Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-03-24
CHAPTER r,VIT


Betty had been SO happy all eve
ming with Andy, dancing, meeting
his parents, having him make love
to her. Not until he had proposed
marriage Gid she Waken to the fact
that She could not marry him as
lorg as George Harris wanted her.
"Oh, Andy! | shouldn't have al
lowed you to say that, dear! I
wanted to hear you say it, too!
l would never have been happy if
you hadn't said it. But can | ever
be happy now that you have?"
why, what do you mean, sweet
hearth" demanded Andy.
II mean I a never marry you
Why not: You love me, don't
you?"
More than anyone else!"
You aren't already married."
oh, no. net that!' sobbed Betty.
But i am pledged to marry George
Harris, if he wants me-"
why, that's all f%oolishneSS,
honey! That bird can't have an
option on you to exercise whenever
he fees like it, or leave you alone
if he doesn't care to marry you!
That's the crazie5t arrangement !
ever heard of! I'll take you away
and marry you tomorrow. He can
so hang!"
"Oh, it isn't anything like that,
Andy. It's hard to make you un-
GerStand. George hasn't proposed
to me, but I know he wants me.
would be ashamed to look myself il
the face in the mirror if I married
anyone else after all he has done
for me
I'm the old high school DAYS
George lived next door to me. VIZ
always went to school together. He
took me to the alumni dance al
the country club, where I got the
silly idea I wanted the rest of you
boys to admire me. No one but
George had ever noticed that I was
en- earth.
Il took dancing lessons to make
myself more attractive. He disap-
proved. and he was right, Andy, for
it "a a mistake. When my father
died, George took charge Of every
thing. When my mother died
George did everything for me
Knowing nothing but dancing, ]
decided to dance for a living. Wher
1 decided to dance for a living
George dropped out of my life en-
tirely. I didn't see him again un-
til we had that automobile accident
He came to the hospital anC
moved me from a public ward to g
private room. He moved my things
to Mrs. Hogan'S and got me a roon
on the first floor so 1 wouldn't have
to walk upstairs on my lame leg
Out Of the hospital, he gave me
a position as cashier in his reStau-
rant. He let me pay him back littls
at a time until I had paid him up
He has always stepped in in every
crisis in my life and been every
thing to me.
when 1 graduated from business
school he gave me a little typewriter
as G graduation present. 1 wrote
him a silly little note, the first evel
written on it. / don't remember
exactly what I said, but it as gooc
as told him that I would marry hin
when he wanted me to. 1 didn'
mean it that way when I wrote it
but that's the way he took it. HI
gave me his pen and asked me tt
sign 1T, and I did.
He has never let me get out 0.
touch with him. I know, Andy, HI
is just waiting until he gets hi.
business paid for, SO he can exer.
else his option, as you call it. i
is frighCful, but I just have to marry
him. i love you and no one else
on earth but you! But. oh, sweet
heart, cont you see how I am sit.
uated?'
mo, 1 don't see anything Of The
kindl' cried Andy, stubbornly. q
don't see any reason why vol
should sacrifice your happiness anc
mine to this cold blooded geezeri'
ANDY, you must not think o.
George like that! I don't love him
but I do admire him. He didn'
inyeigie me into this situation.
CID l. all myself out Of gratitude
for what he has done for me. 1