The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-12-29
The Engagement Did
Not Last
By H. IRVING yin KING

+ AWRENCE CARPENTER had
IL very pretty aud very prirn
young lady In his office who did his
stenography and typewriting for
him. Her name was Florence Cap
well-and her other name was etfi-
cheney. He likewise had a daugh-
ter. who was very pretty and not
AT all prim. Her name was Rose.
and she was of about the same age
as Florence, that is; about twenty
five. Rose came often to the office
and always stopped to chat with
Florence. In fact, they had be-
come exceedingly good friends. al
though Rose. was decidedly in the
social swim and. Florence as. de-
cidedly was not. To say that Flor
ence did not fi.elsa little enviOus of
Rose would bp to SAY that she was
not human. ,,,s.sss
She had gets-irlto the habit of
reading the society column in the
newspapers And she anoticed that
whenever In list of "amOng those
present were" Roses name APP
peared the names of Lucius Dart
more began to appear too-and
with increasing frequency. This
added to her discomfort sSsFsar she
knew Lucius Dartmore and he had
every outward quality calculated to
attract the admiration of an uE-
married young lady of twenty-five
looks, wealth and most captl-
waiting manner. He was Mr.. Car
penter's wife's nephew. Whenever
he visited his ''uncle's' office,
which was frequently, he was al
ways very polite to Florence. She
had even taken "dictation" from
him upon occasion and enjoyed the
work.
"Of course Rose will marry Luz
Gus" she thought, .and they will
live happy ever after with yachts
and country houses and expensive
cars with liveried chauffeurs, and
oh. everything; and / shall make
shorthand notes and pound this In
fernal old typewriter until get too
old to work any nore. Then what?
] don't know. The old ladies' home
for me, guess"
va NhNC LhICC IlIISldheS III
taking dictation that day and was
so cross that Raymond Hartley,
who was deeply In love with her.
was heartbroken. Raymond was
one of Mr.. Carpenters Upright
young men," sort of confidential
clerk. whose feet he was guiding
along the rocky road to success.
Florence liked Raymond--he was,
to her, the most conlpanionable
person In the Office. She even al
lowed him to take her TO dinner
occasionally. But what a common
place fellow he was compared to
the gorgeous and all-conquering
DartmOrei .'NO more to he com
pared to Lucius that am to Rose"
Thought Florence a little bitterly.
But the day after she had been so
cross with him she was sorry and
made atonement by being unusually
agreeable; whereat Raymonds
pessimism vanished.
Then things began to happen and
happen rapidly. Three days after
MIR. and Mrs. Lawrence Carpenter
announced the engagement of their
daughter, Rose, to Mr.. Lucius Dart.
more Rose elOped with a liputen.
ant OF marines-of good family. II
Is true, but no money-and was
married. The matter was smoothed
over rs well as it could be-as
such things always are among sen.
sibie people of the world-tbe,
truant bride was forgiven by her
parents, in form at least. and tha
bridegroom escaped court.narti,I
1t was sensation, of course
while 1t lasted, but it was soon for.
gotten. The manner in which Dart.
more accepted the situation was do
lghtful to see. His hummer tocL ,
on just the proper tinge of resiana.
ton, just the becoming hint of
heartbreak, just the admirable air
of rising superior to the blows of
fate. In his heart Lucius felt
rather relieved. The match be.
tween Rose and himself had been
made by his aunt and he had ac-
cepted the proposition. Ill.
But having got the idea of mar
Rage into his head, Lncius did not
readily get 1t out again. "No more,
heircsses for me- be Thought. 'I've
enough money of my own. And no
society butterflies, either. Now
there's that little Puritan in Uncle
I.awren:s.s Office. She's List my