The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-10-04
geleet Stories.
BREAKING THE ICE.
Henry Gallup Paine, in the smart Set.

Henry Gallup Paine, in the Smart Set
ssCome old man, tell us how you ever
did il. The woman had just left the
dining-room, and Caldwell took his cigar,
his liqueur glass and himself over to where
his host sat at the end of the table.
ssEver did what p
Ever plucked up courage to ask Re-
gina Armitage to marry you, in the first
place; ever got her to accept you, in the
second
eOh, that's my secret, said Bodley,
with satisfied smile.
ssOf course it is, assented Caldwell;
''but it's time you shared it with us, the
friends of your youth. This is the fifth
of these little anniversary dinners you have
given, and every one of the original house
party is here.
s'You all remember the occasion, = Cald-
well continued to the other men; shut you
NAV not all know how Tommy came to be
invited My sisters had asked Frank Calf
for Regina, but Frank spoiled everything
by proposing to her two days before we
were to start. This left us one man short,
and the next morning | ran into Tommy
Bodley in Ike Bascom's office, with yard
of tape in his hands and the perspiration
running down his face like rain, though it
was mid winter. I knew he was pretty
much of lamb, and that the shearers
were ready; so, half in pity, | asked him
if he wouldn't leave the ticker for the to-
boeean aud come with us to Vermont for
ten days.
Eyes, thank you, answered Tommy,
moping his brow, you re just in time, too.
$50 | went home and told the girls that
had secured man; that he was the shy
est most diffident man of my acquaintance;
that he had never been known to speak to
girl, and that I believed the only reason
he had consented to join house party was
that he had lost his all in Wall street and
wanted to get away with his clothes.
& Fetch him along, said Addie, "Re-
gina deserves nothing better.
ooh, but it was fun to watch those
two ! There was Regina, cold, frigid, dis
tant as ever, yet treating Tommy with that
lofty, remote affability for which she was
noted when the object was an ineligible man.
And there was Tommy, shy as kitten,
reddening whenever she spoke to him,
rarely speaking first, and then SO scared
that he couldn't find the end Of his sen
tence
1.-The last day came, and everybody
paired off for a walk. Each couple re-
turned in time; Tommy and Regina a
little iime-and, by Jove ifthey weren' t
engaged Now, Tommy, how did you
ever pierce her reserve? How did you
break-the ice 2
'sOh, she broke the ice y replied Bod
lev, with his inscrutable smile, fand since
I have admitted so much, suppose d
better 90 on and tell the rest of my story
II was a bashful youth. Anybody
could see that; but what people couldn' t
see was that the bashfulness was all on the
outside Internally was debonair enough,
but somehow | was never able to show
myself in my true colors. There was
something about most people, especially a
pretty woman, that shut me up like an
oyster. | had no accomplishments, had
no fortune, | could see no reason for any
one to take the slightest interest in me.
But saw other men, no cleverer than
was, carrying off prize winners in the social
beauty show. However, I noticed that
they were all pretty well fixed. 1t oc-
Cured to me that if could only increase
my bank account might get some woman
to tolerate me long enough to find out
what bully fellow was ready to be; so,
in desperation, began plunging in Wall
street. | struck it in the midst of lively
furry that Knocked the market endways.
Everybody was ratified, and lost my heac
completely, bought when [ was advised tC
sell, sold when | was told to buy, and the
consequence was that when Billy Caldwell
came into Ike Bascom office that Febru
airy morning was just grasping the fact
that had cleaned up hot half million.
knew | was the last man to grace house
party, and | expected to have miser
able time; but | was SO afraid I should
lose all had made if | stayed in town
that | accepted on the instant.
"When we met in Billy's private cal
and had stumbled through the formality
of introductions all round | found mysel
sitting next TO Regina Armitage. hac
often seen her and long admired her, ane
| knew her reputation for icy reserve
Feeling at ease as regarded money mat
ters it occurred to me that she would af-
ford me excellent practice in developing
my social qualities. determined to make
the most violent love to her. was quite
confident that she would never suspect the
truth, and as well that my grotesque eff
forts would produce no effect on her mar
BILE heart.
But three days had not passed before
| discovered that was no longer acting
part. | was really, hopelessly, in love
Perhaps the social solitude, for which my
difiident manners were responsible, had
made me keener observer than most men
| h,.t anubnur / thof RaOl