Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-01-22

there are decis
ions even more difficult to make thar
those confronting an umpire In {
worlds championship pennant battle
OF course as to the main point,
have known for three months It il
necessary for me either to marry
some dear girl with plenty of money
of her own, or--horrible alternative
go to work. / have a cultivated
disinclination to go to work for the
mere base purpose of being paid for
1t. Wages is a word abhorrent to my
| breeding. II smacks of the prole-
tariat, of the sordid, the lowly, the
unbaked and soggy undercrust Of the
social pie.
Father worked, naturally. Most
fathers of any account do. l under
stand. Good old dad! He, locked me
out of the loaves and fishes cupboard
all right and tight enough when he
quit, but / hold no grudge. In his
day and in his way he was good to
me. Here's to him. This is beastly
cheap sherry, but what can one drink,
fit to drink, on $4,000 a year? Mar
jorie has $4,000. If she we're my
fiance instead of my sister that would
be an income not half bad, for two
people.
I'm to have my $4,000 per when
I'm forty. Lord! Ten years to wait.
What an age! That is the reason
this marriage matter perplexes me.
We must admit the nuptial necessity
as a conditional and not a theoretic
conformation.
The trouble lies In this-there are
two Of them. l stand between them
even as the Aesopian ass, unknow-
ing where to browse. Charlotte is
fond of me, know. She has more
than as much as told me so. If only
Grace Dalzelle had Charlotte's money
| am not quite sure how many mil
lions Charlotte will have some day
It's something quite incredible. Ole
man Flaxhaver is still piling then
up, they say. He's a grouchy ole
beast and has "views." Thinks men
ought to work. Last time l dined at
his house he quizzed me about my
career" Said every American worth |
his salt ought to have an aim in life |
Said dad was one of the best men he |
ever knew.
Mind you, can marry Charlotte
all right enough, any old day, or
night. She'll elope as fast as I'll
take her. But I'm in doubt; I'm in
doubt. Old Flaxhaver stickles for his
paternal and parental authority I'll
he got his back up about thinkless
chee-ild he might not get it down till
after sackcloth and ashes had done
their awful worst to Charlotte and
poor Charley Lavender.
My predicament is really no less
than sickening. Grace hasn't a cent,
worth speaking of. Maybe $4,000 |
life insurance Dalzelle left her out |
Of his wreck, after he had blown his |
brains out the day they sky-highed
U. p. to 1000.
It's when I'm with Grace that / |
fully determine to tell Charlotte |
there are insuperable obstacles
WHICH must lOICNcT lOIDlu OuT union Il
Il have it written out, along those
lines, and it isn't bad. And then,
after leave Grace, and my hot blood |
cools and the sweet sting of her
kisses no longer burns in my mouth,
have to come down to earth and |
remember my duty to myself and my |
family, If should ever have one It |
can't be expected it is a mans social |
duty to rear a lot of paupers.
And this is Decision Day. Marjorie |
said she would give me until tonight |
to quit being a fool. Grace and Mar |
jorie are chums, you see. Sis says
she will lend me $4,000 a year on my
prospects If marry fright" l know
what that means. / might do worse |
than right" II there's a prettier
girl in the world than Marjorie Law
ender it's Grace Dalzelle.
And, then, / love her. Though |
am loafer, she, too. loves me.