Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1920-07-30
NADINE
BY DOROTHY o. GRAVES.
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% ey DOROTHY Q. GRAVES. II
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@'e 1890. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate,
Nadine Louise Brown rested her
nuHy head luxuriously against the
white towel stretched over the chair
Dack and watched the flying landscape.
Paris, ILL.,, was very far away, and M.
dlne's heart pumped joyously. She
should arrive In Boston that very
morning, and then-life would COM
mence for her.
Boston to Nadine was everything
that Paris, Ill.,. was not. There would
be young men, theaters. jobs, every
where. Nadine planned to get a Job
right away.
The train rumbled into the South
station. Nadine alighted. She knew
just what to do, and she did it sue
cessfully. Not an hour later she
skipped down the steps Of the 7. w.
G. A. and started to seek life.
The Office boy In Everyman's insur-
ance Office grinned at Nadine and Ma
dine grinned back.
Said the boy: "Mr. Black?"
This was a straw. Nadine grasped
1t. "Yes."
Hes out" said the boy, 'but you
en- talk to his assistant. It's Mr.. Jack,
his son. Mr.. John Black, Jr., you
know"
Mr.. Black, Jr., appeared. He was
very young and very handsome, more
so than any Paris, Ill.,. young man.
His eyes were as startled as Madness
own, but she did not see that. Ma
dine tried to think. Mr.. Black, Jr,
thought for her.
you want position?"
Nadine nodded her head. Mr.. Black
smiled.
what Is your name?"
"Where do you come from?" Mr..
Black, Jr., forgot this was a business
affair, and not country club dance.
But Nadine was not thinking of that.
At last it was question she could an
swer, If her breath lasted long enough.
paris" said she.
Mr.. Black grinned. Now he under
stood. Nine months before In Paris he
had tried to buy soap Of Partisan
apothecary, but he had been disap-
pointed in the comprehension Of the
Frenchman, and he had never got the
soap.
"Can you typewriter"
Nadine started to say: 1--WE had
that in high school," but she decided
1t did not sound business}ike, but it
was too late, the I'VE" had escaped.
Mr.. Black. Jr.. understood the I'VE"
for the French "oui," or "yes."
II see," he said, land you want a
job.
"What is your name?" asked Mr..
Black, holding paper and pen ready.
But being very kind he motioned her
to wait before answering. From his
pocket he produced well-thumbed lit
tie red book. "French Self Taught"
He turned the pages to the TVS" At
last he asked triumphantly: "Quel est
votre nOm?"
Nadine smiled she wanted to laugh.
But she did not dare and anyway she
knew her smile was enchanting. In
Paris, ILL.,, she had studied "French for
Engineers" for year in high school,
and had:read little French story by
Monsieur LeBrun, which name her
teacher had translated as Mr.. Brown,
so she answered readily, but in half
hesitating English: II am Nadine L.
Brun."
During the next few weeks Mr..
Black, Jr., applied himself to his du-
ties so thoroughly and perseveringly
that Mr.. Black, ST., told his wife that
"Junior' would get somewhere yet.
Junior did. Whether or not it was
the particular "somewhere' his father
meant. It was June, he'd asked the en-
chanting French girl to go "sone-
where" with him that evening. Nadine
smiled and-nodded.
That night Nadine also got "some-
where" It was the June night, plus
the luminous moon. plus the gentle
tapping of the water on the shore, at
Winthrop Beach and plus Junior. The
answer to the problem was "yes." Pos.
sibly Nadine had something to do
with it, too, but she gave all the credit
to Junior.
And then they both got "some-
where" 1t was this way:
"We'll go out West, dearie," Jack,
Jr., breathed into her delicate and
very French little ear. 1--WE an old
granny out there who'd love to see us,
and she promised me long ago when
I married should have her home for
wedding,present, and dads always
said he'd set me up in business out
there"
"Oh, Jack!"
"Yep, out Illinois way"
'nlinois!" Nadine gasped. But Jr.
mistook the long-drawn word for her
imperfect knowledge Of English.
"Yep-Paris, Illinois," he laughed in
expectation. Its great little old
town." The idea then occurred to him
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