Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1919 — What a Uniform Will Do [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

What a Uniform Will Do

By KITTY PARSONS

(Copyright, 1»18. by th# McClure Nrw«p<por Syndicate.) "But I don't want to be engaged to anyone, Russell. It’s ever so much nicer to be good friends and play around together. If we were married you wouldn't be half so nice to me, I’m sure. And you wouldn’t let me go around with other men or anything else, either!” "You bet I wouldn’t.” “Well, I like to see other men—lt keeps you from growing bored with me, too. Don’t let’s talk about marriage any more—l don’t want to think about It.” “Then I guess you don’t care anything about me anyway. I’ve been proposing to.you steadily for over a year, and if you did, you would have found it out by this time.” “I’m awfully fond of you, Russ, but I guess I just don’t want to get married at all —I have such a nice time being single that I don’t W’ant to change. I’m sorry, but I can't help It.” “No, I suppose you can’t. I have half a mind to go South on that business trip, instead of sending Smith — I would have gone In the first place If it hadn’t been for you.” “Ob, don’t go, Ruas. There are lota of other engineers who can go way down to that horrid place who aren’t needed here at all. I’ll miss you a lot.” Mollie Dean showed signs of real feeling in her voice for the first time, but Russell did not notice it. “I’ll think it over. I’ll have to run along now, too. I’m dining at the club with Ogden. See you tomorrow. Good-by.”

Russell Seeley was not in a cheerful frame of mind that night. “What’s the matter, old than?” asked Ogden. “Has Mollie refused you again?” ‘•Yes, she has. She simply doesn’t care anything about me —that’s all.” “Look here, Russ, do you want me to give you a piece of advice?” “I don’t want you to, but you can fire ahead if you want to.” “Well, then, you are all wrong In this matter. The whole trouble is that Mollie’s too sure of you—you’ve never kept her guessing at all. Now, what you want to do Is to go away for a while and leave her alone. Then you’ll find out whether or not site cares anything about you—lt’s the only way you ever will, ..either.” t “I suppose I might go off for a while —do ydu believe there’s any chance of my getting a job In the armyl I’m over the draft age, but I’ve jvanted to enlist with the engineers for a long time. I’d go in a minute now, but I don’t think it would do any good as far us Mollie Is concerned.” “You leave Mollie to me. I’m going to be the doctor in this case and my prescription is not to see Mollie at all for the present —it may be hard, but I think it will pay in the end. What do you say?” “That I’ll try it at least. I’ll call off my date for tomorrow to begin with.” The next afternoon Mollie received a note from Russell which caused her to frown slightly. “Dear Mollie Awfully sorry I have to break oui» engagement for tonight, but something quite unexpected has come up and I’ll have to attend to it. Hope to see you soon. Take good care of yourself. “RUSSELL.” This was the shortest and decidedly the coolest note that Mollie had ever received from Russell, and she did not like it at all. . He had not even told her what the important thing was and she really wanted very much to know. "She would hear the next day. But she heard, nothing at all from Russell for three weeks, and she began to feel very low in her mind about things In general. She had not known, that the absence of anyone could make such a hopeless gap in her life. And then she received a note from Mrs. Ogden, asking her to come to a farewell dinner for Russell. This was the last-straw. “I won’t go to any farewell dinner,” stormed Mollie. “He never even told me he was going away, and I won’t go I” /

But In the end she changed he* mind and went And what was more, she wore her prettiest dress and took the greatest pains with her toilet. “You never looked so lovely In your life!” exclaimed her younger sister admiringly, when she was dressed. Even Mollie felt that she was telling the truth, too. Russell and Ogden came In together and Mollie's eyes nearly jumped out of her head when she saw that Russell was In uniform. “Doesn’t he look well, dear?" said Mrs. Ogden. “We’re all so proud of him, too. I only hate to have, him go so far away." . At dinner Mollie sat between Ed Ogden and a young naval officer, and .she never looked so brilliant Neither she nor Russell had exchanged more than a casual greeting, but they were both conscious of the other’s slightest move. Afterwards, in the drawing room, they asked Mollie to sing, and Russell went to the piano to play her accompaniments. “Sing this one,” he urged, picking up an old love song they had often sung together. Mollie choked when she saw it, but she managed - to answer indifferently that she’d rather not, and selected a light frivolous thing that he frankly hated. Then she saqg a lullaby at the request of her hostess and ended: with a sad little melody that brought tears to the eyes of everyone present —herself Included. It was not ah easy evening for Mollie, and she was glad when at last she could excuse herself and go home. “Russell. Is going with you,” Mrs. Ogden announced. “Oh, it Isn’t at all necessary—the car is here!" “I know, but he insisted —here he is, himself.” “I’d really rather you didn't come, Russell —it’s only a little way.” “I know, but as long as It’s my last night before I go to camp, I thought you might humor me—shall we walk?” “Yes, I’d prefer it. When did you decide to enlist?” “The day I saw you last—l’d thought about It for a long time and your refusal settled it for me —I’m glad I did, now.” “Then, you’re glad I refused you. too?” “That remains to be seen.” “You’ve certainly changed pretty quickly, anyway. I’m glad I refused you, myself, if you’ve forgotten me so soon. And they say women are fickle.” Mollie gave a sharp unnatural little laugh. ' . w Russell ignored the thrust. “Here we are,” he announced cheer, fulljy. “Are you going to write to me?” “No,( I don’t think I shall. And I won’t keep you any longer—you will probably have to start early In the morning.” She held out her hand and Russell took it and held it.

“I’ll be back some day, Mollie,” be told her. “And then I’m going to ask you the same old question again. Will you give me your final answer, then?”' “Are you sure you want it?” “Well, I suppose it will be just a» hopeless as ever,.but I’m willing to try. What do you think about it?” “I wouldn’t wait if I were you.” “Is my case as hopeless as all that?” “That depends on what you call hopeless.” “Well, I should call my case a hopeless far as my chances of marrying you are concerned.” “Why don’t you try and find out?” “Because I hate to go forth to battle defeated at the start.” “Why don’t you go forth victorious?” “Mollie, I’m in no mood for repartee or anything else. Do you care anything at all about me, or don’t you—that’s the only thing In the world I want to know." . , “I always have, only you never went away long enough for me to find It out. And when I saw you In your uniform and heard you had enlisted, I knew 1 cared most awfully and I too miserable for words.” “And will you marry me when I come back, Mollie, darling?" "Yes, if I can’t do it before you go away.” "Mollie, Mollie —I’m the happiest man in the world. But I’ll never be half so wise as Ed Ogden—l take off my hat to him.” “Yqu’re- a thousand times wiser than Ed, Russ.” “I may be in some way, but not where women are concerned.” But Mollie never knew how very wise Ed really had been. ~

“I Don’t Want to Get Married.”