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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1923)
“That rather floored her, I«think.” Denny gave Mildred a quick, searching glance. "Oh please come’” urged Mildred. “Granny would throw a fit if we should become friends. She’s try ing to scarce me into submission to that awful will of hers by threat ening to leave you all her money, you know. But I don’t care if she does. I'm going to marry Jimmy anyway.” “Jimmy?” gasped Denny incredu lously. ’’Why—you’ve got a Jimmy too!” exclaimed Mildred delightedly. ’’How perfectly delicious. Come along and tell me all about him.” Shee linked her arm through Denny's and started back toward i he roadster she had left parked in the drive. “My Jimmy’s an artist. He's the most awful dear—I adore him,” she confided. “What’s your Jimmy?” •'A—a plumber,” said Denny. “Beally? Where does he work? Tell me all about him. And about yourself, too!” By the time they reached the Country club Mllly had the de tails. "Do you mind if .1 tell them about the bargain basement?” she asked. ’•They'll be thrilled beyond words. Heally!” They were- They fairly V>e*ieg'd Denny with questions. ’ That,” announced one dark haired little girl, “is what T call living. Iteally doing something— anything!” lCnvy was in her eyes as she gazed at Denny. •‘You’d change your mind quick enough," thought Denny. Nevertheless she saw no reason lo lessen the Impression she had made. As they returned home, Milly turned a glowing face toward her. ' You made a hit!" she said. "Ini going to run up and tell Granny ail about It before I dress for dinner." Denny went to her own room. Spread out upon the bed was a smart little orchid satin frock for that evening and all the things that went with It—and under it. From the liathroom came the sound of running water, and Moul ton appeared. "I've laid out your things. Miss,’' said she austerely. "It's madam's ' eiders that I help you with your dressing. I’ve taken the liberty of . drawing your bath." ' Did madam also suggest that you make sure I wash behind my ears?" demanded Denny. Moulton managed to control her tongue. "Not at all.” she admitted. "Then please don’t try to.” sug gested Denny. Eleven people waited down stairs, all dominated by Mrs. Win throp-Chisholm. regal In black satin y»nd diamonds in old fash ioned setting. "This,” she announced, "is my adopted granddaughter. Denise J.ujdon The dinner Itself was deadly, Mrs. Winthrop-Chlsholm herself setting the key by relapsing into » grim silencet “Egypt's nueen!" thbuglit Denny. "it this Is the way they eat in so ciety, give mo Child’s.” The only ones who did not seem depressed were Milly and a tanned young man with very white teeth who sat beside’ each other across tire table from Denny. The moment dinner was finished MiUy's companion sought Denny out. "I wonder If we couldn't skip off somewhere," he suggested auila ciously. "Mrs. Wfnthrop Chisholm 1» going to take 40 winks and everybody else will be comatose for tho next half hour. Denny glanced up at him. He reminded her somehow of Jimmy. "Please come,” he urged. "I've arranged for a moon on the sea She hesitated and was lost. The wind was off the gen. fire flies lighted up tho half murk of the Italian garden. ■'Milly," he announced, "told mo all about you nt dinner. What did jou think of that, by the way?" itenny hesitated. "I'll say It for you." he offered "They all try to kill time all day an.l tinnlly murder It brutally nt dinner. I wouldn't have nppenred If Milly hadn't 'phoned that I'd be sorry If I didn't. I would have been, too," he added. Denny slanted a glanee at him Kay," she comrugnted, "you’re a fast little worker, aren't yon?” * "I've got to 1>«,” he retorted. ' I'll bet Milly will manage to tell you all my bad points before bed time," He laid Impulsive Angers over hers. "Hold your breath!" he command ed. "The moon is about to rise!" Ho was the first to break the si fence that followed. "A shooting star!" he exclaimed. "Do you know what Mint's a sign of?" "Bure," retorted Denny coolly. "It's a sign somebody's spt to get their face slapped If they don’t look out.’^ The white of his teeth flashed In a frankly unabashed smile. "I like you!" he assured her buoy antly. "You're the real thing.” "I like your nerve!” observed Denny. Stacy Ames was. In his way, al most Irresistible. And against him Milly felt called upon to issue warn ing at bed time. "Ho always rushes a girl that way,” Milly assured Denny. "Still, he’s really a dear, although his mother has done her best to spoil him. She was furious when he dis appeared with you—and so was Oranny. You see she wants me to marry him—” "She does!” Milly nodded. He sort of had a crush of mo when he came back from France and—well, I couldn’t see him. That was enough to set "that Stacy Ames will be around this morning to see you. He has a peach of a new roadster—a Den hanl Double Six. Stacy is a dear!" she went on. “Of course he's an awful will-o-the wlsp, but he's fallen hard for you. Trust another woman to see that. If you want a Den hard Double Six, here's your chance." sweetly, "How are you and Katie Kennedy getting along?” "Fine," he retorted. "I knew she was Just the girl for you,” she assured him. "And she's always been crazy about you, Jim my.” Jimmy grunted. "I’m gland to hear that somebody Is," he man aged. "A shooting star!” he exclaimed. “Do you know what that's a sign of?” "Sure,” returned Denny. “It’s a sign somebody’s about to get their face slapped.” ''.runny off. Granny Is that way. A thoroughly hateful old woman— but I'm kind of fond of her. . . . My dear! What Is happening in the bathroom?” Penny looked about, startled. The bathroom door was Just ajar, through the crevice came feather wisps of steam. "My!” gasped Denny, ”1 left the water running—” Milly sprang up. "What a lark!” she cried. "You must have turned the steam faucet by mistnke. The room is full of It." The expression on Penny's face, however, made her change her tone. "Don't worry," she advised. "We can turn It off." They tried. But the bath was like a boiler. "I—I almost reached it that time,' coughed Penny. "Perhaps next time—" "Bet's not bother any more,” Rug KORted Milly. "I'll ring for Haw kins.” Hawkins appeared. "We want you to shut off the steam faucet In the taithroom,"’ Mllly com ma nded. Hawkins managed to enter the bathroom. "The faucet seems stuck,” he announced and coughed. "Itegging your pardon, Miss, I'd better shut the steam off downstairs and have somebody in the morning to fix the faucet.” "Do ao," directed Mllly. “Then, when Hawkins had re tired, she turned to Denny. "Don’t worry—the plumbing's for ever getting out of order,” she said. She rose. "I’d better go to bed. Jimmy—my Jimmy, is paint Ing surf at Hock port and I promised to bo on hand by ten to motor him over. Night night." They met again at breakfast served In a bright little morning room. Mrs. Wlnthrop Chisholm, as Mllly explained, never appeared before lunch. “I’m commanded to appear !>efore her at nine thirty," she added. "I fear the worst.” "I’ll bet, ahe added Irrelevantly, Denny made no reply. "I wonder—" thought Milly, and Irenny wondered why Milly smiled. “I'm sorry to leave you to Gran ny for luneh." Milly apologized as she rose, "but I'll be back for after norm tea—if you survive. And by the way—where did you say your Jimmy worked?" That surprised Denny, but she gave the desired Information. "Thank you," acknowledged Milly. "I wondered If I remembered rightly." And then, with commendable blitheness, she departed, leaving Denise to pass out on to the terrace with nothing In ;*rUcular to do— and all day to do it in. "I'll wry this for the bargain basement," Denny was thinking "At least there's always something doing there." Kventually she found herself down by the boathouse and there she seated herself. "He,'.’ she mused, "Is just red headed and stubborn enough to marry Katie Kennedy to spite me. I suppose. Weil—he can!" When, an hour later, she started slowly back to the house, Stacy Ames suddenly appeared. "I’ve got a new boat waiting," tie announced Joyously. "Will you lake a ride with me?" "I ll be ready in a jiff." she prom ised him. Inside her room, however. she stopped short. The door to the bathroom stood open: on a rose col ored rug — inevitably — reposed an open bag of plumber's tools. The plumber stood hack to her. lean ami lithe and Just six feet with his shoes on. The problem In plumbing engrossed him deeply, be failed to hear Denny. And that gave her all the time she nreded to recover her self—pr ■clsely a second. "Hello.” said she coolly, "wliat are you doing here" Oh, It a me’" sin- ,<uic«l him, meeting Inrredul tty with all serenity, and asked "Lot's of girls arc. Jimmy," I>en ny assured him. "I was sort of crazy about you myself once, you know." "You needn't hammer that pipe so," she observed sweetly a moment later. "It's not me, you know.” Then. "You might ask me what I'm doing here. We were friends once, weren t we?” "Yes," exploded the badgered Jim my. "And I was just fool enough to think that—’ She went on relentlessly. "1 was going to tell you all about Mrs. Winthrop Chisholm and how she Wants to adopt me, but now I won't;" So saying, she turned away. "I don’t envy Katie the job of handling you." paid she. "I don't envy the man that has to handle you," retorted Jimmy, goad ed to It. "I could tell him a few things, whoever he may be—” "Go ahead,” she suggested. "He’s waiting for me downstairs now. He's got a new I/enhard Double Six he wants to show me and”— recklessly—"he's got a million all right, all right, and the sweetest disposition. I'm crazy about him already." To prove which, presumably, she marched to her dressing table and proceeded to powder her nose with great vigor. And there Milly, burst ing in, discovered her. "I've been looking everywhere for you.” she announced. "Granny wains to see you at once—" The sound of metal against metal, from the bath room, gave her pause. "Has the plumber come?’’ she de manded quickly. And as IVnny nodded she rushed on breathlessly. ' Did they rend your Jimmy? I gave express orders that I wanted him and no other. I had a time getting them to let him come so far. hut—" ''He's in there." admitted Denny. "Introduce me to hint," begged Milly. "Introduce yourself,’’ suggested Denny. “We're not exactly on speaking terms this morning—” "I will," agreed Milly, but paused to remark: "You'd better not keep granny waiting. I told her right out she was bluffing and she is per fectly furious." Then she disappeared into the bath room. Denny heard her blithe greeting to Jimmy. But she scorned eavesdropping, and lifting her firm little chin very high, she left the room. The chimes in the steeple of 8t. Peters by-the Sea were sounding 11, exquisitely, as she entered the inti mate domain of her professed fairy godmother, who, at that moment, looked more like a fire-breathing ogre. "I hope,” snapped Mrs. Winthrop Chisholm, "that you’ll learn that one of my little peculiarities is that I prefer people to come at once when I send for them, and not at their convenience. Sit down, I have something to say to you." "I prefer to stand,” Denny re torted in a voice that matched Mrs. Winthrop Chisholm's. "That's one of my little peculiarities. I got used to it in the bargain basement, you know." Now as to what followed after this auspicious beginning neither Mrs. Winthrop-Chisholm nor Denny ever had much to say, but at the end of 10 minutes Denny emerged, and, walking down the marble staircase with her head held higher than ever, almost walked into Stacy Ames. "Say!" he announced re-pro&cb fuljy. "I'd begun to think you'd given me the go-by." “Oh!" she retorted, startled. "I— I—I'm sorry, but—” Exactly five minutes later Jimmy gave the steam faucet a twirl and threw the Stillson wrench into his bag. "I m sorry," Hilly murmured helplessly. “I just tb-ught that if I could get you two together you'd forgive and forget—" He stooped and picked up his bag. “I," he announced, "wouldn't forgive her if she got down on her knees and begged me to. And there's that.” "I don’t think you're very nice,” flashed Hilly. “Neither does she," he retorted, “so that makes it quite unanimous, / I suppose." And thereupon he took his depart ure down the backstairs over which he had come. The door bv which he had entered gave Into a latticed in areaway. He had left his flivver drawn up s® that just the rear end showed be yond this. He lifted the cover up. hurled his bag in. slammed th® cover down and lighted a match. “You.” said the softest voice im aginable, “weren't very long, wer® you?" Jimmy could only gape incredu lously. "If you don't want me here," Den ny challenged quickly. “I’ll—" Jimmy swallowed. "I do," he said fervently, “but I thought—" A blush ran from her throat to her lovely hair. “Oh, Jimmy!" she broke In im petuously. “I suppose we 11 get like the McCarthy's and quarrel all the time, but I'd rather quarrel the rest of my life with you than any man I know!" “You mean'—'• She nodded. "I think." she as sured him, "that I might have got ten a Lenhard Double-Six at ‘that, but—oh, Jimmy, I love our fliv verT' She thrust open a battered door Invitingly, and h<» got in. But you said,** he began, “that the old lady—“ *'I>id you think.” she demanded, "that I'd stay here petting the wil lies while that Katie Kennedy grabbed you? I guess not!” Then, swiftly, she snuggled up against him. "Horae, James—dearest!” she commanded. And, glancing up at him from under her beAutiful lashes, she added, “ Mid pleasures and palaces—* there's no place like it. is there. Jimmy?*’ He swallowed. "And you’re giv ing them all up?” “Well.” confessed Denndy. “Mrs. Winthrop Ch.shdlm is awfully mad at me now but I wouldn’t be sur prised if she'd be sporet enough to send me the stuff she bought for me anyway. It — it would make a lovely trousseatTT Jimmy!” And Mrs Winthrop Ohishelm—be ing sport enough—did (Copyright. 19St.> A new type of speedboat has been designed in London to travel at 75 miles an hour. The craft is unbreakable and can be launched from the high deck of an ocean liner simply by being dropped over issu'd. Am FHTl-KMI NT. How Many Pounds Would You Like to Lose In a Week? 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