The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-16

a social register family extremely i'm
portant in banking circles were like old
friends.
He was a young man very much in
earnest from the start. He was sick, he
told Alma, of pettable jazz babies who
got ginned up every afternoon and
| sprawled into anybody's lap. He gave
her to understand, with dark hints and
manly reticences, that all the girls in his
set were like that, and the fellow who
/ hoped to pick wife among them was
seriously out Of luck. For himself, he
wanted a girl who was not too modern
to be respected; a pal who wouldn't in
sist on keeping up a large staff Of boy
| friends after she got married; a girl who
was wise enough not to advertise herself
as knowing everything a young wife
shouldn't know.
i Blake Harkness-for such was his
name-was slightly drunk as he elusive
i ly betrayed to Alma his intense desire to
swear OFF all other girls but her, and she
cheerfully made allowances for him, con-
hdent that he would feel much cooler
and saner in the morning. But he was
intoxicated on something more bewilder-
ing than bootleggers' champagne, and
rounded out her beauty sleep, there came
to her an arnful of roses bearing his
card. Not more than five minutes later
Blake manifested himself again, over the
, telephone, to tell her that he had
dreamed about her all night and to be-
seech her company for luncheon at the
) Ritz
He was a quaint youth, about high
r school size, with pretty boyish face ano
, an eager, friendly manner; and Alma
f would have liked to have had him for &
e little brother. He had the most violent
S case Of love at first sight known in the
Y history of the college fraternity Whose
: badge he wore; and his financial value
conservatively estimated, was about $25,
100000.
II He proposed marriage and elopemen
: = within a week.
J, OF course, Alma didn't say no. On thI
other hand, she didn't say yes. She re
cited the traditional formula about th
suddenness Of this extremely hatterin
: offer and the natural feminine need Il
= think it over. Then she ran to Fattl
= Lambert to ask for advice.
- Faith gasped, shrieked joyouSly, an
l gave the woman's equivalent Of thre
rousing cheers. She exulted over Alma
great catch with the full feminine en-
thuSiaSm for millionaire husbands. Thi
= was higher flight than she had planne
- - for Alma. The social altitude Of tn
- victims family made her slightly dizz.
e even a little apprehensive. Maybe th
l" thing was too good to be true.
'Wait a few weeks" was her counsel
''to fnd out that he isn't feeble minde
or a drug fiend. He seems to be a MIC
Ce boy, but there's often something the mat
0r = ter with these pedigreed heirs. Then
L, he is still in earnest, let him drag 20
70 to the nearest Gretna Green, and wi
Ie say bless you, my children. OF couri
ne his family will make perfectly dreadfl
howl, but If the boy is game they wi
p soon find out that you're going to be
credit to their illustrious tribe. Now XII
me and consider yourself engaged"
But Alma didn't begin to give herse
the airs Of a Hirschbaum girl about
~ be translated into the Broadway heave
- of a wealthy marriage. She went abo'
On her affairs, rather soberly thinking
a. over, seeing Blake every day but not
y the exclusion Of a few other friend
steadily refusing to be hurried into Il
acceptance OF magnificent solitaire ri
10 symbolic Of her lovers intentions. Eve
. once in a while she wondered why 81
wasn't as happy as she ought to be II
der the circumstances.
!. In the "Hilarities" however, Aim;
IL good fortune was accepted as final Eve
one knew about Blake's intention
He had talked, for after the first cockt
he would become volubly rapturous abo
MT. Alma, in anybody's hearing. Faith Lal