The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-16
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to 'Mr. Harrington these daysC
'Oh, she isn't SO bad" said to Pc
tiers. for l rather looked forward to
seeing the pretty. pleasant hammered
girl again. I'D just as soon have Miss
Gentles next week when Mr.. Dround
goes east II no one else wants her"
Old Peters had 4 twinkle in his eyes
rs he answered, Just 40 you say, MI
Harrington"
Gentles that summer while Mr.. Dround
was away on his vacation. l can't say
that the young lady developed much
business ability. She forgot NEST
things with wonderful ease, and she
was never very accurate. But she
tried hard, and it seemed to worry her
so when pointed out her mistakes
that took to having in another stenog.
rapher In the afternoon to finish what
she hadn't done.
Miss Gentles boarded with an old
aunt Of her mothers near where Slo
cum and l lived. gathered that the
aunt and her husband were not very
kind to her. They thought she ought
to marry, having good looks and no
money. Miss Gentles let me call on
her, and before the summer was over
we were pretty well acquainted. For
. long time the thought Of May had
kept me from looking at a woman. l
always saw that little white face and
those searching eyes and heard that
hooking laugh. But Miss Gentles was
50 different from May that she never
made me think Of the woman l had
once loved.
l took Slocum to call on my new &C.
Quaintance, but they didn't get on well
together. She thought his old Yankee
ways were hard. and l suppose he
thought ! was bound on the voyage Of
life with a pleasure Loving mate. He
used to growl to me about tying my
self to 4 woman, but always said he
needn't worry about me. wasn't the
marrying kind.
"Oh. you'll be wanting to get mar
ried the same as the rest Of the world"
Slocum would answer. land have q
wife and children to spend your money
on and make you earn more!"
But thought differently. A man Of
my sort, l replied to him. works and
fights just the same without wife or
child, because of the fight In him, be-
cause he can't help himself. any more
than the man who wants to drink can
keep his lips from the glass. It's in
his blood and bone.
Miss Gentles had seen 4 good deal Of
society. the best there was In the city
in those early days. 1t was odd to hear
her talking about people who were
just big names to me. as II she had
known them all her life. I must have
struck her as pretty green. but she
made me feel from the drst like some
one she had always known. She was
proud enough. but simple. and not in
the least reserved. She told me all
about her people. the easy times and
the hard times. And never q word OF
complaint or regret for all the parties
and good things that were gone out OF
her life. She was one to take her beer
with q joke when she couldn't have
champagne. OF course told her. first
and last, all my story. She made me
tnke her to zee the Hostetters at the
old place On Van Buren, street. Then
the four Of Us went up the lake on
picnic one Sunday. Hillary. I remem-
Der, was sullen because Ed paid 30
much attention to Miss Genties on this
trip.
So We became good friends. Yet
never felt really intimate with her, n
had with Hillary. and when tried
to step past Q certain line she had her
own way Of keeping me on-not
haughtily or pertly. but like lady
who knew how people Of the great
world. where had never been. be-
haved to one another. One day. re-
member. was fool enough to send her
q little fancy purse with . gold eagle
in 1t and line sayiag'that It was time
for me to make restitution or some
thing Of the sort My gift came back
quick enough. with q clever little note
tucked inside saying she couldn't let
me admit that had taken her purse.
1t was good lesson for me.
When Mr.. Dround returned In the
fall she reported to him for work. and
I was not altogether sorry. had plen-
ty OF chances to see her outside Of the
ONCE now. and was desperately busy.
In few days. however. when I hap
Pened to be in Ar. Grounds ONCE on
some matter he began to talk about
Miss Gentles. Peters had told him that
had had her ~ my stenographer dur
ing his absence. and Mr.. Dround would
Ike to have me continue, n she wasn't
adapted TO his needs. Then he spoke Of
her people and how he and Mrs.
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