Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-01-21
ANOTHER BROKEN ENGAGE
MENT.

MENT.
cts this, Sallie, Curtiss and Anne
aren't engaged"
I've noticed that in real life when
people are most surprised they are
apt to give no outward sign of what's
going on inside. Thus it happende
that i. could face , Bob and his start
ling news with apparent calm. q
"I'm sure you must be mistaken,
Bob. They are"
''Not now, Peach" he hurried ON,
she told me 80 himself. l ran into
him few minutes ago playing golf
all alone in the rain. told him he
didn't look the part of man who was
happily engaged. He made drive
of about 200 yards and announced
with vehemence that he was not en-
gagged. And let it go at that"
Naturally, Bob, it's his affair"
ooh, that wasn't what held me off.
1t was because l had a blood-thirsty
foresome waiting to rob me of my
last dime, otherwise, l would have
stuck around"
Anne and Curtiss not engaged! l
turned the thought over and over,
looked at it first one way and then
another, trying to realize the signifi-
canoe of what he had said.
l finally asked, "What do you think
could have happened then, Bob?"
ooh, he probably realized when he
was away that he didn't care a rap
about Anne in spite of her spotless
past. told you he'd die of ennui
with even the thought of having her
= around. Besides, he adores our little
Sallie here"
"Please don't say that, Bob. He's
shown very plainly how deep his af-
lection is for me. Just the same"
l added, "Pd give anything to know
what caused the row."
In spite of myself, l was glad. l
should have been indifferent about
Curtiss Wright and his affairs after
the ruthless way he had thrown my
love aside. But there was no need of
pretending to myself that 1 was not
overjoyed at the news.
"Well, Sallie, guess I'll breeze
along, .Bob's voice broke ,in,s on, my
thoughts. l had forgotten he was
there.
"You were sugar-pie to come
over and tell me, Bob, as son as you
heard" | exclaimed, "and you know
how much I appreciate it, don't you,
dear boy?"
He did for l felt it in the pressure
of his hand when he said goodbye.
The morning came for the spend
the-day party at Valerie's house. She
had come by and begged me to be
there. "Please come, Sallie," she in
sisted, "we haven't had a chance to
see your for such long time"
There was no reason why 1 should
nice being with the girls again. 1t
hadn't been their fault, after all, that
had received such shabby treatment
from them when Warren Fisher and
I were said to be having an affair. 1t
was their conventional parents who
ha d kept them from extending a
friendly hand.
| arrived at Valeries about noon.
Anne was there. She greeted me with
outstretched arms and pretended that
the reason she had not sen me was
because she knew l was busy at the
plant. Her sudden cordially l could
not understand.
We sat about on the porch. Some
of the girls stretched lazily in deep
cushioned swings, a few others had
brought their sewing along. After a
half hour or. more of disconnected
girl-chatter, there followed silence
the kind of silence forced on a
group by some one whose thoughts
are charged with message they are
eager to tell.
81 guess you know had broken my
engagement with Curtiss Wright" an
nouncAd Anne. There it was, like
that: with no introduction or lead
ing question to break the ice.
"Why no." came chorus of voices,
S'tell us about it, Annew
"Look, she hasn't even got on her
ringw g.. =, ~
MANI and so on. Each had ques-
ton to ask. remained perfectly still
but goodness knows how many Clay
daisies" I'll have to rip out of the
Clancy baby's dress l was embroid-
ering.
"WeIl, its like this" Anne contin-
ued, 81 don't mind telling you all
about it, if you'll promise not to tell.
You see when Curtiss returned from
California the other day, he brought
his brother with him. Well, the morn
ing they arrived, I passed them by in
my car. / didn't see them but Curtiss
told me the next day that the moment
his brother set eyes on me, not know
ing that we were engaged, exclaimed,