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

Albert Maynard, indeed! hau Uo
ever lowered around Fannie at any or
the Saturday night dances in the main
dining room? Had he sent flowers to
her day after day and smiled at her
every time he came in to breakfasts
Had he come out in evening dress and
tagged after her when che went into
the parlor9 Had Fannie ever addressed
him Familiarity and sent him on
errands? Had they organized theatre
parties and played duets on the piano.
No, to every question.
Al Maynard had not figured as a pos
sible candidate until the engagement
was announced. Mrs. Cole remem
bered that Fannie had once spoken
of Mr.. Maynard as ga big thing who
always looked at a girl as if she amused
him." Mrs. Williams recalled the fact
that she had seen them talking together
a few times, but Fannie didn'G act to-
ward him as she did toward Willie, not
at all.
At the first opportunity they corraled
her in the parlor. us it true9" asked
Mrs. Williams, as she took hold of the
hand on which was the ring.
"Of course it's true"
"But we always thought it would be
Willie"
I'm afraid Willie did, too, but
pshaw!"
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Cole spent
two hours in analysing that significant
"pshaw."
1t would appear that Bibbs was the
only one around the hotel who had
grasped the situation from the start.
Blbbs was the elevator boy; size, IL
years; suspected age, 16 years; self as
s~ertion, Is years.
The buttoned English uniform in
which they had pressed him could not
hide his largely American qualities.
He raj a servant, but had no servile
trait. Without attempting to be pre-
eumptuous, he placed himself on terms
of easy equality with every one in the
hotel. He was abashed at nothing.
Elderly gentlemen, dignifed matrons,
buds and beaux-it made no difference
to him. If he believed that a youHg
woman's gown was becoming he told
her frankly that she was a "peach" or
"out of sight," and she believed him.
If the clerk had said the same thing
there would have been a vacancy. If
the porter has said it some one would
have sent for a policeman.
Bibbs was a privileged character.
He received more Christmas presents
than anyone else in the hotel. If the
management had removed him there
would have been a protest from every
guest.
Probably he worked into the conf
dence of so many persons that they
were in his power.
1t was nearly midnight on the second
day after the news of the engagement
had startled the hotel. Blbbs was
seated outside the open door of his ele-
vator waiting for the stragglers, and
two of the might hawks" were ''draw-
ing him out"
did you know, Bibbs, that Mr..
Maynard is going to marry the Proctor
girl?" asked one of them.
did 1 know it?' I haven't heard
anything else since yesterday. You've
got a smart lot of people around this
hotel. I've been on to that for six
weeks, and everybody else here was
picking Mr.. Branford. He wasn't in
it at any stage Of the game. Iremem-
Der the day Miss Proctor came here
with her father. l took them up, and
Mr.. Maynard went up the next trip.
He says to me, who's the new girl9'
and I told him she had come to Chicago
to study music. He says to me: She
a dandy That's the first time I ever
heard him say anything about a girl in
the house.
"Well, Is'pose it was a week after
that, both of 'em got in the elevator to-
gether. Mr.. Maynard's a good-looker,
you know, but shy of women. He took
off his hat and kind o. turned his back
to her. I let him off at the second and
l saw her looking at him, so I spoke up
and says: That's Mr.. Maynard She
laughed and says to me-: Who's Mr..
Maynard?' 1 told her he was a good
fellow, and then, just for a kid, I told
her what he had said about her. She
blushed and said: The idea.' You
know how they can do it. 1 amt been
runnin' an elevator for two years for
nothin', If you want to stand in with
women just tell EN- anything you hear