Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

474 ‘Tf you don’t, I’ll go right now and ask her.” “Oh, don’t do that!” the girl pleaded. “T'll tell you, if you promise—cross your heart, never to tell.” “ Cross my heart.” “ Well, some show-girl sent him a big, fat letter. It came the day after you were en- gaged, and the next day he sent her one just as fat, and after he had put it in the letter-box he came back and was all ex- cited and wanted it back; but it was in the mail-bag, and mama couldn’t get it out. “Well, the show-girl must have got mad at him, for she never wrote back; but he has sent three letters to her in care of three different theatrical papers, and one to Gen- eral Delivery, New York, and they’ve all come back. Mama said he must be crazy about her, and she thought she ought to tell your mother, but your mother got furious mad at my mama, and said it was against the law for a postmistress to tell things like that, and if you ever found it out {she would report mama and make her lose the post-office; and mama says your mother is bound that the doctor will marry you, .and she don’t even care about the show-girl.” ‘I’m going right home and ask mama.” Aline_faced back and started toward her home. - “You said you wouldn’t' tell. You crossed your heart!” Daisy ran after her in a ; “I said cross my heart I wouldn’t tell your mother. I never said a word about “mine.” Aline’s wilful young beauty took on shrewish lines as she fairly strode on. She entered the house almost in hysterics. ‘So you’ve heard that nonsense,” Mrs. Potts replied coolly, when her daughter burst in on her with the story. “Ts it true?” stormed Aline. | ‘“‘T don’t know whether it’s true or not,” Mrs. Potts replied calmly. ‘ What differ- ence does it make if it is? He’s going to marry you.” Mrs. Potts was sewing. “ He’s not!” Aline stamped her fect i in fury. “I won't have a man that’s in love with another girl.” Her delicately pointed face grew sharp and hard. “Listen, my dear. Sit down.” Then Mrs. Potts told her daughter some very ‘know?” ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. plain truths about men and the women they love and the women they marry. “Dr. Barnes is a fine young man,” she went on. ‘‘ Papa says he is the coming man of the county, perhaps of the State. He has done a big thing in surgery, and has the attention of the most prominent men of his profession. Soon he will leave Elvira— probably go to New York or Philadelphia. “As the wife of a great surgeon you would be in the very cream of society. Papa has plenty of money; but even in America it takes more than money to get you into society. We might take you to New York and never be heard of. prominent surgeon’s wife and a wealthy man’s daughter, you will have things your own way. It has been the dream of my life to get you into real society. Suppose you break with the doctor, whom will you marry? One of papa’s clerks, or a shoe or dry-goods salesman, or one of the boys in the ice-cream parlor, or a small farmer?” ‘TI could go somewhere and meet some- body,” the girl protested. ‘If we have money, surely—” — “Yes, we could go somewhere; but would you meet somebody? We have no wealthy or influential friends in the cities who might invite you and introduce you into society. Papa has come up from the ranks, and his friends are there. My people have a degree “of culture, but are fearfully poor.” “We could travel.”’ Aline sat down petulantly. * ‘“And who would introduce us into §0- ciety? You see lots of people when you travel; but how many of them do you Mrs. Potts’s brown eyes looked calmly out of a thin, pallid fle at her daughter. _ “We could go with one of those parties you see advertised in the papers where everybody is like one big family.” ‘‘And which consists of school-teachers who have saved for years for the trip, and clerks and chauffeurs and ladies’ maids.” '“ Well, how does one ever get acquainted with good people?” Aline got up as though she could not sit still. ‘‘ Sometimes chance”brings it about, but not often. Usually one has to have what papa calls ‘ pull,’ which means influential As a COMICEDOO S CO in