The Cairo bulletin., 1910-06-10
ADVISING
NATALIE

perfect shame that Natalie Baker was
hrowing herself away on Tom Arnold.
L was not that they had anything
letinlte against Tom. The objection
vas more against what he wasn't than
What he was, He Just wasn't much
i anything He was twenty-four and
nd q clerkship in an Office where by
Industry he might achieve $3.50 a
ncnth In ten years or SO and then
night stick there for the rest OF his
ife, Not that the measure OF man
Is his income, but it il the measure
II his position In the world, and Ma
talie was the kind Of girl who would
pc TASTED In obscurity.
Natalie was so extraordinarily and
conmandingly pretty and so generally
fascinating that it was irritating tc
the community at large that she was
| not TO be carried away In golden
chariot, or rather in limousine with
the requisite bank account behind it
"Of course" said Mrs. Flicker. who
had been a friend OF Natalie's mother
and who watched rather exasperated
ly her fathers indulgent method OF
bringing up his daughter, 1t. isn't
that one is mercenary--or that don't
believe In falling in love or anything
like that-but why under creation
Natalie couldn't have picked out some
one else to fasten her affections on Is
mystery II her mother had lived
I'll warrant she'd have broken up the
Tom Arnold affair! Men are SO stu
pid!"
Natalie and Tom had been chums
always. And Tom had always been
Just an ordinary boy, unnoticeabIy or
binary looking, and with no flashes OF
brilliance to compensate for his looks
His devotion to Natalie was his chief
charm. But he did not get excited
about II.
Moreover, he did not appear con
| scious that 1t was extraordinary that
| Natalie seemed completely satisfied
with him. He didn't know any reason
| why she shouldn't like him They had
| grown up together Tom having the
| run Of the house, her father being sc
| used to seeing him about and having
| him under foot that he had not real
lied Tom was no longer boy o.
course, being her father he never
| would realize that Natalie also hat
! grown up
Mrs. Flicker and other women die
what they could to give Natalie Z
| chance, as they called 1t They In
vted her to dinner and artfully asked
eligible young men at the same time
They called her my dear" and lee
tured her on making the best of onei
opportunities and the awfulness o
matrimonial mistakes.
With his salary--or lack of 1t, rath
sr--Tom could not spend much none!
in entertaining Natalie Mrs Flecke
almost wept when she considered Ma
talie In the glory of her willow
plumed hat and $3.50 velvet suit goint
to mere vaudeville show.
shes Just wasting herself ant
| she'll regret 1t some day." prophesiet
| Mrs. Flicker. IF she'd only take al
| interest in some one else! But sht
doesn't seem to be amused by anothe
man on earth | don't wonder Ton
is crazy about her. but what she cal
| see in him Is beyond met"
Therefore when one day Natalie con
! ided to Mrs FlecltFr that she ant
Tom were at outs that good woman
heart leaped for gladness,
He's far too particular" Natalie
said y wouldn't stand 1t the othe,
avening He acts as though his wore
was law and"
TN glad you have so much spirit,
said Mrs Flicker, while she inward.
thanked her stars that Irving Law
cence was coming to dinner tina
night Telephone your house tina
you are going to stay with us thi
vening for dinner"
Irving Lawrence was exactly tn,
sort of young man tIrs. Flicker VIC IL
| have picked out for Natalie. He wa
| handsome and clever and prosperous
| and nobody knew where he woul'
stop now that he had begun TIC elm
in business, Natalie found him dc
,idedly agreeable.
Three months later Natalie's be
wildered father was issuing weddin
| invitations for the marriage of hi
daughter and Irving Lawrence. Tina
4 young man had fallen victim to Ne
talie at first sight and his wooing ha
been tempestuous, Tom Arnold sin
ply had been swept off the boards.
\ am glad, Natalie" Mrs. F1ecke
told her. that your childish infatu;
ton for Tom died natural deatl
You would have been crazy to MARI
him You see It now don't your
| Natalie turned her big solitair
around on her finger. Il suppose so,
she said. I'll haven't seen Tom fo
| weeks"
We'll, you don't want to see him,
said Mrs Fletcher sharply. I'm s
glad you're going to Europe on you
wedding trip!'
1t was just four days before he
wedding day that Natalie and TOT
Arnold eloped and were married Sh
had met him on the street and dii
| cpvarod In iva r,,iuutoe' tall that ah