Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-03-19
A Change Of Season.

relaxation. The winter social season
with Miss Perkins was her busy day"
Born in the swim, with no expectation
Of a dowry, 1t was her business to mar
ry an establishment. None of the
young men she had met during the
winter-that she could get-flled the
measure of her requirements. Some
were stupid, some dissipated, some
pulled with vanity and none of them
quite rich enough. Miss Perkins So
cial position required as a minimum
$4,000 a year, and 1t was her ambi-
ton to land three or four times that
amount.
Tired of the social functions which
she had constantly felt obliged to at
tend for a matrimonial purpose, when
July came she resolved to go to some
middle class resort where she would
throw off the artificial and be refresh
ed by the natural. But even this was
a part of her general plan, for she felt
that some real lovemaking would give
Zest to her abilities as a charmer
when engaged in hunting down a mil
~lionaire.
Miss Perkins received a heart fresh
ening that she had not bargained for.
One Howard Dangler, a recent grad
uate of a school for civil engineers,
talked so enthusiastically Of the life
work before him and showed so plain
ly hat his career would be the better
for her wifely encouragement and af-
lection that he quite flustered her.
Not that she had any idea of seriously
listening to his bubbling chat-not she
she had nc use for love In a cottage
and the care of children while her hus-
band would be absent-often for long
terms-in various parts of the world
fighting his way In his profession.
But when, the season being over, they
separated on a steamboat landing,
standing apart from the crowd, the
lovelight in Miss Perkins eyes was
not all assumed.
But this is a world of change.
1t is December. Miss Perkins Is
handed a card on which is engraved
the name of Howard Dangler. A faint
change Of color comes over her face,
followed by indications Of resolution.
She goes to the drawing room, enter
ing with a cold dignity. 1t is not July,
but December, and Miss Perkins would
not be out of season. She extends her
hand to her visitor as a queen would
extend hers to a subject who has car
ried her train over a ditch that he may
receive his reward.
"How do you do, Mr.. Dangler? How
good Of you to look me upi You are
the only one of my summer acquaint-
ances that | have met again."
The words s'summer aequaintaacosu
are spoken in an unmistakable tone.
IT have not been to your city before
since l met you," stammers Mr.. Dan
gler, "or 1 would have Then, seeing
that he is making matters worse, he
stops and reddens.
Miss Perkins does not help him. In
deed, she sits mute, waiting for him to
untangle himself. He goes off into
something about "that delightful sea
son." checks himself and, with a touch
of melancholy, speaks of the formal
winter" then comes again to a stop.
This time Miss Perkins ~condescends to
make q remark.
"Do you remain for some time in the
cityT"
The words conveyed the idea that
she would be willing he should leave
by the next train.
By this time Mr.. DANGER was begin
ming to recover himself. When he
spoke again it was in a conventional
tone, with which he seemed to be quite
as familiar as Miss Perkins.
81 shall be here all winter" he said
"but / fear l shall see little of you in
society, for l shall be very busy. My
aunt, Mrs. Walter Delano, and other
relatives and friends are urging me to
accept invitations, but
Mrs. Delanov' exclaimed Miss Per-
kins. 'Your' aunt!'
81 shall be engaged financing the A.,
L. and b. railroad, which we are going
to build to connect two other roads of
our system
But Mrs. Delano! l know her very
well" again interrupted Miss Perkins
"She is the leader of our set"
The young man pushed on. "It will
LSQullG pOIlC lNChtJ AillAlOho ~
But thought you told me you were
a civil engineer?"
81 am. Ny father thought a knowl-
edge of engineering the best equip
ment for my life work. He Is man
ager of the system and is beginning to
throw some of his smaller RESPONSE
bilities on to my shoulders. This lit
tie matter of twenty Millions
"Are you the son of Edgar 7. Dan
gler, the railroad kingY"
"Yes, and my father sets more store
by me than most fathers do by their
sons, for he has only me to carry on
his great work after his death. But
pardon me. Pm sure 1 have kept you
altogether too long for a mere sumlne
acquaintance"
During these developments the beat
90 Af;.n porl-ipo, boort ba1 nopa dovup