two just then.
why. jack" she exclaimed, glew
ingly. II thought you'd deserted m
since Fame had crowned ms as
what do they call a dancing women ?
Not by word or action did she be
J tray the fact that she had been wit
ness to the eating Of the Filopen'
: Perhaps IL occurred 10 her that, a