The Press., 1904-12-28
ONE MORNINGS WORK
 
 By BEATRICE FINLEY Copyright. 1904. by K. M. Whitehead
By BEATRICE FINLEY

hind the white manicuring table.
 "Oh. Pm sure you will do it just al
 well,' said the man, looking at he with frank, almost boyish, admiration.
 fBut am-er-only beginner" sait tne girl in blue, trying hard not t. snalle,. "and might hurt you."
 The man threw back his head ana laughed until the little French curtain. at the open windows fairly shook.
 II don't believe you could hurt a flea let alone big, husky chap like me; be sides. Pve-er-Pve got to get out oi here pretty soony'
 Well, please sit down." said the girl motioning to chair by the table, "and excuse me while get things ready"
 In few minutes she returned, car ryang glass bowl filled with tepid wa ter, and laid forth the implements o1 the manicurist. Her eyes were dane ing. Gerard Wilson watched her every move with interest. He had already discovered that her dress and her eyes were exactly the same color.
 @I thought I'd come around early 7 he explained, before the place gets crowded"
 She nodded her head. q always do tOO," she said, then caught herself sud. denly. "I mean we like customers to come early because it doesn't pay to keep many girls down here, and yet when people do come in they all want to be waited on at Once."
 You must have to work pretty hard" said Wilson. looking at her rosy tipped fingers.
 Yes" said the girl, although many girls envy me and do not believe that I work at all. .My-my hours are long,"
 Wilson was dabbling his fingers in the scented water.
 II read something in the paper once about how you pretty manicuring girls sometimes marry into the rich fami- Hes. I expect you all want to come to these summer resorts"
 She bent lower over his hand and said in a muffied voice: "Well, some of us don't want to marry the sons of rich families. We-er-know them too we'll"
 The man looked at her curiously.
 They are rather tiresome lot, aren't they2 It seems to me they have ratll- er a stupid time of it with their eter- nal round of house parties, yachts and games. Now, out where am the men 1o things @
 Fhe girl looked at him quickly and sharply. "Well, tie men S'do things here too. They have to make money to spend it like this"
 'Oh, no, they don't" said Wilson de cidedly. Most of them hardly know what their offices look like in New York. Their fathers do the work, or, If their fathers are dead, some of their fathers old friends manage the family fortune and keep tfe boys in an in- come that will permit $1O,0Oo automo. piles and ten dollar silk stockings"
 "T am afraid you are bit preju- 1iced," said the girl, but her face was serious. He waxed confidential.
 T do not mind telling you," he said, that came here not so much to get my hands done as to find out some just how they'd do things lround here. You see, I am an Illinois nan born and bred, never even went in Tor society in Chicago, but just as soon IS left college struck out for the ,inc fields in Missouri, and I've stuck here ever since. You don't keep up with the styles when you are develop ng zinc mines."
 Have you struck it richf'' said the girl, looking up at him, with laugh.
 Well, We have pretty good thing If it," said Wilson. But 1t doesn't mean so much to me as it does to MT. Van Twiller.'
 The girl dropped her file, and it took both of them to find it in the folds of Ter pretty morning gown Then she vent to work again.
 "Mr. Van Twiller does not need any nore money
 "Humph! A New York man never wants to buy good old English title or pretty daughter of his, and I uppose the biggest part of his money will go into the title"
 Her face was flushing now. 'I do lot think Miss Van Twiller is for ale"
 The man looked at her curiously. Dc you know her?''
 ''Oh, yes, very wei; she comes here 'ery often"
 Well. I haven't seen her yet. anne up on the late boat last night with MT. Van Twiller, and, between ,ou and me, when we got up to that ,alace of his and I saw people in the 'arlor and on the porch in evening ,arty togs got one of the best ready 0 wear headaches you ever saw. bought your summer boy wore white IuclSs or light fiannels at these resorts, md that was all brought besides the business suit wore. so I just wired 'ack to town for a dress suit and 'et it will be here by dinner time to- tight or there will be something doing vhen I get back to that hotel i'll New fork. may have come out of the inc mines, but am not playing the David Ha.um' act before Van Twill ers crowd
 A shadow fell on tLe floor: a, stout martly clad woman paused in tLe Ioorway. She almost gasned at sight f the couple at the table. '".Oh. Miss
 The girl threw her warning lance, but she could not stem the tide f apology. N i+ tssI wof.ld not have this happen for he worldr The newcomer was visi- ly distressed. The, girl looked up at er with calm. smiling eyes.
 "Oh, Pm doing very well, madame!''
 "Yes, she hasn't cut me once," said Wilson. T do not believe you could ave done it better yourself"
 He had swung around to face lime. Laugeret, and, behind his back, he girl raised her finger to her lip in ]
 gesture of silence.
 "Very well" said madame in voice which was not entirely steady, .'as 'ou please" Then she entered the cur