The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-05-06
Dick and His
TOnOrrOWS
By CLARIssA MACKIE

DY nlI1OhAE
Up ROKEN your engagement tc
~ Dlck?" repeated Mrs. Mer'
ton, with a long searching look al
her daughter.
There was an almost inaudlDle
ives" and then silence on the part
of the girl at the window.
would you like to tell me about
it, Helen?"
Helen shrugged her shoulder
anyone might guess, mother. IL
is Dicks habit of taking the llttle
end of things in such cheerful
way. At the office, for instance. ne
will not push himself toward pei,
ter position. He always says, III
just plug along-my turn will come
tomorrow Yesterday, 1t seems
that Mr.. Franklin suddenly re-
signed his position as head OF that
department, and Arnold Smith
walked right into the presidents
Office and asked for it-and got 1t
Dick just calmly poked along, never
thought of asking for the advance
ment, thought it was fine chance
for Arnold Smith When l seold,
ed him about it he merely laughed
and said the same old thing!
THAT his turn would come to-
morrow"
Yes. Then one word led to an
other-and | told him | would mol
marry a man who did not recog'
nize opportunity when he saw 1t
and so | ended it,"
Yes, dear, YOU ended your en-
gagement for the same reason thal
you blamed Dick-you could mol
see and recognize an opportunity tc
hold the love of a mighty fine mar
with great future!'
Helen, uncOnvinced, went up
stairs to prepare for her afternoon
bridge party. Dick had gone out
of her life, she did not realize what
had happened.
Its a wonderful thing for Ar
mold" said his sister, Freda Smith
ian increase of a thousand a year
out of a clear sky-though he did
ask for it, Mr. Blake told him that
they were going to offer the va
cancy to him."
Helen, l should think Dick Lang
deserved promotion if anyone did,
calculated tactless Beth Blake,
"Dicl has worked there for years
longer than Arnold. / told Dad
my opinion last night, and he only
laughed and said that Dick would
have his promotion some day ]
like Dick-he is a dear, and If he
was not your property, Helen, ]
would smile upon him more sWeely
than | do now"
It was rather an unhappy sum
mer for Helen Merton. After awhile
the news of the broken engagement
leaked out, and Helen saw Beth
Blake deliberately focus her atten-
ton upon Dick Lang. Dick must
be working very hard this summer
for he looked rather thin and worn
but Helen met him face to face
/, once, and then mis- greeting was
gravely courteous. He was seen
driving Beth Blake in his shabby
little car, and Mrs. Blake was
quoted as saying that Dick was a
rising young man."
Then one night the blow fell.
Merton sat down at the dinner ia.
Bile one August evening and
glanced toward his wife. "They
say young Lang has lost his posi-
ton" he said.
"Oh. James, / am so sorry. Poor
Dick has worked SO hard" Helen
could listen to no more. With q
murmured excuse she escaped to
the old garden which had known
all her joys and all her sorrows.
She went to the very end where
the gate opened into the orchard
and discovered that her heart was
racing madly. Poor old Dick and
his never-to-be-realized 'tomor-
row." She was bowed with shame
over her treatment of him Through
her tears. she glimpsed the blurred
outlines of the old Lang house
where Dick lived with his parents.
She wanted to run over there as
she had done In the past happy
years she wanted 10 tell Dick she
was sorry he had lost his position,
and If he still loved her she still
wanted to marry him and together
they would make a futurei
She was half way through the or
chard when she saw him coming
and she ran TO meet him with wet
eyes and outstretched hands.
"Oh. Dick, Dick, father has told
me. and I am so sorry"
Dick took her hands and looked
down at her very tenderly. what
did they tell you, Helen?"
THAT you'd lost your position"
"They are saying the same thing
all over town." he acknowledged.
Somehow, the incoherent words
tumbled from her lips, were at last
whispered brokenly on Dicks broad
breast.
sand so You are willing to help
me build n home, out of nothing?"
re asked at last. Helen, are you
willing to tie yourself to a man
without future?"
.We will have each other. Dick,
AMI we will be happy together