Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 215, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1912 — Improvised [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Improvised

By JOANNA SINGLE

'(Copyright, 1812, by Associated Literary Because it was a moonlit summer evening and they were young, happy :and courageous, they bore the Infliction of Billy's music without throwing thinge at Idm. They liked Billy so much that even his Joyous rendition & "Juanita” in a sweet but hardly accurate tenor voioe to the twang of jhls guitar was received with patience, albeit neither man nor girl on the Wide, cushion-strewn veranda ceased 'talking or laughing or flirting. They jknew Billy would not expect that even from guests. Billy looked out on the little lake to a boat that drifted in the white [path made by the moon on the water. iand wondered what James Strafford was Baying to Stella. The wonder made him so wretched that he began ;an agonising improvisation. on the "Spanish Cavalier” with one of the guitar strings a bit flat. Then he notioed that Norma Main had come near |to him, the only silent one there, sitting on the top step, her fair head on her hands, her elbows on her knees. It struck him that Norma, poor child, needed comfort, too. By some Sixth sense he knew that Jimmy should In decency be saying to her whatever he was saying to Stella. He pondered miserably as to the reason Stella might have for suddenly evading him, Billy, and being ceaselessly [with the other man. She knew, too, that Norma and Strafford were lovers, l if not actually engaged. That made iher behavior worse. ; Then, to relieve his own pain, and add to that of those who had to listen, he sang “The Spanish Cava!lier,” and .then "In Old Madrid,” and then "Juanita” over again. Re knew only the three gongs, Which wsb fortunate, for had he known another he would have rendered that also. As ■lt was, he finally put down the longsuffering Instrument and tried to talk 'with Norma. ; The girl answered briefly in such a 'queer, half-choked little voice that he

linstinctively shielded her from the observation of the others by starting a great chatter of his own, and ask; Ing her to walk with.him. Without a. word she sauntered beside him down to the beach. He took her hand and put it on his arm. He had known her from childhood, and despite his hurt ,about Stella, he would not see Norma unhappy if he could help it. He talked on, and until he actually heard a distinct little sob from the girl he Ignored, her evident unhappiness, as jhe thought she would wish. ; "Look here, Norma," he said, “I won’t have you miserable. Can I do ianything? Do you inlnd telling me [what is the trouble?" ■ “Oh, don’t pretend you don’t know. ■lt’s dear of you, Billy, but you know well how ]miserable I am. iAnd you know why. I could kill Stella Morro—l hate her as—” < \ “As I love her, Norma. She acts 'as if she were bewitched. She has jnot stopped flirting with Strafford ifrom the minute he came out here. (And I had mother ask him Just for (you. I meant well. And I thought she ;was beginning to care for me—she (acted as if she did. What do you [suppose alls her?" ' "I don’t like to tell you,” she said [slowly, and he turned to look si her [profile In the moonlight, and at the well-carried figure. “It’s simile cattishness. She’s getting even with (me. t Tou never knew that there’s always been a silly feeling between of from the kindergarten up—some childish jealousy. I was done with it (ages ago, but I took honors in high school when she didn’t, and ft’s too foolish to teO, but I’ll tell you. Last winter Mrs. Vinoent gave a dance for Paul Forsythe—you weren’t here. You know he’s a sort of notable,, Rigglish, and awfully good looking. He seemed to take a great fancy to me—got psora dances than I should have given him. Wen, he begged to sitone out, and wr dl<L The awful part is that we were having, euch a really Jolly time that we sat out two dances. The last happened to be Stella’s. 8h? was forione. Of •course, it was awful of him, but she never forgave me. Of course it was my fault! She told Ifaude she’d get even, if 1( took all her life, ■' * J* i

but I didn't suppose she’d try to break things up between Jimmy and me.” . ; 'V'. , "He doesn't deserve yon, Norma,” began Billy .angrily, ahd than remembered that he was. criticising Stella as well, he way silent awhile. “I can’t understand women’s Vanity, Norma, and I wouldn’t believe this of her from anyone bat you. You’re too good a little Mend and too truthful not to he believed. Let’s help each other out Does anyone bat me know how you feel about Strafford?” She shook her head. “Not a soul!” I’ve been so ashamed of flirting with Jerry Patera Just to hide my real feelings! 11l stop or go straight home—” •' • • • • “You’ll stay right here! Going would be a confession. Tell you, Npnnle, let’s stay right by each other. You flirtwith me—and I’ll flirt with you, and we Won’t mind what anyone thinks. It may bring those two people to time What do you* say?” The girl nodded, but her heart was sore that James Strafford would yield to the aggressive, sparkling, almost malicious fascinations of Stella the moment she tried them on him. Billy was a comfort, and she told him so. They went back to the others. The next few weeks saw a queer change In the affairs of the dozen yonng people, most of them out at Billy’s summer home for a couple of months. Billy and Norma were always together, inseparable. As Strafford saw Norma so oblivious of him, he began to think of her more and more, wondering if Stella was, after all, the one girl for him? One morning he asked Norma for a walk, but she told him sweetly enough that she was golfing with Billy that day. No, she wouldn't go out on the lake In the evening—Billy wanted her to learn a new song. Behind them stood Stella, a queer look on her piquant, brown little face. Sauntering off to the garden, she managed to run against Billy—she was sweet and appealing and meek. She hadn’t seen anything of him, he was so busy with his duties of host. She would be glad when he wasn’t so bußy. She dimpled and sparkled, her old self to him, but somehow he could not risef'to the old ready adoration of the girl. Loyal himself, he loved loyalty In another. It was not that he couldn’t forgive, but he saw a lack of quality In her. She, to satisfy mere vanity, had hurt him, hurt Norma—and perhaps Strafford. Billy was grave. Courteously enough, he led her back to the house and started with Norma for the links. On the veranda Strafford also was looking after them. Stella turned to him with a queer little laugh, i "Quite a case, don’t you think, Jimmy?” He frowned. Suddenly he didn’t like her to call him "Jimmy,” though .jbie had begged her to do so not very ’long before. Neither did he like the light tone about Norma. He made some excuse and sulked away by himself with his pipe. ... Out on the links Billy and Norma golfed and laughed. They had sought comfort and had found It. It was thp evening that followed that Stella made a discovery. Billy and Norma had walkcftl out on the moonlit beach and sat. together on the sand watching a stiff breeze send the wares lapping up at the shore line. Billy put hi# am over Noma’s shoulder with a loving little movement., A light laugh made them both start, but Instinctively Billy kept his arm where It was." They looked np and saw Stella and Strafford, the latter walking unwillingly as though he wished he were elsewhere. Stella laughed again. "What a chamlng little scene! I hope we do not Interrupt? Is it real—or just Improvised, Romeo?” She addressed Billy and was answered by him. v < "Norma and I are real people—we don’t Improvise on a theme like—love. It’s real. Isn’t it, Norma?” * She nodded. Suddenly she knew that she and Billy loved each other deeply and sweetly, and that these other people and their little Jealousies and weaknesses meajnt nothing to either of them. ' But there was still enough feminine malice in the girl fa make her ask sweetly of Stella: “And you? Am ito wish you—” * . Strafford broke in rather angrily: "Don’t be absurd! Stella doesn’t enjoy that any more than—l do, and yon know it! Wont you and Billy come back to the house with ua?” j. Having put himself on record, Strafford knew Stella would expect no more of him. What did she deserve?' He told himself that everything was her fault. Hang girls, anyhow! He made for the smoking room and his worst old pipe at the flrst’possible moment. He leaned back and blew rings, and tried not to see Norma as a bride. That was a little too much for Strafford at- that time.

Tried Not to See Norma as a Bride.