Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-12-31

OF Mr.. Owner OF a Steel Plant; but,
you see. l have everything l want,
thank you. and l don't care the least
little bit for YOU Now, where would
your suppose theory be then, Mr.. SON.
mersT'
The man shrugged his shoulders.
Anyhow. Miss Durant,' he said,
"the manager of the steel plant or the
owner of the steel plant can go to the
girl he loves. make his fight, take his
chance and, like a man. abide by the
result. But the navy fellow can't do
that. All he can do is to bite his lips
and twiddle his thumbs and regret and
suppose"
He ended 1t bitterly, half turning
away from her. so that he did not see
the girls quick. involuntary motion to-
ward him. He was still half turned
away when she fought down the in
clination Of her heart to speak. At
last she gained self control.
"Of course, Mr.. Sommers," she be-
gan sarc, 5tically. ''if the navy men are
SO selfish that they're not willing to
give a girl a chance to show the stuff
she's made of. If they're afraid to take
any sort Of plunge except a plunge
for glory, why. they must expect to
receive the reward that comes to the
men who won't try-the reward of
failure. If l were a man"-her voice
took on color of strength and boldness
whether | were In the navy or
whether l owned a continent, l would
not let any foolish selishness Of my
own keep me from attempting to get
anything l wanted"
"Francesr' The man whirled sud
denly, catching her two hands. You
mean it?"
She looked up at him, happy and
quite unafraid.
"Yes." she said. ''of course l mean
It," And her eyes invited him.
Impulsively the man leaned toward
her. Then. as their faces almost seem
ed to touch. a cold. hard voice seemed
to cut them apart.
"Ah! Good evening! l thought it
was you two up here"
Angry, embarrassed. the navy lieu
tenant stepped back. The girl, with a
woman's power of self control. seemed
quite unmoved.
"Ohr' she cried gayly. rs that you,
Edward? Lieutenant Sommers and J
were just talking Of you. He says
you're a lucky dog"
The marriage of Frances Durant and
Edward Pinckney had been SO long
onfiofRofad hu oil vuhn knnn fhnn
that the announcement of their en-
gagement would have been received
with a feeling of general relief. In
the minds Of their friends 1t would
have Strengthened out an awkward
situation. Under present circumstances
their friends did not know just how
to take them. For more than a year
it had been generally understood they
would some time marry. but the men,
bers of the set In which they moved
had waited a~nxiously. but in vain. for
some definite sign. 1t was generally
taken for granted that Mr.. Durant did
not object. and Mrs. Durant was open
ly in favor OF the match.
Frances herself vas the stumbling
DlOCh. 4lDlG dllCl iliC hCA tCS
tried to find out. but each time, with
perfect good humor, but with complete
thoroughness. she blocked every at
tempt. Finally, their curiosity block
ed, the solicitous friends had decided
to take the situation for granted, and
so they had with perfect faith spread
the report that as o as Frances had
reached her majority the couple were
to be married. Even the people about
the steel works had come to loo at
the matter In the same light. The
men understood that the general man
ager was some day going to marry
the daughter of the boss. and that
made them treat him with more re-
spect, for not only was he the mana
ger, with power greater than most SUI
pervising managers had, but he was
also expected to own the works some
day himself.
Pinckney. too. was particularly care
full not to contradict the general i'm
preston. Tie knew the influence 1t
gave him. I'd also he was SO tremen-
dously ambitious and so anxious to
DrluS tue m~IIldSe dDOuI that liz Ieuily
believed it would be. And even an
enemy must have admitted there was
every reason for him to hope. The
son of a friend. George Durant, who
had committed suicide after running
himself on Wall street. Edward Pinck-
ney when a mere boy had been taken
into the household of the steel mil
~lionaire. Durant had sent the boy to
the best schools In the country. Boy
though he was. Pinckney had appre-
ciated the opportunity given him. He
had studied hard. finally graduating
from one of the best institutions at
the top of his class. Then his bene-
factor had placed him Immediately In
the works. Durant had no son. and
to him Edward Pinckney. with his in
born tact. his aggressiveness and his
splendid mind. seemed just the kind of