Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-01-22

ludl He COulu nut IOutAnuCf bAodN"N
rose and bowed. I'm it," he an
swered. T."
Protests chorused.
What hard-hearted girl has turned
you down, Broadway" asked the love
ly Inez.
who is it, Broadway? Who could
possibly have the heart or been the
fool to do it?"
Mrs Gerard, his neighbor, bent on
him a glance so languishing that he al
most had to turn his face away.
No girl has ever turned me down,
he said, endeavoring to be gay mo
girl has ever had chance to turn me
down. | mean"
Realizing that this did not sound
gallant, being instinctiyely, by nature
gallant, he would have modified II
if he could, but the howl of approba-
tion which arose from all the men, the
chorus of mock criticism which arose
| from all the women, drowned his voice
From all the women except one. That
one sat on his right, that woman was
a widow and was worth a million.
No girl could turn you down. she
murmured.
All, that thought which SO. repeat
eddy had festered in his brain! Here
were millions which admired him!
Here were millions which would pay
the debts which had piled up, which
would make the bottle with the
| o,,;,,,.o,, 1aI,ol oD5 A. yao non with the
blued-steel barrel quite unnecessary!
Here were millions which would solve
the last one of his difficulties and for
which, If he accepted them, he could
offer adequate return in a devotion
which should be at once that of a son
for an indulgent mother and near
drowned man for his rescuer! Why
not? Why not? Why not marry Mrs.
! Gerard?
mo girl could turn you down." had
been her words.
In the hurry burly of the questions
and the answers, the frolic and the
nonsense, he scarcely had an opportu-
nifty to speak to her in tender words,
but he answered her by scribbling on
her menu card:
Couldn't your"
He felt certain that she gasped with
pleasure.
"Why do you say such things?" she
scrubbed.
Because l love YOU" the unfortn-
nate youth answered.
Il love you, too" she scrubbed in
reply.
What sort Of game are you
playing there?" demanded Robsn
lace gaily.
Don't interrupt, Bob" Broa
dered. Its a new kind of ga
hearts It's played with menu ca
Shut up!"
He turned again to his delighted, If
ancient partner in the novel pastime.
TT can't be true" he scrubbed
1T is true" she wrote.
"Will you marry me?" he scrawled.
With coy look at him which made
him feel little faint, but without an
instant's hesitation, YES" she an
swered.
1t was tremendously to the relief Of
the young host that Bob Wallace, at
about this moment, rose and said that
he must leave.
1t seemed to Broadway that the
others mattered less. For Wallace his
affection was so genuine that it inelud-
ed an intense desire to hold the mans
respect. Signing with relief he called
the major domo to his side as soon as
Bob had gone and whispered to him
that all glasses must be filled. With
the intense alacrity which the youthful
spendthrift's orders were everywhere
observed along Broadway, this was at
tended to, and he rose to his feet
with all the dignity he could command
Friends" he said, 81 want to tell
you something. want to tell you OF
my luck"
rs it hard luck story Broadway"
someone asked
"Er-yes" said he. 81 mean"
jackson" said a soft voice (per-
haps a little cracked) close at his side
with something of reproach in it.
vi lhS lduy, nC hdotily SOAASS'SN'
Hard luck for the lady I'm--I'm go
ing to be married"
The men shouted and there were
more than one among the ladies who
were seriously agltated, their number
being coequivalent to the number who
themselves at one time or another had
had hopes of winning Broadway and
his millions for their very own.
Everywhere about him rose the
shout: who is she, Broadway? Name!
Name!"
He swayed there on his feet. some
what sickly smile upon his face, his
hand deliberately splitting champagne
on his shirt front. fact OF which he
was in ignorance and which no one
noted for time. It was Mrs. Gerard
who called attention to II by elabo-
rately dabbing at him with her hand
kerchief.
There were proprietary details even
OF movement of her hands and some
shrewd wits suspected for an instant,
even though they put the wild idea
from them as absurd before It gained
firm foothold in their minds.
who is she, Broadway? Name!