Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-10-16

speak 10 llef tnther about 1t. don't you
know Luckily | haven't"
"Luckily?"
"irS: that would have committed me
don't you soc I've been tentatively
engaged r.,,rr than q dozen times. but
never quit" Up to the girls father.
N"w. ! dom, mind telling you that I've
changed y mind about Katherine.
S:,'s u Idly good sort, but she's not
iHSt ray sort thought she was. but
we'll. you know how 1t is yourself. The
hearts Il id queer organ. Mine has
gone back tn Constance in the last two
days ion are her brother-in-law. and
you're a good fellow through and
through want your help I've got
money to burn. and the family'S got
position III the States. can take care
~! her as she should be taken care of
y" little old six room fiat for her But.
Of course. yon understand. | can't quite
carry the thing through With Kntli
crime still! feeling herself attached. rs
it were The thing to decide is this.
How best can | let Katherine down
easily and take on Connie without put
ting myself i'll Il rather hazardous po-
sition! I'm Il gentleman. you see. and
| can't do anything downright rotten
1t wouldn't do. I'm sure in her heart
Connie cares for me. | could make her
understand me better if | had half the
chance. But a fellow can't get near
her nowadays. Don't you think you
are carrying the family link too far?
Now. what l want to ask of you as a
friend is this: Will you put in a good
word for me every chance you get?
III square myself with Katherine all
right. OF course you'll understand, l
don't want to actually break with
Katherine until I'm reasonably sure Of
Constance. I'm a guest of the Rodney
family, you see. 1t would be down.
right indecent of me. No. sir; I'm not
that sort. | shouldn't think of ending
it all with Katherine so long as we
are both guests of her father. I'd wait
until the end Of next week"
Brock had listened in utter amaze
ment to the opening portion Of this in
genuOus proposal. AS the leXile youth
progressed Amusement gave place to in
dignation and Their to disgust. Brooks
brow grew dark; the impulse to pull
his countryman'S nose was hard to
overcome. Never in all his life had
he listened to such a frankly cold
blooded argument as that put forth by
the insufferable Knickerbocker. In the
end the big New Yorker saw only the
laughable side of the little New York
er's plight. After all, he was a harm
less egOist. from whom no girl could
expect much in the way Of recompense.
1t mattered little who the girl Of the
moment might be. she could not hope
to or even seek to hold his perambula-
tory affections. Hes a single exam
pie of a great New York Glass; reflect
ed Brock. The futile. priggish rich!
There are thousands like him in my
dear New York-conscienceless. inver-
tebrate. sybaritic sons of idleness, COL
lege bred and underlined little beasts
who can buy INC her cast off at their
pleasure. They have no means Of
knowing how to fall in love with a
good girl. They have not been trained
to it. It is not for their scrambled in
~tellects to discriminate between the
chorus girl brand Of attack and the
subtle wooing of a ~gentlewoman. They
can't analyze: they can't feel! And
this insipid. egotistical little bounder
is actually sitting there and asking
me to help him with the girl I love!
the eager Ulstervelt in the most irri-
tating Manner. finally laughing out
right in his face. The very thought Of
him as Comics accepted lover! She.
the adorable, the splendid, the unap-
. %proachable! It Was excruclatingly
funny!
"Oh, 1 say. old man." cried Freddie
when the disconcerting laugh came.
don't laugh. It's no joke"
"Pon my soul, Ulstervelt." apollo
gized Brock. with a ~magnanimous
smile. II haven't said it was a joke.
YOU
. Then what are o laughing at?
Something you heard yesterday" with
fine scorn. Brock stared hard at the
flushed boyish face Of the other. 1t
was weak and yet as hard as brass,
hard with the overbearing confidence
/ Of the spoiled child of wealth.
: "See here, Ulstervelt." he said. with
sudden GOODNESS, you're asking my
help. That's no way to get it."
81 beg pardon. l don't mean to be
rude" ~apologized Freddie. But. l
/ say, old man, I'll make it worth your
while. My fathers got stacks of coin.
and he's a power in New York. Odell-
Carney's right. American architects
can't design good %hencoops. What we
want in New York is a rafting good
up to date Englishman or two to show
EN- a few things. They're a lot Of
muckers over there. take it from me.
By Jove. Roxbury. you don't know
how I'd appreciate your friendship In
this matter. 1t will simplify things
immensely. You'll speak a good word
for me when the time comes, now.