Life — August 3, 1905 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“But,” said Penton, “my dear boy, if you are really so gone on Kitty Clayton, why not take a week or so off and let things slide long enough to get her? “What! and let go at a criti time like this with a shaky market? Can't do it, can’t do it.” “Well, it’s always a critical time. Can't you—” “T did. I found out she had a couple of hours to spare the other morning, and took her out in’ my scoot cart. And what do you sup- pose happened? Of course, I ran the machine myseli—selected a nice straight road—just the road to pro- pose in, and just as I was getting ready to lead up to what I had to say, the confounded — aceclerator got nmed and we stopped short. Well, I cursed and swore for half an hour before I found the trouble. And then I had to run back at a forty-mile clip to get here at the opening. Came near being arrested—and that’s the way it is. I love that girl to death. (Hello! Yes. You don't say! Well, throw it over. What's that? Non- sense. All right. V'll do it. Good- by.) Why, between telephone calls and telegrams, I sit here and think of nothing else but her. And I be- lieve she would marry me if-why she'd just have to marry me, that’s all. But every time something hap- pens. If I get an hour off, she’s do- ing something, and when she isn’t, I can't leave ow, she’s going to Europe. She's lost, lost! (No, John, I can’t see any one just now.) When does she sail? “To-morrow!” “To-morrow And I not know anything about it. Why, this is some- thing terrible. What can be done? She must be stopped. I won't be easy for a moment. It will interfere with business to have that girl out of reach, floating around with a lot of foreign duffers at her heels. That's just the time when a girl is bound to throw herself away—when all she has to do is to look pleasant. She was safe as long as she was rushed all the time. We never make mistakes when we're busy. Come, now, what are you sitting there for? Haven't you anything to sug- ‘PRE gest? Help me out, old chap—can't your” Van Slater got up and paced the floor. Every. tin ed the ticker he stopped and looked me- he pas chanically at the tape. “And Copper,” he muttered to him- cli, “down to 67.” here's only one thing I can think of,” said Penton, tapping his stick decisively on the arm of his chair, “If that girl gets away, you'll lose her, sure pop. You're dead right about that. I’ve seen ‘em before. The ocean steamers are regular matri monial traps, to say nothing of the Alps, and the Rhine and the Riviera. As you say, there’s no time to lose. You must reach Kitty at once.” “But how?” “Over the telephone.” “What'll Ido when I get her? “Why, fix it up between you, of cours Settle matters. Make ar- rangements. Get — busy. Good heavens, man, this isn’t the middle ages! We are not trailing around in Sedan chairs. Courtships are not serial stories to be continued in our next. They're paragraphs. The world moves, Why, any ambitious person can get married half a dozen times now, while the old fogies of bygone days were cooling their heels in the front parlor night after night. Get a move on!” “But great C:esar! “You don't ex- pect me to propose to that girl over the ‘phone with all New York listen- ing. You must be crazy. Why, every central girl in town would be sitting on the wire drinking it in. Besides, Kitty would) shut me off quick enough.” Harry Penton g by the arm. “Look here, my boy! You're a sport, and so am I, There's nothing else to do. You'll lose that girl sure if you don't. And you can't stop her from getting away unless you do something decisive. Now let me tell you something that’s strictly on the level. If you talk right, Kitty will understand you. Hasn't she been managing her own affairs since her father died? Didn't she go into the stock market six months ago and make $80,000 in Smelters in ten days? bbed his friend (Continued on second page following.) Isn't she up to her ears in art and books and charitable stunts? Why, she's as busy as you are—you admit that. Ii you haven't had time or op- portunity to woo her, ist t she as Where could you find her alone? You never can trust an auto, anyway, when you are making love. Why, I have had a tire burst on me, or a grounded wire or hot bearings, half a dozen times just as 1 was much to blame as you ng to kiss a girl, Now, you get Kitty on the wire and put the situation fairly and squarely, and if she doesn’t understand—well, then you can afford to lose her, anyway.” Ilerbert grabbed the telephone book. “I believe you're right,” he ex- claimed. “Do you want me to go out?” ‘0, no! Guard the door while I'm talking. I see the point. It’s the only thing to do.” As if by magic his nervousness vanished. He had been in tight places beiore. A crisis only made him calm. fifteen He located Miss Clayton in fi minutes at the Woman's Club. “Hello! Is this Miss Clayton? This you, Miss Clayton? De know me? Herbert—yes, Van Slater. you How are you? Say, are you going to sail to-morrow? Yes? Why didn’t you let me know? I know; but how could you do such a thing? You thought. Nonsense. But you can't go. No, you can't go. Hello! I— Central, for heaven's sake, stop that buzzing! Hello! they cut us off. I say you can't go, because I won't let you. Why, don’t you understand? I know, but just listen. Don't you see it’s your fault? Why, because I haven't been able to see you. Yes; but hasn’t there been some one around? Always! Yes—always. That's all right. Busy? Oh, yes, I'm terribly busy. You know what this market is. But I'm going to be re- lieved. Yes, relieved. Hello! Cen- tral, keep off that wire, will you? Yes, I said relieved—that is, I hope so—new partner. Guess? Well, I'll tell you when you come back. But really now you mustn’t go until you see me. ngagements all to-day Nonsense. But seriously, don’t you comicbooks.com