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

that urgent wire, he had returned
with 1.-The Navarro" from Wales to
London. "They gave me the push
about three weeks ago. Jennie.
They sacked me-"
"why?" she asked, with so much
the infection of little Marcus Ques-
ton voice that the Rover smiled.
"As q matter OF fact" he told her.
"they didn't tell me straight out whY
they did sack me. But could guess.
1t was because Of a girl"
"A girl" she repeated. quickly.
what about herr"
well. Of course. q firm like that
wouldn't want to have their motor
expert flirting with the daughters
and so on of their clients" explain.
ed Archie, reddening under his tan.
so they made-an excuse to IRE
me-"
them"
IT suppose-Yes, had" con-
fessed the Rover in hang dog
voice.
In q voice Of real interest
Genevieve Wilmot put the question
which at this tuncture would have
been put inevitably, by any feminine
listener. And the girl-Was she
pretty?"
Before the Rover's mind flashed a
picture of the face OF Mauve Rice
Mathews. sullen with depression,
set against the dripping oak foliage,
the dripping moss, the dripping
ferns. She wasn't exactly pretty
he said. Immediately another. pic.
ture flashed past of this same
Mauve. alight and flushed, against
the sunlit bayfield, where his cara
van had rested. Yes. she was," he
We'll. but which?"
"All girls are pretty" declared the
Arrant Rover. laughing n little, "it
YOU come TO look at EN-"
But this girl; you wanted TO
marry her."
To this Archie said nothing. 1t
was a question so difficult to an
swer Yet women seemed to find It
such a simple one. They always
thought you either wanted to marry
the girl or you didn't: which? All
YOU could offer in reply was George
Robeys gag-"les-and No"
The American, as If she could
guess something more than she had
been told, remarked, This girl had
money of her own. She would have
married you, l guess"
OH don't know. I wouldn't
say that" said Archie, uncomfort-
ably. "1t-she-that is. 1--we"
This flow of pronouns was stem
med, by another question from the
How did your firm get to know
fhnra MS
Not through her, I'll swear, (She
was thorough sportswoman.) Nor
through-through the client Id been
teaching to drive" added Archie
more doubtfully.
For he had pondered over that
last evening but one at Rios, when
Old Mr.. Rice Mathews had suggested
to him. "Supposing the firm found
they didn't want you any longer"
He went on now, Anyhow. II
must have leaked out somehow, for
they wired to me to return i'm
mediately. and when 1 did It was
this knock. The chiefs son (who
was a pal OF mine in the regiment.
hmu pal OF Stick Its as welD
broke 1t to me that his Governor
wanted me to go. Poor chap. he
didn't like the job" said Archie.
He nearly cried. Wanted to lend
me money, too. Take something to
go on with, for the Lords sake
said he, and nearly cried, Jennie,
ot course, l couldn't do that. Rut
When he suggested the Job on the
Dulcie l was glad to take that,
PROBABLY he'll get me something
else when l go back to London. But
won't mean anything you'd call
money" ''
She looked at him. not pleased.
IIenty of people like me, in my
country. these days. Archie assured
ner. Here l am. Rising twenty-
six, sound in wind and limb. decent
old Service family-not that that
counts any more--been at a good
public school,"
Il always have to remember thai
what you call n public school 10
not what we call it, home. Wed say
private school,"
would you? Extraordinary
mean-We!l, take 1t that 7 was
given the usual decent education
Education" she put in with nil
me transatlantic reverence for
this factor, should certainly
He shrugged his shoulders. INT
for more than FIVE or six 1uid q
week, 1t seems. 1t just feeds me.
Wouldn't dress me, IL WEREN'T
ialrly well-off for pre-war stun.
what dyou think of that?"
mink it's terrible" the Ameri.
can returned. but the disapproval in
voice ana look was less for his CON
dition than for his acquiescence IN
IT. 1t can't be right. A man should
be able toto"
Well?' he challenged her. "Wbat
should he do. d'you consider?"
he should be able to find soma
man size. worthwhile sort of lob
ior hiinselt and work at It. Surely!"
pronounced this child of n continent
more spacious, you don't seem 10
me 10 nave any sense of getting nm
and getting" She looked at him
even more straight in the eyes than
before. Il believe that IL any one
Wants thing enough, it's-Whv
tnat us a deeply inspirationaI force
ana that he's bound to win A. -
you think that, Jennie"
Know 1t. Think IL over" .b.
ordered him. rising lightly to her
Ieet and tossing the sand Off her
SKIRT; And when you've thought
She paused. Her heart, for all bsr
ilsnt speech, was heavy. She was
IN the grip Of an inability to CON-
ceive OF a situation such as this IN
whlch there found himself This
peasant young Englishman whom
Marcus SO adored. Between him
and her a barrier rose. impalpable.
impossible. She only thought. III
ne really wants me, he'll do any,
thlng, somehow, to get me-" He
thought, Cant she understand"