Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-08

With an apprchensive face that i'll &C
corded with the fervor of his pencil he
answered:
Not as much as [ love you"
His communication brought him from
thai far away table a sickly smile a
deaths head symphony of age giddy with
! the emotions of youth. For d moment his
eyes fell beneath ii. then " it'll Gsts clench-
ed so that nails cut into the palms of bis
hands he met it ana smiled ir his turn.
The next communication from the aging
goddess via the waiter route was:
"Wlil you marry nre*" BEATRICE
Almost upsetting the table Broadway
leaped to his feet Some champa gue
glasses did indeed roll n fragments on the
floor. The while every eye IN the room
was turned upon him. and every retina
there recorded his swift emphatic down
ward gesture Of the arm. he shouted:
Yes"
instantly the room was filled with the
ciamor of many voices speaking at once
each 10 IT'S neighbor
The punch al last" said Mrs Pres
brey.
Then She locked for young Wallace,
but he had vanished some moments be-
fore.
There succeeded silence as profound as
the babel had been vigorous a moment
! before. Expect aton was written on
every face Out Of the silence arose a
womans voice, the high pitched tremu-
lous falsetto tone of Mrs. Gerard who
was half on her feet.
al feel Just like little twitternq bird
in the tree top" she cried and then fell
over backward 10 the floor apparently in
a dead swoon.
Swift were the rescuers Nine millions
of dollars III a woman's hands may have
wings, but while il lasts it also puts
| wings to the feet OF others. Women
rushed &c Mrs. Gerard. men tried to
push past them some one called for a
physician, others Tor Araudy, while still
I others, sodden with wine. stood agitated-
ly at their chairs. and then drank the
dregs from their glasses, there seeming
nothirg alse TO do.
But if the feet Of some OF the diners
had wings, those of Broadway Jones
seemed planted in twin automobiles OF
greatest horsepower. Through the press
; cf rem and women he passed without app
! parent effort. 1t was his hand which
raised Mrs. Gerard's head from the floor
! his knee upon which it was pillowed
while he placed smelling salts beneath
, the wo1naa's Slightly tinted nose.
1T was so sudden. poor dear" he ssid
with just the slightest hint Of his Ole
humor in his eyes. and would rot say
! more,
\ doctor augmented without displacins
the youth, who still supported Mrs Ger
ard. Soon she opened her eyes Broad
way Jones' mind lad phrased the words
before her lips uttered them.
/ -t,,
As best he could from his haIf-squat.
ting position On the floor, he put hi,
! young arms about the angular time
gouged form.
Here, dearest, in my arms, safe where
you belong, little Beatrice he said. Sc
that an ever widening circle about hin
heard and repeated TO those on the out.
/ skirts
! There was again a merciful interva'
which was hidden by the outspread skirts
| Of the women. Then. finally, Mrs Ger
ard was led to her place, while, calm aud
alert, al her side stood Broadway jones
waiting for order TO be restored.
In response 10 his gestures the com
pany found, II not their old seats. new
ones, which they drew as near 10 Mrs.
! Gerard's table as possible.
Then, at last, Broadway spread out his
arms in a gesture for silence He got il
Immediately. He sat down and young
lawyer, a friend, took his place
MY friends" said he. we have seen
many things together, have shared many
experiences. Now, were going to share
great Happiness our guest ! may
well say, our guest OF honor, Mrs. Gerard.
begs to announce her enga cement to
marry Mr.. Jackson Jones"
At first there was only an astonished
ripple. 10 be succeeded a moment later
by bursts OF laughter This in its turn
was followed by a blending of softer
merriment. the ningjing Of congratula-
lions and polite sprightliness, when peo-
pie began to reflect that after all this
might be one Of those punches with
which the name OF Broadway Jones had
been associated,
But merrimert urbounded returned
when from the faT end Of the room came
IA piece Of the grotesque, from which
even the most thougntless might have
drawn a s'nister shade. \ white haired
man. with a champagne glass in his hand,
arose ana waved it aloft lie was recog-
niHed an intimate Of the Gerard fam
lily. ard OF the ge precisely of Mrs. Ger
aru's second husbaud-sthat is 70 say, cC
her own age. Eii hCary head brought
into, striking RELIEF the great difference
in the ages Of tie pair whose "happi.
Less'' lad just been announced.
"A health 10 tine bride. a health 10
the brider he shouted
Then at = signal from him. repeated
by the pallid Braadwar Jones. files of
walters swiftly appeared with great mag
NUNS OF champagne, cooled in hus" sil-
vev pals Under tee deft efforts II the
serving met., the toaming wine flowed IN
unrestrained rivers
Tren began The madoest period of the
night which Justified all CT the precau-
lions ~ ". Henri Upon an iinprovised
dais. made BY hearing coairs upon chairs
aud covering AL with Oriental rugs. thct
set Broadway jones and his antique
divinity, while the. crowned them with
caaplets maze from the howcry table dec
oratiCuS.
II was 3 season or hilarious frenzy.
aud as gradually tue Torrents aGd cas-
caue- OF Wine aWco. away Tie Conference
Of spe5cL. wprGs lost their mesuirE,
then' sounG anJ became merely SO many
laughs. so that In the end ne ca'eT sign
Cf merrimen, issueI alone from every
mouth. These. ting became but a
~.