El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-01
The Happy Ending
A short story.


] catching machine.
A debutante must necessarily have
! plenty Of frocks. and her heart must be
! kept inside her head instad of inside her
! bodice.
The lightly clad gentleman, crowned
[ with roses instead OF a silk hat and
who plays with arrows instead OF golf
clubs, is not included in her mothers
But She is always at home to mem
I bers Of the chosen race and the peerage-
At the worst, they always come IN han
dy for stock exchange tips and tickets
I for royal professions
A debUtante's mother has also no use
for romance, except IN an improper
novel
The debutante, however, sometimes
differs from ner on this point
l am writing now Of one who did.
She was recovering from influenza
been sent into the country to cOnva-
lesce. II was spring time and the world
was dressed as a bride.
1t IS all very well TO do without ro-
nance in town, but if you come face to
face with il in green and gold world.
and II is tall and strong and brown and
doesn't care a-One bit-fOr the con
are you TO do about it,
1t was much nicer to recruit from in
fluenza in the company OF a good look
ing young man than Il was to sit on a
Stile by oneself and think Of all the fun
one was missing in town. A stiIe, like
scenery, needs someone to hold your
hand before you can properly appreCi-
ate it.
The days sped by. golden as butter
cups.
debutante one morning to receive a
letter summoning her TO come back to
town at the end of the week. You
must positively be back for lady Fife
shire's ball" wrote her mother ia
CD Lake is in town again; 1 met him
yesterday. He asked particularly after
you They tell me he is more disgust
1nEly rich than eVer-sOmething in oil
this time He will be at lady Fffeshire's
On saturday. Positively, my dear, it's
time something " as arranged. Elfrida
comes out next year, ana can't afford
10 have two Of you on my hands"
The debutante sighed and put down
the letter II came TO her as sharply
as the song OF the thrush outside, that
she dl0n want to 60 back to town.
and that she certainly didn't want to
marry Jacob Lake. Jacob Lake had no
hair and no morals. and he dabbleS in
broad brimmed hat and went out to
meet romance.
He was waiting for her at the end Of
the lane, and he was so straight and tall
and good to look at, standing there fl,
the warm sunshine that ner heart
leaped out Of her head as she saw him.
end went back suddenly to the place IL
Whlen originally 1t had been born
You look like Nay herself" he said
as he took her hand. May in a 10
guinea gown, suppose he eyed her
pale cloth gown Quizzically. 1T did
cost 10 guineasE
only seven, she answered him.
~ on see"-she touched the mauva
folds eprecaungly-'its just a simple
little thing"
when marry" he tilted his straw
hat further back from his eyes, If ever
dress herself entirely on seven pounds
a year"
How perfectly dreadful-"
He laughed at her Mortified voice.
'Oh, but that's not the worst" he
answered her. she may not always
even have enough to eat Acity clerk
is never sure Of ANYTHING except the
a ci5y clerk" She stared at him
aEhast Why, you told me you were
I am anything in the country" he
told her from prince to poet. When
even have enough to eat A city clerk
when / am in one, with 80 shillings in
my pocket l am prince
4 little chilly wind seemed suddenly
to blow out Of the sky. She sniyered
in spite Of the sunshine Quite sudden
~ her heart jumped back into her head
To flirt with 4 poet was one thing, to
flirt with city clerk was most dis
tinctly another. He leaned forward to
look into her face.
You haven't caught a fresh cold.
have youE Let's &c fOr a walk instead
or daWdling here"
He tucked her hand inside his arm
She let him do so without protest. He
had done it before when she had
thought he was poet She couldn't
very well object nov that she knew
him 70 be a CLERK, and anyway, II was
only till Saturday.
Saturday would bring town and ia
cob Lake. If only he had little more
hair-hOw green everything looked
Yes. she would caOOse emeralds for her
engagement ring.
a penny for your thoughts" To-
nance rallied ner-
That isn't the fare to London" she
answered. 4 was thinking Of town.
L have TO 90 back Saturday"
THE day after tomorrow? So that's
the end Of all our jolly times2 His
\ dice was frankly regretfuL I go
back soon, too. must look out for 2
job But I don't suppose we shall
ever meet in town East is east and
west Is west and never the twain
shall meet
But you don't live in Whitechapel,
surely?" The debutante withdrew her
hand from his arm firmly. East meant
TO her either Whitecnapel or India 1t
couldn't be India-sO-
Its Clapham, in fact, he reassured
her, gravely. 4 was only quoting met
lphorically. Chaplain is quite nice
place really it's almost as expensive
10 live in as Carlton House Terrace For j
instance, you couldn't pay your rent
even there with love, and il 1 offered
love weekly to my landlady, instead Of |
Is shillings, why, she'd sent for the pO-
ice"
She knit her delicate brows, staring
down in a puddle in the lane left by an
early shower. Yes. suppose love
doesn't count, really she said slowly
It last
/ note of passion was in his voice. I
Why. my dear, it counts 80 much thar I
L is a luxury. It is an extra to the [
necessities of life which very few Of US I
an afford to indulge in. Love should =
pc given the very best Of US not as /
90 often happens. the worst Love in I
he down at the heel shoes is-Oh! the |
lare ideas unthinkable. And, any
xay-'he looked down at her side \
ways, his momentary gravity forgot /
has love to do with a debu-
ante2 Why, your dreSsmaker would /
lespise Il as a lining to your court /
rain. We are wasting time, and our i
asst morning but one. Come into the I
wood and pick cCWslips-fa1ry gold, 1
rue, 7 shall fill my pockets with 1t 1 I
hall try to imagine it for moment to 4
e the real thing If l were a rich man \
even for a moment" he paused.
He looked so strong and brown stand 1
ne there in the sunshine, audac1ous /
lands upon her shoulders. that invOl- 4
lntarily her pulse Qufckened again as 4
he looked at him
4 might kiss you" he finished boldly. |