The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-03-08

| or the night II necessary, Tor lear the
poor fellow will lose his job; you are
arrested for speeding now and then ::
you dislike newspaper notoriety
confess | had to get my wind before
l could go on-'your husband is dead ;
your son Is an 90. and came out of
Harvard with all sorts of honors." She
made a wry face; | knew they were
athletic honors HE is nicknamed
Hap-old Hap Hazard, Your daugh-
ter made her bow to society this win
ter and you are doing over your town
house in the event Of her rumored
marriage; YOU"
Awful to be so important that one
gets into the papers like that" She
chuckled and held up her hand for
| me to cease. Now, yourself. The
| name is goOd-Codman."
We really amt anybody in particu-
lar-Jo and FL told her, for you
see we've come down to making our
living. But our ancestors are all right
or were. My mother was a Step
toe"
Josephine Steptoe!" she inter
rupted, making the connection be-
tween JOS name and Steptoe-she al
ways noticed trif1es. And your father
was Joshua Goldman? Good gracious.
Why l went to school with your
mother, but haven't thought Of those
names for years"
We've been rather out Of sight for
years." l assured her, although to be
exact We were never in sight. We
were never distinguished for anything
except being just good sturdy stock.
Our financial downfall was not even
spectacular. We belong to the Coun-
try club, but we've never been In the
Sunday newspapers"
Thank heaven, you have sense OF
humor!" She almost winked at me
through the lorgnette, or at least one
eye was curiously a-twinkle. You
really are exceeding my fondest hopes.
Now to business. l will tell you what
l want"
Which was what she came for, and
We had seemed to waste time in pre-
liminaries, although perhaps they
were necessary. In the light OF all
that happened aterward I'm glad
she was at least sure of our ancestors.
She folded the lorgnette as If the In
spection were all over and that part
satisfactory.
"As my proposition is somewhat I'M
usual" she went on, I'm at loss
just where to begin or how to put it. |
I've never had a social secretary. al |
though the newspapers have said l
have, because until now I've never |
needed one" She held up hand sud-
denly. 1T isn't just that want.
remember distinctly you said compan-
ion; and yet it is in a way, except en-
tirelya different"
wanted to put out my hand and
say "Shake!"-I get mixed up that
way myself-but l SAT still compress
ing my lips firmly or I'd have been
gazing at her with my mouth open.
My daughters coming out neces-
sarily thrust me into season: all the
usual things that make girl know
she's out. or in. whichever way you
want to look at it; each particular
function outshining another, and cut
shining anything else anybody can
conceive. Now I've got to go through
a summer just as brilliant, but I'm
going to have help-good Intelligent
help, some one who can speak French,
bridge. and all those other things:
one to be my Secretary OF
Frivolous Affairs" She chuckled and
gave my hand a playful tap with the
lorgnette Society Is like a coffee
pot-it won't shine unless somebody
stands around with the polish always
ready to give 1t rub"
and you want me to stand around
with the polish?" I asked eagerly.
"Yes," she laughed. Society, too,
gets in a rut want a sort of social
stick to stir it up"
And you want me for the stick?"
Yes, a sort Of social guardian an
GEL" she unused
"A sort of social doctor to admins
ter the smelling Salts suggested 10
from the window.
Yes. sort of social adjustable
peg" Mrs. Hazard finished with a
flourish
1t all sounded terribly exciting. |
sat up very straight, clasped my
,ands in my lap most correctly and
cit awfully important with this social
7ista stretching away before me-
vas to be the polish the stick, the
guardian angel. the doctor, and the
peg! | couldn't help Won
lering about that leading question:
hink a lawyer would call 1t that !
bout baseball, and how she was 60 {
ng to dovetail that into the social