The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-04
TODAY'S SHORT STORY
A Born Gentleman

|
"Of course, he's not a born gentle.
man."
That goes without saying. If it
hadn't been for his money, Anabel
Blake wouldn't have looked at him a
second time
At the caustic comments spoken in
carelessly high-pitched voices the beau
tiful woman in the exquisite Paris
gown descending the stairs abruptly
halted, a slow red mounting her cheeks,
| flashing indignation in her eyes.
She had always known Jessie Will
Dor was a hateful cat, but she would
not have believed it of Mabel Curtis.
A mans deep bass mingled with the
| feminine staccato in the hall below.
then the sound of their talk and
laughter drifted away toward the draw
ing room and Anabel Blake Layton
finished her descent.
At the same moment tall, good
looking man of outstanding person
atty appeared from a room opposite the
drawing room and came. eagerly toward
her.
But his quick, bright smile at sight
of her was lost-his wife saw only his
abominable tie.
Dave, what's happened to your
tie?" she demanded in a taking-to-t task
tone. 1T was all right when we left
home"
| He turned down the corners Of his
mouth in a playful naughty child grim
ace"
The blooming thing came undone
and you know I never can loop the
loop"
She was ashamed that so small a
| thing could annoy her SO much.
"Of course, he's not a born gentle
man the words came back with their
stab TO her pride. She had never faced
the admission before. But now that the
| first romantic glamour that had rose
colored everything that Dave said or
did was gone, deep down in her heart
she knew there was scarcely day that
some little inconsequential crudity
of speech or action on Dawes part did
not bring its pinprick irritation.
With head held high, she entered
the drawing room at her husbands side,
and for the time being her annoyance
was forgotten in the dinner-party
groups give-and-take small talk.
But later at the diner table, the
train of thoughts started by the over
heard remarks again streamed through
her out, as soon as they were seated,
her out, and assoon as they were seated,
launched into a detailed account of golf
tournaments that demanded merely a
pretense of listening on his companion 8
part.
No, Dave was not born gentleman
in one sense. He came Of very humble
origin. He was too honest not to have
told her. 1t had been the very thing
that had thrilled her most-the fact
that without any background, without
any social advantages-by sheer genius
and grit he had made himself what he
was. She gloried in the thought; it
had lighted up her love for him like q
proud torch.
MARYLAND went on with her revery.
There the gosips had been wrong.
Hers had been a love match. But II
she had married Dave Layton for his
money. Compared with the set she
went with, she had been CHASTITY poor.
A sudden red burned on her cheeks.
When she married Dave. had it not
been for the lucky sale of the Malaskey
portrait she could not have bought her
trousseau. And to have called upon
Layton to buy such things Immediately
after marriage would almost have killed
her.
Her eyes took on a dreamy, far
away look. Scarcely conscious Of the
present scene, Of the chatter of the man
beside her, she was back in Paris and
her first youth, sitting as a favor to the
unknown artist, who was to become
world famous; receiving as casually as
box of flowers the small portrait of
herself that he presented her in
acknowledgement the portrait that
not one out of a hundred would recog-
nize as having any semblance of like
ness, but which bore the magic of
Malaskey's name and
At last Larry had finished the tourna-
ment and claimed her attention with a
direct question.
The evening after the dinner party
the Carrington-Smiths called on the
Laytons and hardly were they in the
house when Dave announced his pos
session of a recently bought painting
and eagerly led them into the combined
music room and private gallery to in
spect it.
The buying of pictures was Layton's
hobby. A harmless enough one that
AnabeI generally regarded with lndul-
gent amusement, for Dave knew little
of art and bought his pictures accord
ing to the fame of the artist-as a man
who cares nothing for reading fills his
book shelves with editions deluxe. But
to have him flaunt his purchases and
boastfully tell their price to Caring
ton Smith, who was a real connoisseur,
made her vince.
you certainly have a fine little col
lection of representative modern art
ists," said Carrington-Smith warmly as
they came out of the gallery. There's
only one worthwhile man you've missed.
And there I've cut you out, my boy"
who's thatT' asked Layton, and
his manner said as plainly as words
"Only name him and I'll rectify the
omission at once"
Paul Malaskey-far and away the
biggest of them all"
The color shot up to Anabel's face-a
startled look in her eyes.
"Of course. Malaskey's at his best
in portraits" said Darlington Smith,
land the little canvas l have Of his is a
stillife study"
Anabel hid a sigh of relief in a re-
mark to Mrs Darlington.
nn,,k u dorsA &bink Unu'II find