The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-27
zHE EVENING STORY
The Kings English.
(By George M. A. Cain1

The Kings English.
(By George M. A. Cain.)
Time WAS when Nellie Moore en-
1oyed two distinctions above the |
other pretty girls who sold everything
conceivable from the counters of the
big store on Sixth avenue. The first
OF these distinctions was that of be-
ing the cleverest manipulation of the
latest slang. The second was that of
being Michael Maloney's steady COM
pany."
When Mike had arrived from the
Emerald Isle and had been made a
clerk in the branch Of the Amalga-
mated Tea Stores company all on the
same day, he had been easily per-
coded him into the land OF freedom
to attend a dance of the Moonlight
Athletic association in the evening.
There Nellie had seen him, and, see-
ing, had Observation-Disclosures
Who's the new Harp" she had
Whereupon she was duly presented to
Mr.. Maloney, just over from Dub
lin
Perhaps 1t was the unconvention-
atty of her conversation that attracted
the young Irishman from the start.
Perhaps it was her fresh, young
beauty. Perhaps 1t was the snap and
go that marked all she said and did.
At all events, Mike and Nellie were
"steadies" from that evening forth.
In another sense Michael Maloney
was as steady a young man az ever be-
came a citizen Of New York. and when
he was promoted to the position of
manager in the branch store being
his sweetheart became a real dis
tinction for Nellie.
But shortly after Michaers pro-
motion Nellie acquired q new distinc-
ton which entirely eclipsed ono OF
her old ones and certainly went far
toward finishing the other. It all be-
gan tnnocently enough. No one would
have suspected the results when she
borrowed one of Laura Jean Libbey's
novels. There was no sign Of danger
until she had got well on toward the
end of the book.
In fact, at the middle Of the sec
ond page the girl had handed the vol
une back to its owner with the COM
ment, II can't dope out this talk" But
the other had urged perseverance, as
surfing Nellie that she would get used
to the swell guy" talk of the story
and that the tale itself was "somepun
grand"
And. sure enough, at page 223 Nellie
rows of the heroine. She nearly forgot
to wait on customers, SO absorbed had
she become. The worst of 1t was that
she had become fascinated with the
'swell-guy talk" itself. At the end of
the book she began anew to study the
lofty phrases of the empty CONVERSE
lions, for she had been converted to
the idea that really nice people used
that sort OF language instead Of the
very lucid style Of her past colloquies.
She instituted process of self-refor-
nation. She suddenly forsook the
dances OF the MOONLIGHT Athletes. She
went to night school classes in English.
She attended lectures on English at the
Settlement house. Her progress in the
Improvement of her conversational
style was a thing to delight the hearts
of the Settlement workers.
In two weeks she had got so far that,
instead of remarking that it was a
swell day." she impaired to Mamie
Mcdonnell that "the sun bids fair to
shed his Illuminating rays unimpeded
by nebular obstacles"
Mamie promptly admonished her to
come off the roof" One by one her
old friends all forsook her and left her
to the society Of q pocket dictionary
and grammar-and more Of Mrs. Lib
hey. Her little brothers and sisters
took to spending their evenings on tho
sidewalk, beyond her correcting in
f1uence-and palm.
Her father and mother openly sighed
in relief when she sailed forth to at
tend her classes. But all these things
only added 1est to her earnestness by
SlNlH6 IL a AdNOI VI 0liO
had the makings of real reformer.
1t was when she undertook to reform
Michael that She waded in the waters
of real sacrifice to principle. Michael
did not yet know how to WELD the east
side slang, but he had a brogue that
could be cut only with an axe. And
that brogue was Incompatible with
Nellie's new ideas of the refinement
that must mark her future home.
At first she explained her lofty am
billions to her lover. He assented rath-
er vaguely to the proposition. He even
agreed to help her upward move, but
his interest began to languish when
she corrected his pronunciations.
For awhile he would repeat his words
a second time with solemn earnestness.
Then he merely said "all right" to her
Interruptions of his disquisitions, and
went on with what he was saying. He
was hard hit by Cupid's arrows, and
was willing to stand for a good deal.
But on the evening when he had
screwed up his courage to the point Of
asking that their relation as STEADY
company" be changed to that of real
betrothal in spite of his misgivings
about the recent changes in her make
up. she made a fatal mistake
Don't call me .swate-hea-rt she
said petulantly. at should be pro-
nounced sweetheart His while de-
claration of unbounded love had been
given in language very different from
that of similar declarations in the
works of Mrs. Libbey. and she felt dis
appointed.
His response to her correction must
have been even more disappointing.
The brief expletive used was more en-
tightening to Nellie than any other
words could have been. 1t showed her
that, in her beautiful programme OF
home refinement, of polite conversation,
of high thinking and speaking, Michael
Maloney was incapable of taking
part.
Promptly she explained to him that
she felt convinced that future years
would find them happier for avoiding
the error of continued friendship. The
venture of matrimony would be peril
WIDELY