The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-28
THEIR
ARGUMENT
Hortense gave the steering bar Of
her electric brougham a vicious little

Hortense gave the steering bar Of
her electric brougham a vicious little
Jerk.
Il think you are particularly silly
to-day, Billy" she declared. Il
wouldn't have agreed to let you ride
into town with me this morning If !
had known you were going to talk
such nonsense"
Let me demonstrate with you for
trying to take these corners on the
fly" meekly retaliated Billy. You
have a habit Of confusing your cleo
trio with an aviation machine. How
ever, to come back to the subject at
issue. l have never before talked quite
so we'll or so seriously in my life as
l did just a moment ago. As have
covered the same ground on numer-
Gus occasions before. perhaps 1t Is
just as well to let me down at the
next suburban station" &
"Oh. no" said Hortense. noncha-
lantly. Its really a very warm day
to ride in on the train. and besides
you missed the last express while
you waited for me to have the cleo
trio brought around. / hate to take
the run in alone, anyway. You know,
Billy, it isn't that l don't care for
you a lot-a big lot. / just cant
think of being engaged to any one
person. There are others who need
my friendship and advice"
Il see," remarked Billy dryly. you
might manage a little arrangement
whereby you could be engaged to Tom
on Wednesdays, to Jim on Fridays
and to me on Sundays"
Don't be fippant," commanded
Hortense. turning a corner at an an
gle that caused Billy's hair to stand
on end.
"You see," she went N. ~pensively.
II really feel that l owe something
to those who are dependent upon me
for my advice and inspiration. Tom
has just got into corporation law and
he says that l have helped untangle
some of the knottiest cases he has
had. Not directly, of course, but Just
by my interest and encouragement
If l were to become engaged to you,
Billy. l could no longer help Tom and
keep a record of his failures and sue
cesses. When he wins a case, use
a red pencil to make a record with.
and when he loses a case l use q
black one"
How interesting" commented Bill
ly. From what I've seen and heard
l infer that your red pencil had not
been worn down very much"
II hate jealous men," remarke
Hortense. Besides. it isn't just Tom.
There is Kenneth. too. He is up
here doing engineering work and
every time he loses his temper and
tries to run the manager he tele-
phones me and / think up a nice lit
tie sisterly talk to give him when he
comes down. He says he benefits
wonderfully by my calm, even dispo-
sition and cool, logical views. He is
a southerner, you know, and they
have such tempers. don't you think
so?"
81 should say they do" agreed Billy.
"In fact, temper takes the place OF
brains with some men that / could
mention"
Il have near me now a cost strik-
ing example of that Sort" retorted
Hortense, showing her dimples.
There's another thing, Billy. If |
did become engaged to you l should
be %dreadfully exacting. l should
want you to give up your clubs. and
| should run away every time you
talked about baseball and prize fights.
You know, I hate all those things.
You would have to talk about grand
opera and higher education and
and domestic science and all sorts
of things that you don't know any
thing about. You would hate me in
a week. wouldn't you, Billy?"
"I1l take chances on that any time"
returned Billy. Il can buy the libret.
tos and read up on grand opera and
have a college degree tucked away
somewhere that l could haul out.
Then | can cook and sew on buttons
really remarkably we'll. In fact, com.
ing down to a specific comparison OF
| tastes and ideas in common. l appear
to be the one man in the world for
you. You can see that %youreslf."
Were almost in town." said Hor
tense, hurriedly Would you get
white poplin or pique to pipe a Law.
| ender dress?'
why, If | were the sweetest little
girl in the w~orld--which you are
should turn down this next street and
| 20 to a certain jewelry shop and let
4 certain man have the third finger
| of the left hand sized for"
"But l have loads OF shopping te
do" demonstrated Hortenss with very
red cheeks. land you are late for the
| office, and. anyhow. it is all very silly
| and / know you will be sorry and re
| greet It,"
You have passed by the street
asked you to turn down." remarked
Billy in a quietly restrained voice.
Then, being a tactful man, he was
| silent as Hortense's little hand on the
cteerinp bar of the electric slowly