The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-05-14

money. ana he's done me a good turn
and l thought I'd put him IN - +his
erII csA"e 8Dout him. Mr.. Branford's
all right, too, but he makes me- I'm ~
sick at times. ="
Inc nrsG dance after I told Mr.. Nav.
nard he came down looking out of eioI+
in his full dress suit and loafed oro,51S
the officelike a chump, instead Of ooin~
in where she a Purity soon she caroo
out with Mr.. Branford and saw M
Maynard. T guess she must have asked
for an introduction; anyway they went
over, and Mr.. Branfard gave her a
Touchdown to Mr.. Maynard. Mr..
Maynard got as red as a beet, and she
had to do most Of the talking. I s'pose
he didn't ask her to dance; anyway,
some n else came after her, and he
went into the billiard room.
THAT was about the time that Willie
CHATS what she called him when she
was with the girls) began to make a
hard play. I guess she had lots of fun
with him, and was ready enough to
rec flowers if he wanted to send 'em,
but I knew all the time that she wasn't
stuck on him. When she'd leave him
and get on the elevator he'd grin at her
andsa in that soft way he has: Good
bye,' and she'd say Good bye,' but as
soon as we got past the first floor she'd
laugh out loud, and I'd have to laugh,
too. She knew all the time that I was
on.
MIR. Maynard met her once in a
while in the elevator, and she acted
different with him. I amt very keen,
but I think I could have caught on
quicker than he did that she liked him,
but didn't want to tell him so in just so
many words. He didn't really act like
a sucker. He's been around too much
for that. But she'd throw out little
hints, and he didn't seem to understand
what she meant.
'"That man didn't know how strong
he was with the girl. She could see
that he was all right if he'd only get his
nerve. About two weeks ago I says
to him one day: MI. Branford's rush
in Miss Proctor pretty hard Hesays:
Yes, I s'pose they are engaged 'RatsI
I says: she don't care for him." WELL
he says, she's wearin' his flowers all
the time 1 told him that was because
no one else sent her any. Next evening
she came to me and said if 1 saw MI.
Maynard to tell him that she wanted
to see him. I took him up in a little
while, and she met him in the hall
wearin' a big bunch of roses, and Isaw
her take one and pin it on his coat.
That's something she'd never done for
Willie.
"Mr. Maynard was jollied up that
evening, but the next evening he came
in from the billiard room and found
Miss Proctor and Willie promenadin'
around here, and I could see in a min
ute he was sore. Then he done some
thing that paralyzed me. He walked
over to a sofa and began to talk with
that Miss Morrison that wears
the glasses I guess she was sur
prised, too, but she was tickled all
right, I'm here to tell you there amt
a woman in this hotel that wouldn't
have been tickled. 1 could see Mr..
Maynard look at Miss Proctor when
she went by and then she'd look at
him. Willie and Miss harrison didn't
cut any figure at all. They thought
they did, but they didn't.
''Now, the rest of this on the q. t.,
and Mr.. Maynard would kill me if he
thought I told anyone. That same
night when he went up I says: Mr..
Maynard, excuse me for saying it, but
Miss Proctor's stuck on you Helooked
foolish and says: Who told you thatG'
I said I had my eyes open, and that
she went around with Mr.. Branford be-
cause she couldn't get away from him.
Next night he faxed up and went to
call on her, and that's how he got her
before he took her to a show or a dance
or anything. Did you hear about Mr..
Branford giving up his roomF"-
Chicago Record.
A TRAGEDY OF TWO LIVES.