The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-20
(Continued.)

''Of course, MT. Sommers," she be gan sarcastically, eff the navy men are so selfish that they're not willing to give girl chance to show the stuff she's made of, if they're afraid to take any sort of plunge except 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 I were man''-her voice took on color of strength and boldness -"whether I were in the navy or whether owned a continent, l would not let any foolish selfshness of my own keep me from attempting to get anything I wanted"
 "Francesv' 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 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! I thought it was you two up here"
 Angry, embarrassdd the navy lieu tenant stepped back The girl, with a woman's power of self control, seemed quite unmQved.
 's'Ob!" she cried gayly. '1s that you, Edward? Lieutenant Sommers and I were just talking of you. He says you're lucky dog"
 The marriage of Frances Durant and Edward Pinckney had been so long anticipated by all who knew them that the announcement of their en- gagement would have been received with feeling of general relief. In the minds of their friends it would have strengthened out an awkward situation. Under present circumstances their friends did not know just how to take them. For more than year it had been generally understood they would some time marry, but the mem bers of the set in which they moved had waited anxiously, but in vain, for some definite sign. It was generally taken for granted that MT. Durant did not object, and Mrs. Durant was open ly in favor of the match.
 Frances herself was the stumbling block. Time after time her intimates 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 frie lds had decided to take the situation for granted, and so they had with perfect faith spread the report that as soon as Frances had reached her majority the couple were to be married. Even the people about the steel works had come to look 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 su- pervising managers had, but he was also expected to own the works-some day himself.
 Pinclzney, too, was particularly care full not to contradict the general i'm precision. He knew the influence it gave him, and also he was so tremen- dously ambitious and so anxious to bring the marriage about that he really 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 ruining himself on Wall street, Edward Pinck- ney when 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 son he would have liked to have.