--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Peay, Ida Stewart collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 27 number: 5 published: 1924-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Ida Stewart Peay, “Love-Making for Billy,” *Improvement Era 27, no. 5 (March 1924)*: 461–470." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2705unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2705unse start_page: 461 end_page: 470 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1924-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2705unse publication_year: 1924 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1924, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Love-Making for Billy LOVE-MAKING FOR BILLY By Ida Stewart Peay Dill Parkman and Harvey Hunter were sauntering home-ward through the college grounds when they spied Billy, their mutual friend, deeply absorbed in conversation with a young lady. "There's poor old Bill trailing in the wake of that girl again," grumbled Harvey. "Lovely Dora Bliss!" murmured Parkman musingly, his gaze following the girl with Billy. "Past-mistress of coquetry!" pronounced Harvey disdainfully. "It's a shame — " "For fools to rush in — " put in Parkman in his soft drawl, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "It's a shame!" ranted Harvey ignoring the interruption. "Billy's too darn good for her. It would break him all up to get jilted; and any one can see with both eyes shut that Dora doesn't know her own mind from noon till breakfast. If a greater than Billy should offer he'd be thrown down, pronto. I don't know what he sees in such a light minded creature as she!" "Beauty! I vote Billy a man of taste," offered Dill Parkman languidly. "Physical beauty, yes," conceded the other righteously scornful. "To the 'eye of man she's a dream' I admit; but it's the beauty of the soul that counts. Dora has no soul — " "She's as well provided in that regard as the rest of the fair sex, any way — according to our ambassador to England," drawled Parkman breaking into his humorous chuckle which brought innumer- able smile wrinkles at the corners of his small, brown eyes. "Oh, that! — pshaw! Well, that old skate must be married to another Dora, so thinks all females soulless. But there are women who are the very essence of intelligence, goodness and constancy," emphasized Harvey, mentally glimpsing his sweetheart back home. "It's constancy that counts. A man might as well be married to a jelly-fish as to a fickle woman." "If Dora's as worthless as you say, she's not good enough for our President, of course; and the sooner he finds it out the better," drag- ged out Parkman. "Suppose you take her out a bit, show Billy how boneless she is before it is too late. You have the big car, the duckets, and the good looks — and you're class president. If any body would make a worthy rival to friend Bill you're the chap. And you have no girl." "Hum!" Harvey gave a significant shrug as he thought of his 462 IMPROVEMENT ERA fiancee in River-Rambles of whom he had never spoken. He could talk of constancy with a deep inner pride. Had he not been tested these two long years? Now he shrugged again as his mind came back to Dill's proposal. "I don't want to take Bill's girls away from him," he said. "Don't you see the plot?" Parkman nudged him confidentially. '"See! you get the girl — trot out all the lures, car, plenty of dough, etc., and go in to win. When she has thrown down Billy just slide gracefully out of the affair. I mean, leave her to the old boy, if. after realizing her fickleness he will continue to want her; it's all as simple as coasting and, perhaps, Bill will be your everlasting debtor. Of course, if he still desires her he'll be plain glad of your exit. If he doesn't — there's no harm done, is there?" Harvey thought a moment. Not of Dora, but of himself, his sweetheart — she must never know — and of Billy who needed saving. "No," he said. "Of course not," intoned Parkman as he turned away to let the fan-like wrinkles spread out around the corners of his eyes and a scornful twinkle develop. So, it all being duly agreed upon, Harvey, after making an ap- pointment, called the following evening upon Dora Bliss. The young lady was pleasantly cordial. She took him into a pretty re- ceiving room and seated him comfortably in a big chair before the open fire. Then she placed her own exquisitely dainty person op- posite to him and proceeded to be as interesting as only Dora could. It was as natural for Dora to entertain as it is for a canary to sing. There was a questioning look in her eyes at times, but she blinked it away as inhospitable and chatted freely upon all the usual subjects. That is, she seemed to be doing a good deal of talking. But it was only seeming. Harvey, without realizing it was unfolding like a flower under a summer sun. A few questions from Dora, a laugh now and then, a deeply interested look, a lifting, occasionally, of the straight black brows in mild amazement, and Harvey had told everything about himself. All save the sweetheart in the background and his and Parkman's dark plot. He revealed his ambitions, and hopes, and view of life, while Dora sweetly appreciated and commended. Natural- ly one of her caliber would admire a deep, solid character like Harvey. After a little time the ceremony of toasting marshmallows was suggested, and, as the young lady moved about making preparations, Harvey experienced pleasure in watching her. He noticed that she was trim and graceful; that her hair looked like threads of gold in the fire light; and that her skin was as fair and delicately tinted as apple blossoms. At length when he glanced at his watch he was surprised to find that the hour was ten thirty. Still he was in no hurry to go. It LOVE-MAKING FOR BILLY t6i was so easy to talk to Dora. She made a fellow think of light, witty things to say. Nothing could be jollier than to tell her a joke. She caught every point so quickly and her laugh was like a gurgling brooklet. "Dora, I've had a pleasant evening," he admitted with his hand on the door to go. "The pleasure has been all mine," she quoted with playfully elaborate politeness. Her brooklet laugh rang out. There was a look in her dark blue eyes that puzzled him. He searched their depths wonderingly and found pleasure as well as baffle, in them. The stories tell a mocking light in the eye, was that — ? but pshaw! What foolish things a fellow will think of sometimes. "Dora, will you go to the party with me Friday night?" he burst out boldly. "Sorry, Harvey, but I already have an engagement," she mourned sweetly. Harvey could see how she disliked to refuse him. "Well, 1 might have known that," he owned lightly. '"It doesn't matter, anyway; how about a car ride Saturday afternoon atiout three?" "Busy as a bee all day Saturday," she seemed truly regretful. "Sunday afternoon?" urged Harvey. "A previous engagement," she pleaded. "Sunday morning? Come, now, don't say no. We'll spin over to the Rue Bridge and have lunch at Comnot's." Nothing could be prettier than her pouting lips as she declared that, too, would be impossible. Harvey was obliged to give up at last and say good night without any promise from Dora. But he was far from down hearted. He was not too blind to see that Dora wished to accept, if only other duties and engagements had not prevented. During the next two days his interest in saving Billy increased every time he thought of Dora Bliss. It caused him to discover at what hour Dora left school in the afternoon. He meant to intercept her with the big car. "I'll park the old boat in her path and give her a lift home; and I'll have to ask her a week in advance for the next dance to get ahead of that silly Billy," he was musing to himself as- seated at the wheel of his shining roadster he waited for her to put in an appearance. The sound of a light foot fall caught his ear in a few minutes and his gaze flew with excited swiftness to the path leading through the gate of the school. His first glimpse caught sight of a pair of moderately sized, beautifully shod feet. Girls of Dora's type always affected attractive foot wear. There was no harm in it, to be sure. She did have a foot and ankle worth the trouble of a stare, no fooling. These thoughts flashed through his mind before his eyes got as high as the approaching lady's face. Then, a swift smile from rosy lips, a flash of white teeth, a straight look from a pair of unusually dark blue 464 IMPROVEMENT ERA eyes, and Harvey's mental processes stopped as dead as Grandfather's clock. Fortunately his muscles took him in hand and instantly set him on his feet in the girl's path. "Like to — to take you home in the old boat, Dora," he jerked out. It's funny how a man gets out of breath sometimes over a short sentence. If the mind could entertain two ideas at once Harvey would have marveled at this, now; because he could hold his breath two minutes under water in swimming and not gasp like he was doing over this invitation. But the mind cannot, so the young man was only aware of a mental picture of himself flying down the street with a lovely vision at his side. All the boys would turn and stare and sigh — -yes, sigh, for all boys are naturally envious, "There goes Harvey Hunter sporting out with Dora Bliss! Wonder what's the matter with Billy?" "Poor, good, old Bill!" Harvey pitied his friend to himself, but he knew he was acting for the lad's best good. It was fully an hour before Harvey would take Dora home although she delicately hinted she was pressed for time. Harvey did not wish Dora to think he was ashamed to be seen with her — by any means! He drove all over town, up one street and down another, and back and forth on the one leading to the school innumerable times. He stopped re- luctantly about dusk before Dora's home. In helping the girl from the car he made a discovery. Dora's hand had the same effect upon him that a magnet has upon a pin. He did not seem to be able to let loose of it. Miss Bliss relieved him of making the effort by taking her hand swiftly unto herself. Then with a breezy, "Thanks, Harvey, that was a delightful ride," coupled with a flash of the white teeth and the quick, straight look that seemed to turn on the power somewhere inside of the boy, she waved her hand and vanished into the house. The following day when Student-Body-President met Senior- Class President there seemed to be a cool breeze from the North. " 'Low, Harvey," Billy murmured, too busy with his books to look up gratefully at his friend-in-need. " 'Low, Billy," Harvey, also, was too intent upon something going on outside of the window to look at his class-mate, but finally the excitement without must have subdued for he slowly faced his chum. "Had Dora out for a little spin last night," he said easily, or, at least, as easily as a man can talk through a dry throat. "Good enough," Billy spoke back unconcernedly as he could. "Dora's pretty keen about motoring," Harvey offered. He re- membered distinctly that the girl had said "delightful" about the trip so he felt virtuously truthful. "Wouldn't wonder if she is," mumbled Billy. "Yes, thought I could spin her home now and then, save her walking." Harvey was achieving a moist larynx now, so he added • LOVE-MAKING FOR BILLY 465 volubly, "Think she'll be mighty glad of the lift," he cast a meaning glance at Parkman who was hovering near. There was a dangerous flare of fire in Billy's eyes, but only a keen observer would have noticed. Harvey could not pass that test so he took Billy's muttered — "Sure!" — for what it seemed and would have prolonged the agony had not Parkman "who had eyes for to see with," changed the subject. The Friday evening hop found Billy, Harvey and Parkman haunting the corner occupied by their feminine favorites. Harvey gave Parkman a wink as he sat himself down beside Dora Bliss. He was so reckless in his devotion through the entire evening it became a matter of remark and light jest in their set. Billy was chaffed about it several times. Dora gave Harvey only a few dances but he found her the moment a partner brought her off the floor and he managed to hold her in conversation until she was claimed again. During the evening he contrived to get her into the room where refreshments were being served; then, instead of bringing the water he had promised he brought ice cream and cakes and pushed her ever so gently and laughingly into one of the chairs at a table. That was more than Billy could stand without protest; when he and Dora were on .their way home he told her a few things. "Of course, Harvey's got the dough, a peachy car and good looks to spare," he said icily. "So if the spirit of a man doesn't count for anything I'm out of the race." He paused to give the girl a turn for speech, but she passed up the privilege. A small fury seized Billy. "He made a fool of himself and one of me, and — " "Billy!" the girl's tone was a command; she was about to say more but Billy's stream of wrath raced on. "I didn't think cars and money and Valentino faces was all a girl cared for; but I'm glad I've found out." Dora was silent with a great silence. Her small red mouth was drawn together with severe firmness. Only two words escaped her when they reached her door. "Good night," she said. "Good night," echoed the young man. Then he spent an hour trying to figure out whether she had said those words coldly, kindly, sorrowfully, lingeringly or with finality. He gave it up. The next day it was the talk of certain groups that Dora and Billy had fallen out. A week passed with no change in the history of the case. Harvey spent every evening with Dora; but she did not make any public appearance with him. Sunday afternoon Parkman overtook Harvey on his way to the Bliss domicile. "Whither hastening?" Parkman queried carelessly. "Er — just thought I'd call round and see Dora — pass and hour or so — hear a little music," Harvey replied attempting a light easy manner. "Well, our scheme worked, it seems, with Dora and Bill," 466 IMPROVEMENT ERA drawled Parkman twinkling into a smile with the help of the fan-like wrinkles. "Yep, cut Bill out slick enough," Harvey laughed or tried to do so. It was Parkman who laughed. But he had all the fun to himself so he pulled his twitching lips together soberly. "Tell you what we must do now," he said in his thoughtful plot-building tone, "If we are true friends to Bill as we pretend, you must slide out of the affair, as we planned, you know, so Billy can get her back — if he wants her now that he has found out her shallowness." Harvey straightened his shoulders belligerently and flung up his head; some- thing boiling up in him was visible in his face but he kept his lips closed resolutely. Parkman perceived and accurately read the move- ments— for he could see more with his eyes shut than Harvey could see with a magnifying glass — but he went on blandly, "Now you slide out and I'll go to Dora and take up a labor of love for Billy. I'll try to win her back to him. Bill says she's thrown him down hard. He can't get to see her. Dora and I are old friends, so I'll step in now to relieve you, and we'll patch it up between them. It's the only way we can make amends for our mean little trick." "Don't know that Bill has any more right to her than any other fellow," Harvey resisted grumbling. "Didn't you do what you did just to show Billy Dora's in- constant character?" Harvey's face grew dark, he shook his shoulders and growled something under his breath. "Then you were to slide out and give him a chance to take her back if he still wanted her? That was the plan, wasn't it?" quizzed Parkman. "You said yourself she won't see him," temporized Harvey. "Have you just happened to notice that Dora hasn't been ac- cepting any of your invitations?" The Parkman smile was about to develop into the Parkman laugh but desisted, because of Harvey's black look. "I've been calling there every night," began the constant man. "To be sure, the queen couldn't very well deny an audience to her subjects, could she?" And this time, the Parkman infectious laugh burst all bounds. When his mirth was satisfied he suddenly became earnest and confidential, "See, the fact that she does not go out with any one makes me suspect she still harbors some feeling for Billy. So it's my duty, as instigator of the plot, to try to set things straight. Now, you slide out of the affair," again quoted Parkman mis- chievously, "and I'll put in an hour for friend Bill." "You can do as you please," growled the devoted lover from River Rambles, "and I'll do the same." "All right," agreed Parkman, but there was a threat in the lan- guid drawl that even Harvey understood. LOVE-MAKING FOR BILLY 467 Harvey passed on and was admitted a few minutes later to the Bliss home by Dora, herself — spotless, alluring, smiling. The young man rushed into business without preamble. Parkman had aroused his anger and his fears. As soon as he found himself in the little receiving room, the door safely shut, and no one in there but himself and the girl, he seized her hands impetuously. "Dora, I like you," he confided and conceded hastily. "Can't you see I've been — been — getting fond of you? I didn't dream of such a thing at first. But — but you're the only girl! I'm sure head over heels — I want you to be my — Dora, Dora, let me — " Although the young lady had been endeavoring vainly, during this speech, to withdraw her hands he now tried to kiss her. "Stop, Harvey!" Her voice was quiet, but there was something in it which arrested the man, his grasp slightly relaxed. She got her hands free at once and backed away from him. "Haven't you realized my regard for you has been growing?" Harvey asked astonished and hurt. "I didn't think you'd try to kiss me by force," pouted Dora, but her eyes were full of amusement. "Dora, can't you see what I want? I want — " "Harvey!" Dora's tone stopped him positively. "Go away, please. I'm afraid I can't let you come here any more." "But, Dora can't you see I've grown fond — " "But, Harvey, can't you see that I do not care to hear any more, " laughed Dora. Even a person of Harvey's dull vision could not help but get the girl's meaning. After a while he left. He congratulated himself, when safely at his rooms that he did not really propose. He was true to the girl in River-Rambles. Yes, Harvey was the soul of con- stancy. Dora was as daintily fresh as ever when she opened the door at seven-thirty to Dill Parkman. Parkman was no whit better than Harvey had been as far as his eyes were concerned; for he took in with avidity all the little charms of Miss Bliss. But he thrust the thought of them aside as the money-maker does his conscience. "Dora, Harvey and I hatched that miserable plot to make trouble between you and Billy, and I'm deeply sorry for my part," he said as soon as they were both seated. Then he made a full confession as swiftly as he could with his drawling speech; and quite soberly, too, for him, though the humorous wrinkles about his brown eyes threat- ened to put in an appearance now and then as his incurable tendency to see the funny side occasionally asserted itself. "It was a low down scheme, and I have been repenting with a sick heart ever since. You see, I knew that big monkey of a Harvey had misjudged you, and I was just going to let him find out for himself by getting a little punishment. Besides I wanted to take some of the wind out of his 468 IMPROVEMENT ERA sails. I'd guessed he had a girl back in his home town and was for- ever patting himself on the back for being true to her. Harvey's a good old scout but inexperienced. He needed a taste of real life. I considered it would do him good to find out that a girl can be a 'dream' in looks and a real heavyweight in character, besides. I never would have believed his meddling could make trouble between you and Billy. I don't suppose you can ever forgive me," he finished dolefully. "You are forgiven most freely," laughed Dora, surprised and amused at this self-debasing attitude in the gay, care-free Parkman. "What, you forgive me?" the young man raised his head and shoulders hopefully. "Dora, how good you are; and you'll forgive Billy, too?" "Billy is absolved." Dora proclaimed with mock magnanimity while her rippling laugh filled the room with music. She realized a sweet harmony pervaded her and she well knew the cause of it, also. "And you'll see him again?" pressed the boy eagerly. "Oh, certainly, any time," Dora assured him. There was such a smiling happiness in her face that Parkman, with the seeing eyes, felt suddenly low spirited. "The saints be praised!" he cried exultantly. But there was no sign of the fan-like wrinkles around the usually merry eyes. The twitching mouth which was forever breaking into smiles was wholly sober. "I suppose I can go to sleep tonight, now that I know you and Billy will make up and be — lovers again." Dora laughed easily. "Oh, dear, if your sleep depends upon that condition I'm afraid you're doomed to insomnia. Billy and I never were lovers and never will be; we — " Whatever she was going to say was forgotten because the young man startled her by leaping wildly to his feet as if some amazing thing had suddenly happened. She stood up, also, gazing at him wonderingly. Now, Parkman, too, could hold his breath two minutes under water in a plunging race, but now, for no apparent cause it seemed to be slipping away from him entirely. "Weren't you and Bill engaged?" he gasped out at last. "Billy and I!" Dora laughed a stout denial. How mirthful she was this evening! In fact her lips constantly smiled to match, no doubt, her shining eyes. After a moments hesitation during whicft her eyes shyly sought Parkman' s she brought herself to explain in a soft, uncertain voice, "Billy never cared seriously for me; and I could not get along with a hot-headed blusterer like Billy." Parkman' s breathing was still far from normal but he managed to get out a few words in a shaky way. "I suppose Bill is mighty fond of you, so is every one who knows you. No man of ordinary clay ever looked into your lovely eyes without loving you, I'm sure. LOVE-MAKING FOR BILLY 469 But whether he loves you or not does not concern me. The fear that has tied me was that you might care for him." He gazed into her blue eyes questioningly. She met his look bravely, slowly shaking her head. Then the Parkman smile material- ized. "Dora!" he whispered hardly able to believe his good fortune. He gazed adoringly into the eyes he loved until the response in them was hidden by their fair lids and alluring lashes. "I've loved you two years!" he confessed as he folded her unresisting form in his arms. When he had kissed her on her rosy mouth two, three, or more times, he felt like he had plunged through the water a hundred feet and never would get his breath again, and he did not seem to care to do so. Provo, Utah. Cottonwood to the Front in Recreation At the Granite stake tabernacle, on January 11, 1924, the Cotton- wood stake held a social under direction of the stake M. I. A. committee on recreation, which, in many respects, was a model of its kind. From 8 to 9 p. m. a concert was given in the main auditorium of the tabernacle; from 9 to 9:30, a reception was held in the recreational hall by the stake presi- dency and members of the high council and heads of all organizations; from 9:30 to 11:00 p. m., a dancing party with original demonstrations, during intermissions, by each of the organizations of the stake. All of the dance supervisors of the various wards formed a group with a supervisor at the head. Ice cream and cake were served in the surrounding dining rooms. Cards for seating the guests, by organization, were placed in the body of the hall. Each auxiliary organization was invited to prepare and wear a hat, pin, or a badge, designating their group and symbolizing their work. A cash prize of 10% of the gross income of the party was offered to the group who made the best showing according to the following points: 20%, originality; 20%, previous activity; 20%, beauty; 40%, significance. A card for name and ward, and a pin, were given to each guest as he entered. After the concert the head of each organization led his group from the concert hall to the recreational hall and joined the reception line composed of the stake presidency, members of the high council, and heads of organizations. The decorations in the concert hall were very simple, palms and ferns being used to outline the platform and adorn the stand. Peach blossoms covered the walls and circled the doorways; while wind charms, incens? burners, and Japanese maids carried out the effect in the dining rooms. To accomplish this, each ward sent representatives for two evenings preceding the party to arrange the decorations. A charge of 25c was made for admission, 1 y2z were returned in prizes, and ny2c was the actual cost per person. The committee a little better than cleared expenses. Over 1600 people attended the party and its suc- cess was largely due to the publicity that had been given to it in meetings and through the press. The entire affair was a remarkable demonstration of what can be accomplished under organized supervision. From their expe- rience the committee learned among other items, that if the subjects of each organization are of a serious or religious nature, they should be presented along with the serious part of the program; and if of a light or humorous character, they should be presented along with the dance. Dr. George J. Fisher, Deputy Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America