Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-05

walls until he "rescues." as he
, thinks. from some brutal villains
poised. She has won a Bis prize in
the "prettiest English girl" contest
and Is q noted film actress. Archie
has merely saved her from some Gin
ema rufflans.
SEYMOUR. movie man. her admirer.
FRANKIE. Lucy's half-grown IRE
pressiblc brother. q naval cadet.
THE ADMIRAL. rubicund. choleric old
officer. who dotes on Lucy.
MRS. JOY. gay. charming. almost as
youthful as her daughter Lucy.
MR.. RICE MATHEWS. ancient inva-
lid. tired Of being TOSSED by women.
MAUVE, his granddaughter. slim,
lovely. poised and cool, who attracts
the interest Of the Rover. but ig-
nores him.
American widow. whom the Rover
rescues. and whose small boy adores
him.
-You wanted to marry Her!"
"People talk about this genera
ton (meaning mine) and our de-
mands' and our luxurious standards
of living and how we 'shirk the
duties our parents took on without
complaint Our parents! Compare
lively easy for them to go marrying
| and bringing up six, seven, ten lit
tie Marcuses and Jennies on three
hundred a year. Course they could,
then; in my country. Did them
jolly well on it, too. Plenty Of good
rice-pudding and roast mutton
galore. But you see rice was two
pence a pound in those days. And
mutton (the best Welsh mutton
from Hamer's!) was eightpence.
Boys boots cost-what you give
| nowadays for a tie. School fees
were lower. Besides, they knew,
then, what they were educating their
children for. They'd some idea of
what the Empire needed; there was
| still some shape in their world" de-
clared the young Englishman. ITS
| crumbled now; and who knows what
shape its going to be tomorrow
But they. our people. didn't know
that everything wasn't here for
keeps. Yet they called themselves
'hard-up,' Jennie!"
The Young American widow, who
had listened with attention, was
looking at him critically. "All this,
that you've been saying. Is so for
eign to me-" she told him. in my
country, l don't think the men sit
down and mourn because the cost
of living Is all that higher. They
just get up and hustle until they
bring their incomes up to the stand
ard"
The Rover, who had spent already
so many glances upon this pretty
creature, now looked at her again;
considering. not her prettiness and
youth. but the costliness apparent
In her simple but perfect white frock,
In the pearl-string on her rounded
throat, the diamond set in black
enamel and winking on her sanded
fingers. the workmanship, even of the
tortoiseshell handle of that lemon
silk parasol cast down so carelesslv
beside her. Beside these things he
could guess at her European travel
Ing expenses. her pension bills, her
tips to staff on liner and in hotel.
He said brusquely, II don't sup
pose you'd understand. You've al
ways. l suppose, been jolly well off"
why. yes" she agreed, a little
surprised at his tone. MY poppa al
ways gave us girls lovely time.
We had a beautiful home"
And. then, l imagine you mar
RED man who was very rich, too"
otis was prosperous" the young
widow told him quite simply. He
owned most half the largest in
rior-decorating business in our
State when we were married and do
you know he started as sales-agent
for some person elsc's varnish! He
| had such wonderful grip Of funda-
mentals. Otis. He could take any
proposition and make it right over"
- see" said Archie, vaguely.
Inen, quietly and quickly, DO you
mind telling me how old your hus-
n4n0 whom ho mn
oh! He was quite a lot more
than l was! l was nineteen; he'd
be most twenty seven or twenty
eight years older than that"
see,' said Archie again. "That
is the way it goes"
way what goes? Do you think
l was not happy?" she asked. with
flash of indignation. otis was
just the finest husband that any
girl could have wished for. He was
real. worth while man. And the
most generous one that ever breath
ed! Her clear brown eyes gazed re-
proof at Archie.
Forgive me-" he said. quickly. ct
put my foot in 1t. Forgive mep"
Surely! - People are oueer
about age" She relented. "A girl
who graduated with me told me She
felt terrible about seeing me mar
rled to man SO mature (and. of
course. he'd put on a good deal OF
weight, that let him look not so
young.) can't see what difference
| it made" INV
He gazed wonderingly at her.
She added: We'll, there was one
thing, of course" WV
'What?" he said, still looking q.
this girl. az
Why" she explained, with n
glance toward the child. bent ovor
the sheels. 1T might have seemed
tater on that he was little bit old
Tor Marcus"
The Rover nodded.
But. she concluded, otherwise
-! why, / didn't have a wish that
ne didn't go out straight away and
gratfy! He would have worked
twenty. -four hours a day IL ia de-
manded 1t: ne just wanted to pour
lovely things on to me. That's the
way our men are, 1 tell YOU"
L see." said Archie for the third
Tune. Now. I'll tell you some
thing" He shifted his position on
the sands. and looked very straight
into those clear brown eyes. at
once those Of woman and Of a
child. eyes that he had seen soften
with motherliness or sparkle with
nigh spirit. He wondered how thew
would look alight with love. - :
he said: Some of lis might work
twenty-four hours day and get no
iorrader. For instance, I'm poor. I
haven't beam"
Her eyes were puzzled. "Poor p"