Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-17
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46

upper class man condesccnd to one in
her position. Cinderella stories to the
contrary. And the men whose lives
touched hers, bOokkcepcrs, cashiers.
struggling young lawyers. perhaps a
writer or an artist or two drifting
through the boarding house offered
small hope that her surroundings
would produce n man who could fur
nish that thrill That sense of supe-
riority that was bred in her rejected
them because they lacked casual quail
lfications which her present suItor had
ir abundance She slowly gathered
gloves and purse and check and brief
case and turned toward the office de-
termined to face the crisis and let the
impulse of the moment decide her fu
ture.
She found Berton Benson waiting
for her with impatiencc and disap-
pointment on his face. Two business
associates We're dragging him away 10
an unexpectedly important business
meeting in Philadelphia. His eyes
pleaded for a sign of her decision, a
nod to bridge over the delay of "A def
mite understanding. But there was no
opening for personal word ana
Margaret refused to met his backward
parting glance.
When the door closed behind the
trio Margaret groped toward her desk,
dizzy with n flood of gratitude for the
respite. The uneXpectedness of this
sensation uncovered depths of dread
which subconsciousness had contained.
If Just to be able to postpone hei
promise offered such overwhelming
relief she knew that the marriage 1T
self must be more repugnant than she
had allowed herself to believe.
All afternoon te girl sat with her ell
bows on her desk, her face buried in
her hands. At o'clock she emptied
the drawers of a few personal belon-
ings, gathered them into n compact
parcel, and slipped out of tho office,
leaving her personal latchkeY on het
employers desk.
Margaret had to stand in the sub
way crush, going homoward. An
Italian laborer who had dined on
garlic hung on the next strap, breath
ing into her face every time the train
ierkod them from their feet. A puffy,
pink person on the other side Smirked
as she lurched against him and even
showed symptoms Of wanting to fol-
low MS she pushed past BIN to squeeze
out of the car at her station. Red
noscd and shivering, she made her
way thru biting sleet to the boarding
house. where a clanmy hallway en-
quilted her In its perfume of boiled
At the door of her own room Mar
garet paused to sniff a rev odor.
Some one had experienced al, attack
of conscience which omDted them
to make up infroquent swccpings by
scrubbing the floor. The mating was
still sogpy- damp and the rag rug near
the couch smclled of soapsuds. Mar
aret sighed ard opened the window
grudsingly for the feeble heat OF a
hot air furnnce could never he re-
placed by bedtime. Then she took Off
her hat, moved tho taple to hide
new break In the mating. pulled
chair over the old one and began
to prepare for dinner.
After a while she faced herself In
the ockmarkcd mirror TO fluff out
her hair.
Margaret" she said aloud, you
nrc nothing but u cheap, schcmine,
egG sping, selfish animal. That man
Is dear, NE is honest and worth
while. 4 chap like that deserves
someone who can love him. Hos en-
titled to something better than
eiceGy little pig who cares only for
mis- money. | am glad. for both our
sakes. | woke up--in time"
Five weeks later the newspapers
announced Bcnson's engagement to
the daughter of the American amhas-
goret had been In the same class with
the girl, both in the convent end In
college. They had known each other