The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-29

" ~ not 80 Huth NHhk We uV' Nv
how we do Il, that counts, and tina
holds good in the writing Of boob
|, as II does In any kitchen.
!, II you approach The Dust Flower
/ with an intention 10 measure II b
some pet literary standards. you ar
J advised 10 abandon that idea, But
you want 20 read clever. entertain
ing story, IN which the characters ar
not bromide. here II u book that vii
challenge your interest right from III
very flrd chapter Mr.. King has
plqunnt style. lie selects interesting
. characters. builds up extrayagant ait
uations. and he has the subtle art .
sustaining these situations TO a log
cal conclusion. The dialogue sparkles
there are dainty touches ~ humor
and now and then BIT ~ pathos.
The atmosphere OF the story II cleo
trliied NJ the outset by two hight
strung pcrsons--a man and woman
who are engaged 20 be wed--em
broiled IN a high powered quarrel
Iahhleigh AllertOn and Barbara Wal
brook are involved In n brainstorm
In the Whlbrook home. and during the
10th week Of their engagement They
10 years he had ynguely thought Of
asking her 20 marry him when II came
TO his seeking wife. Born many
years after his parents had lived to.
Rether chldlessly he had come into
this world constItutlonally neuras.
thcnlc." lie had a Wild, harum.scarum
soul, and occupied "A fashionable home
left by his mother.
| HWlthpiIf Ha piuQ benfIfv Miaa
Barbara Walbrook impressed you as
someone. and M someone dressed
by the most expensive houses In
New York" She was blgh.tem-
pered, imperIous, distinguished,
aristocratlc, intellectual and 90.
The trouble started when Rash
leigh returned from his club and made
an exhibition of himself In the pres.
ence u Bnrbara's aunt. Marion. Bar.
bnra delivers an ultlmatum. that
R0shlelgh must choose between his
profllgate companions and his fiancee.
lie explains that only one cocktail or
one glass Of sherry unseats him, while
another fellow can take 10 and retain
operating efficiency. lie was de.
termfned to be master, and she had a
similar notion.
- ypd you ~
have to take me as / am. disgusting
habits and ALL" he rctorts, az.
gravatingly.
But ! suppose there's no law to
compel me to marry you"
only the law Of honor"
Her whole personality was aflame.
You talk OF honorr
Yes, talk Of II. Why shouldn't
DO you know anything about
Would you marry a man who
didntY
Il haven't married anyone-as
yet"
But you are going TO marry me,
! presume.
considering the facts, that's
great deal in the way Of presump.
ton, isn't III"
III It's so much presumption as
all that" he demanded, whats
the meaning OF that ring?"
"Oh, ] don't have to go on wear.
Ing It," Crossing the room, she
pulled 1t off and held 1t out toward
him. DO you want It back?"
Then we are told that the ring fell
to the floor, and he called her an old
maid, which she readily admitted.
He refused to retrieve the ring, and
he told her that he was going to the
devil" literally and that she would
have 1t upon her head. He said he
would go out and marry the first
woman who would accept his pro-
posa. He went. We read:
Seeing with her own eyes to
what she had driven him, her heart
would be wrung. That was all he
asked for, the wringing OF her
heart. 1t would be a mad thing
for him to punish himself so terri
bly, just to punish her, but he was
mad, anyhow. l.. 1t was all
that life had left for him"
Well dressed, rejecting studied
selection Of hat, stick and gloves;
imposing In appearance, though per-
turbed, and with sick mind and {
inguished face, he decided that age"
appearance, refinement, or vulgarity."
were not to be considered in his
strange quest for a woman who would
marry him. He wouldn't pick and
choose; he would take them as they
come.
Basil Kings men always make
good. Rashlelgh did in this venture,
although he encountered several re-
ouffs To quote:
she was a red,faced woman,
crowned with a bonnet introduced
by Mrs. Langtry in 1878. but worn
on this occasion with some degrees
off center. On her arm she carried
a basket, Of which the contents, de-
Gently covered with a towel, might
have been freshly Numbered shirts.
Being stopped by gentleman Of
Allerton's impressiveness and plain
ly suffering expression. her face
grew motherly and sympathetic.
Madam. | wish to ask IL you'll
marry me?"
Even duh brain couldn't fail
to catch the words hammered out
with this force Of precision. The
woman didn't wait to have them re-
peated, Dropping her basket as II
was, she took to flight. Flight was
the word. A modern Atalanta Of
Wellesley or Bryn Mawr might
have envied the channels leaps
which took the good creature across
the grass TO the protection OF a
man with a lawn mower"
He suffered n second and third re-
uff and. then along came Lefty, who
~ tnr morning OF tnat haY nhu Deen
urned out Of her home by a cruel
,epfather. Fortunately for the pur.
oses OF this story. Lefty sat on an
nd Of certain bench In a certain
ark. and Rashleigh sat on the other
nd OF the same bench In the same J,
ark.
II don't want you 10 get me
wrong, he explained. Its not
question Of my marrying you In
particular, I've said Ia marry the
first girl | met who'd have me.
I'm not looking for wife. only
want woman 10 marry--a woman
% whom ! can point and say, See X
,here' I've marriei-that' IAN mean s
no more 60 you than a part they'd
give you In pietures~Wst role
and pay you a lot better You'd
have your own ROOM ! shouldn't
Il