Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 1, Number 16, DeMotte, Jasper County, 10 November 1932 — Elephants Won for Evelyn [ARTICLE]

Elephants Won for Evelyn

By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

(Copyright) WHEN Evelyn arranged her elephants in the bay window of the new house she had not supposed they would attract so much attention from passersby, but felt that the wide casement shelf had just been made for them. One elephant for each of the five windows; the Chinese bronze in the middle, flanked by the big brass ones from Madras and on the far windows the great teakwood beauties from Bombay. “They do look sweet!” she exclaimed ecstatically, don’t they, Mother?” “Fine,’’ agreed Mrs. Ward, “but you certainly would think it was a live zoo from the way people stare at them.” It was the interest of the children that amused Evelyn most--their beautiful lack of self-consciousness and unconcealed delight at the bulky elephants prevented her from taking them from the window. It was apple-cheeked little Danny, a tot of four or five years, who seemed to make a daily trip just to feast his eyes on the elephants. Evelyn and her mother began to watch for the youngster. “I expect, in his mind, he’s stalking wild game in the jungle,” laughed Mrs. Ward. “I hope some thoughtful uncle hasn't given Him a popgun or we will be having a broken window one of these days.” “He is ducky, though ” said Evelyn, and was conscious that her eyes roamed to the boy’s father. “Yes, it is a pity that all the nice men are married.” she laughingly answered her daughter’s unspoken thought. “We might kidnap the wee boy and perhaps find out if there is a twin brother.” "There couldn’t be two such stunners,” sighed Evelyn. And, because truth is oft stranger than fiction there were two of them and they were as like as two thistles from the same bush. So much so that Danny sometimes mistook Uncle Dave for Daddy and vise versa. In fact, Danny never quite remembered whether it was Daddy or Uncle Dave that suggesting his calling on the lady who owned the elephants. “She wouldn’t mind a bit--showing them to you--not if you say please.” Consequently, the very next afternoon, when Evelyn and her mother were having a cup of fragrant coffee and some freshly made doughnuts they were amused to see the sturdy four-year-old trying to reach the knocker on their front door. When Evelyn opened it, he looked up with a most engaging smile and walked in before she could even invite him. “I’ve come to see the ephilents, please,” he informed her. “Well now, that’s a nice friendly little chap,” she said, and was charmed to see him drag the cap from his sunny head as he came in. “You shall certainly see the ‘ephilents'lots of them.” Half an hour later be had all the elephants on the floor and he and Evelyn were sitting among them having a long parade around the edge of the rug. So engrossed were the two on the floor that they hardly realized there had been a knock at the door, that Mrs. Ward had answered it and that now a big man was standing looking down at Danny, Evelyn and the elephants, but mostly was he gazing at Evelyn. If there was the look of one who had maneuvered successfully in his eyes, no one for the moment was aware of it.

“You young rascal,” said the man with a laugh in his voice, “we’ve been scouring the countryside for you." Which was quite untrue since no one in the household knew that Danny was anywhere but in his nursery--at least no one but Uncle Dave. “I came to see the ephilents,” informed Danny. “Please don’t scold him,” cried Evelyn, “we love having him here. Mother,” she said, turning to Mrs. Ward, “perhaps Danny’s father would like a doughnut and a cup of coffee.” “I was just about to offer it,” Mrs. Ward arose and went to reinforce the doughnut dish and get the coffee. “But I’m not Danny’s father,” said Uncle Dave, and did not fail to see the lovely something that leapt into Evelyn’s eyes. “I’m his uncle, twin brother of his Dad. And I may as well confess, first as last, that I told Danny he might call on you to see the elephants--excuse me, ephilents.” “But why?” inquired Evelyn with the softest of colors mounting her cheeks. “Because,” said Uncle Dave, “I had seen you in the window and in the garden doing gentle things to budding flowers. I wanted desperately to know yon and your mother, and that seemed the only way. It really wasn’t such a bad idea--was it?” "I wonder," mused Evelyn with mockery in her eyes, “whether it, was Danny’s father or his uncle that mamma and I rather fancied as he walked past the house?" “We’re twins,” laughingly, answered David, “so what’s in one is bound to be in the other." “You win,” said Evelyn.