Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

188 “ Oh, say, Beth, heard about Ed. French —I mean Edward Chesterton French?” ““{ heard he was back from New York and going into the Sands County Trust.” “‘ But Beth—he’s to be president. Think of that—regular salary, too. There’s a case of honor being profitable in a chap’s own country, eh? They say Ed’s awfully smart.” Beth’s car was drawing well out into the thinly settled portion of Templeton. There was a dance at the country club that eve- ning. ‘“T suppose he’ll be among our midst to- night,” she said. “Oh, absotively; he wouldn’t miss it. Kind of making his début, I should think. I suppose all the pretty Janes will fall for him—and the plain ones, too. He’s a mighty good-looing fellow; you’ve got to hand it to him. He’sall right. I like him— always did.” “ Yes,” said Beth. ‘“ Ed was popular in school. I think I’m violating no confidence when I say he was rather smitten with little Beth seven or eight years ago. I suppose some of the buds will interest him more now.” “ Any bud,” cried Elmer Curtiss, loyally, ‘who can hold a candle to you, Beth Ben- son, hasn’t crossed my path yet—not in this burg.” “ Don’t be silly, Elmer,” scid Beth, step- ping gently on the gas. “ I’m getting pretty well in to the sear and yellow.” “ Huh!” remarked Elmer. me a pain, talking like that.” You couldn’t blame Elmer, for Beth Ben- son was in appearance about as far from the sear and yellow as a girl could well be. I hesitate to start in describing Beth, be- cause later in this story you will wonder how such a pretty girl can possess so many other recommendations. You might say it wasn’t fair for good looks and style and amiability and a brain as keen as a razor all to be alloted to one girl not a day over— there, now, I’ve forgotten how old Beth was. She was younger than her brother Joe, though; I’m sure about that. And she was a happy mean between a blonde and a brunette—sort of a nice golden brown as to hair, with auriferous streaks “You give ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. running through it; and her eyes were a selected shade of blue, rather dark. She had a—no, sir, not for one moment—she did not have a piquant little tip-tilted nose that was saucy and defiant and—vwell, I’m tired of cute girls, and Beth Benson wasn’t cute. She was five feet six, maybe seven, and not slender enough to be fragile. But she wasn’t fat. She wasn’t even plump. She was rather a substantial figure of young wo- manhood, though, and very, very charming. She had grown up in Templeton, and be- cause old Joe Benson had had a great deal to do with building the town to its present status of thriving prosperity, she loved it. She wasn’t fanatical in this respect, but went with a fair degree of regularity to New York to shop and study the styles; but always came home and had Miss Hitchings, a focal dressmaker, build her clothes. Miss Hitchings was all right if you didn’t let her give her own ideas about style too much scope. She was a competent artist and employed good seamstresses, so that if you knew how you wanted a thing made arid told her plainly, she could turn out a creditable job—oh, not a Fifth Avenue twawlette, of course—but Beth Benson had known Miss Hitchings ever since her prim- ary school days and liked her, and Beth was one of the kind who think friendships mean more than gay little condescending greet- ings on street corners. So Beth always looked stylish. I tell you, she was knacky. This facility extended to her dealings with people just as fully as it expressed itself in the management of her automobile. Beth and her escort reached the country club in the middle of the evening, say about nine thirty. The place was crowded, and you could hear the strains of Phfl Jipp’s Celebrated Jazz Orchestra as soon as you turned into the lane. Beth let Elmer park her car for her while she ran lightly up the steps and into the clubhouse, where she got rid of her wraps; and then she waited near the door for Elmer. Several of her friends greeted her joyously and told her they were glad she had decided to come; and one young man broke away from a group of which he comicboooks C©