The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-05

The afternoon tea was over, and the
widow Chalmers sat down TO think
4 There had been present Mr.. Charles
Montague. He loved to be called
Charlie. He spoke with a drawl lie
was always bored. He hadn't ambi'
tion enough 10 throw one OF hts MI
merous creditors downstairs,
And there was Philip Manchester
He had a studio used for smoking
alone. and he was waiting for his
aunt TO die and leave him a hundred
thousand dollars. He was a Ian
guiSher.
And Capt Noble had put his hand
on his heart and started TO propose
to her, and was stopped only toy a
second cup of tea. He belonged 10 the
Horse Marines. or some other mill
tary body. ana was extremely proud
of his dropping mustache.
Also. there was Reggy Pendergast,
the cociety pet. lie wrote sufnets
and stole poems. He cultivated "a lisp
and a blush, lie always held some
-cna,s poodle sas rs his lap when he
sat down, and the ladies spoke adj
rniringly Of his ecceutricity.
And there was Bot what was the
Use There vas only one gentlema n
present worth remembering, and he
had vexed her little by mis- attitude.
HE had scarcely paid her compli-
ment He hadn't come and dawdled
and departed. but had remained less
than hait an hour lie hadn't chum-
med With The dawdfeTs. t9F hdd tF=
trayed no eCcentricity. She couidn's
-Tumympgr wrIU rar Drought MIN, But
she had liked his face and the little
he said. Franklin was the name he
had given--Worth Franklin.
There were a dozen chaps who
would have given dollar or two To
be assured that the widow Chalmers
remembered them after their depart
nre from one Of her teas. She was
/ on the right side of thirty. handsome
and rich. and not at all understood
by society Society picked out this
one and that one for her to marry
and he was a dawdier. He was q
ladies tea man. lie was talker OF
small talk. He had eccentricities and
Z y drawl. She was given credit for q
tat bank account. good looks and {
good figure, hut her nature was sup
posed TO be frivolous. She could sigr
d check, but was not supposed ever 4
have hear OF the tariff or cold stor
hge.
And the widow recalled the face o
Worth Franklin and somehow felt giat
that he had called in and towere'
ever the other men, And when sh
thought of the stiffness and the fop
perry and the Hypocrisy of 1t all SIN
wrote out telegram to her dea
friend, Mrs. Lee. down in the country
and said she was coming to visit heI
and would be there on the evenin
train next day.
Mr. Worth Franklin was an archi
tecf Just getting a foothold. He ha
ambition. earnestness and persever
ance, but nothing in bank and n
old aunts to leave him Il legacy.
g citizen down at Glendale wanted
modest little skyscraper. and som
one told him of Mr. Franklin, an
4 he wrote to him TO come down. Tn
architect telegraphed in reply. and q
i 81 was electricity as we'll as steaf
thEt landed him and the widow G
the village depot together. They dt
not occupy the same car coming dow
and as both were bundled up fc
ptDrniy weather they did not recof
nixe each other when they got off.
And the weather. which had bee
threatening all day TO play high ink
broke with a blizzard and things be
Z ran to howl There was no carrtag
from Mrs, Lees; no man who wante
- xkyscraperi The other passenger
struck out for their homes and wer
lest TO sight, and the architect an
the widow found themselves In boz
Al least the depot agent looked 9
4 Them and grinned and said:
mo hacks for the hotel o-night. n
hacks for anywhere. Telephone ha
zone dead, It's going To snow all nigh
and you win have TO sit here by III
btove till morning"
Sse The agent was working for s45 pc