Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-06-21
Florence's
Triumph
By IDA MELLON
@, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNC Service

wonderful time when Sne went 10
visit her aunt and cousins In New
York. But somehow when she ar
rived things were not just what she
had expected them to be.
Her cousins. Dolly and Joan, had
changed, for one thing. They seemed
to be so anxious all the time about
their various social engagements. They
were anxious. too. about Florence.
You mustn't be too nice to Dick
Thomas" they told her. the night after
Dick had entertained them all at din
ner and the theater. Hes nice
enough. Of course. but he hasn't any
money, and it's useless to have man
like that hanging around all the time;
1t keeps other men away"
"But-he must have spent good
DEAL" ventured their cousin from the
country.
probably you're right, Florence"
Joan answered. But it must have
taken nearly every cent he earned last
week to do 1t. Let's see-well have
to have him here for dinner some time
soon. to pay him back for last night;
let's ask him the night Peggy Frances
comes. and get rid Of both of them at
once!"
Florence didn't like that way of do
ing things.
At her home in sleepy little south
ern town you were friendly with peo-
pie whether they had money or not.
Florence knew without being told
that her cousins wanted to get mar
.ried-and with them, getting married
meant marrying a man who had
money.
To Florence II seemed hideous, but
Joan and Dolly and their mother
seemed TO think 1t was the only thing
for girl TO do.
"You just have to have money"
Joan told her once. without it life's
Just impossible"
One Of the young men to whom Dol
ly was especially nice discovered that
Florence was the daughter Of the ia
nous Samuel Darwin, and devoted
himself to her after that. Her aunt
told Florence that she ought to be de-
lighted. that the young man was a
great catch. Florence said nothing.
He gave a dinner for Florence
month after she arrived In New York,
at a very smart new restaurant. 1t
happened to be an evening when she
was feeling especially homesick, when
1t seemed that she must pack her trunk
In the morning and go straight back
home. She was trying hard to pretend
to enjoy herself. when, glancing up,
she saw the face Of the young man
who was picking up the soiled dishes.
"Why-why-" she turned in her
chair, but he had gone off to the kit
chen, and the next course was being
served. Florence was very quiet until it
was over, and the young man appeared
again. Then, as he removed her plate,
she laid her hand on his arm.
You're Billy James. aren't you?"
she said, in her soft, southern drawl.
"Yes-I am" he said, and his voice
had that same soft drawl in it.
"Florencew exclaimed her aunt,
from across the table. "That's the
bus boy!'
81 don't care" Florence answered
-defiantly Il used to know him down
home-and-"
He had come back for more dishes,
reluctantly. She motioned him to her
side.
BILLY, what are you doing here?
Won't you come to see me?' she asked.
''Td really like to see you. Please?"
"Why, Florence, IL"
"Florence.' her aunt exclaimed
again, and the young man disappeared
once more. He didn't come back
again.
Il haven't seen him for ages; he ran
away from home" she said. "And
now maybe l won't see him again.
Oh"
And suddenly the other diners in
the smart restaurant were amazed to
see pretty young girl In white and
silver frock rise from her chair and
hurry across the dining room, to the
door Of the kitchen-and rush straight
through it, with the head waiter fol-
lowing.
''Billy!" she cried, as she caught up
with him. "Why are you running
away from me?"
Because I'm fiat failure" he told
her. 81 said I'd come up here and
make good, because l was sure I could
sell that play I wrote down home.
Well, l haven't sold it, and l had to
earn a living somehow-you shouldn't
have spoken to mel"
Don't be silly" Florence told him,
catching hold Of his arm with both
hands. Il don't care what you're do
ing-I love you. and l always will %
Florence's aunt scolded frantically,
and tried to prevent the wedding
which, nevertheless, took place the
next morning. She stopped scolding
only when Billy's play was accepted,
a week later. Then she told her
friends, as Florence had told everyone
from the start, "Of course I knew that
dear Billy would succeed"
And she took credit to herself for
the very pretty romance that grew out
of Florence's speaking to the bus boy.