Smyrna times., 1930-11-05
A Choice Morsel for
the Gossips
By AMY DUNN

out BiddletOWn way as an invest
ment. They've got plenty of money,
but they've never seen me, and
sent young Smithers out to see them
and he couldn't get by the front
door. Awful snobs, they are. But
/ shouldn't wonder but they'd sec
you"
Tom Kenyon had worked in one
of the banks there in Bradhurst foi
eight years, and now at thirty he
had arranged to work for Mr.. Tit
tie, the leading realtor in the town,
taking with him his savings to give
himself the dignified title Of
partner" Now Tom was what
people IN Bradhurst called a nice
young man. He had gone TO col
lege, and his clothes were always
carefully pressed his shoes were
polished and his ties were quiet
and subdued. He would have
made a desirable extra man. il
any small town society, but TcM
was shy, and when the young ladies
of Bradhurst limited that they
would like to have him call, he
never took the hint.
'Td rather not call on the Miss
Grays,' Tom told Mr.. little. Il
have met them, for one thing, and
it would be taking an advantage of
a social introduction" But Mr..
little would take no excuses and
at three that afternoon Tom was
maxim. his unwilling way TO the
fine old mansion where Miss Nora
Gray and her niece Vera lived.
Apparently the perfectly uni
formed maid who opened Miss
Gray's front door was well I'M
pressed, for she took his card OF
her silver tray with solemn respect
and asked him to be seated while
she carried it to Miss Gray. Soon
she came back and led him to a
large and charming room in the
back of the house where the Miss
Grays were sitting. about to take
afternoon tea.
The elder Miss Gray greeted him
with polite cordiality, and Miss
Vera smiled very prettily and was
well bred enough not to seem to
be at all surprised to see him
there.
1.-The country is charming now,'
said Miss Gray, and Tom said, Il
was out Biddletown way the other
day. The views are charming
there He had intended to take
a leap from this point in the di-
rection of the lots he had to sell.
If he could only manage to find a
transition to some part of his reg
ular sales speech it would then be
easy going.
Its quite a pity they have been
spelling the section with those
cheap building lots" said Miss
Nora.
Tom felt that this was not the
psychological moment to lead on
to his sales talk. He fingered hop
ing to have courage to resume, but
the courage did not come. Mean
time conversation about things in
general went along pleasantly
enough and when he bowed his way
out little while later Miss Nora
asked him to come again and Miss
Vera clasped his hand and said,
"Please do. We have so few con-
genial callers"
Tom reported defeat and Mr.. Tit
tie said, TRY again." So Tom did
go again, and again missed the
chance to talk about Biddletown
lots. Then the ladies asked him
to dine with them, and then ii
seemed to Tom that it would be
a breach of hospitality to speak of
real estate.
"You ought to be able to sell
them ten or fifteen lots now," said
Mr.. little.
All Bradhurst soon began TO talk.
Mr.. TITLE told Tom that his wife's
friends had heard that he had
asked Vera Gray to marry him.
1t happened that that very eve
ming Tom was dining for the sixth
time that month with the Gray
ladies. He had decided, however,
that this would be the last time.
He had come under false pretenses,
and, of course, he would never
be ill bred enough to have men
toned Biddletown lots. However,
he did not intend to continue as
the victim of Vera's charms when
quite obviously she was only play
ing with him for lack of other
men.
Tom felt that some sort of apOl-
ogy was due the ladies, and yet
he would not tell them what had
led him to make his first calls.
Never had he suffered from more
acute shyness than he did that eve
ming when he set about telling them
that while he apprec,5ted their hos
pitality he would be less frequent
caller in the future. He didn't know
Just how he was going to say it, but
he bravely began.
"There is something ] must tell
you"
Whereupon Aunt Nora Gray rose
from her seat in the living room
and started to leave. "Pd better
leave you two to talk things over
alone" she smiled.
Fairly dumb with confusion Tom
looked at Vera and Vera sat there
blushing and looking as confused as
he felt.
do you know what | am going
to say?" he asked, and Vera STAN
mered prettily that she guessed.
And then Tom became suddenly
bold and went and stood beside the