Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-07-22
Nice Men
Bv EMILY SPEARE
Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.
D ARBARA had written to Marjori,

- Hanson, down in Georgia, telling
her that there were loads of nice
men in New York. Barbara had an
apartment big enough for two, more
over she had a good job that she
was in no danger of losing, and it
wouldn't cost much more to feed two
than one. "And so, my DEAR" Bar
bara wrote, 81 want you to stay with
me for at least six months and for
get"
For lack of anything better to do,
and because of her genuine affection
for the downright Barbara, Marjorie
left the town where she was still
referred to as ''poor Mrs. Hanson"
and came to share the three small
rooms that Barbara called home.
AS usual Barbara had the situation
well in hand with plans well formulat-
ed by the time Marjorie arrived.
"You were just eating your heart
out down there in Georgia" she told
her. "Not because you really care
about Fred Hanson but because ev-
cry one feels sorry for you. You're
still young and unusually good to
look at and it will be just too bad
if you don't marry again. Me, of
course, Pm different. But the only
way you'll ever really forget the
mess of time you had with Fred
Hanson will be to marry some man
you can really love-"
'But men like that are pretty
scarce nowadays" Marjorie insist
ed; sat least down home they are"
"There are plenty of them up here
in New York." Barbara told her.
81 never bothered with them till I
began planning for you but I've been
making collection recently and aft
er you have time to unpack and get
your bearings I'll ask them around.
But of course you will be Miss Stone,
not Mrs. Hanson. Not that they'd
mind that you've been married be-
FORE" Barbara FASTENED to explain,
"but because it might be that some
of them had heard of Fred Hanson,
and maybe it would get back to him
that you were here and he might
take it into his head to look you up"
There's no chance of that" Mar
jorie assured her friend. eff he'd
gone off with another woman there's
a chance he might get tired of her
and come back. But after he and
my brother quarreled he became
perfectly unreasonable. Naturally he
couldn't expect me to take his side
against one of my own blood"
''It was all a terrible mistake"
Barbara interrupted. what I want
you to do is to forget all about it"
Four months later Barbara admit
ted ruefully that the "loads of nice
men" she had promised in New York
hadn't materialized quite as she had
expected. EITHER they are terribly
tiresome and have money enough to
support a wife"
''Or they are terribly tiresome and
haven't" Marjorie finished the SEN
tence.
"They aren't all tiresome," Bar
bara insisted. "You don't think
George Lorrimore is tiresome, do
your"
Marjorie reflected for moment.
81 don't believe George is tiresome.
George is pretty nice-and George
thinks Pm pretty nice, but if George
doesn't get any further than that,
Barbara dear, I'm either going to
get a job-which seems to be i'm
possible-or 60 back home. I can't
bear sponging on you any longer"
you're anything but SPONGE"
Barbara told her. ''We can live
along this way as long as you like,
but if you really do want money of
your own, why don't you accept one
of the checks Fred Hanson sends
your" Marjorie insisted that she'd
never take a cent from Fred Han
son and that in the future his brief
letters with check Enclosures would
be returned unopened.
Marjorie was looking forward with
more than usual eagernesS to meet
ing George Lorrimore that evening.
Marjorie and Barbara and George
and a friend of Georges invited for
Barbara. Dinner on the Astermore
roof and then, instead of lingering
to dance, back to George Lorrimore's
luxurious little apartment.
Barbara patiently listened with
well-feigned interest to Georges
friends comments on golf, bridge
and the stock market for an hour
or more while Marjorie and George
fingered on the balcony. And it was
not until Marjorie insisted that she
and Barbara take taxi alone back
to Barbara's apartment that Bar
bara realized that the task of max
ing Marjorie forget had not been
accomplished.
"You two were certainly having
q serious conversation, Barbara
began as they sped home. 81
thought perhaps"
$50 did I for the first five or ten
minutes" said Marjorie, and then
after a pause. George has been
married before. You knew that. He
has pretty serious views on mar
riage. He thinks people ought to be
happy. But his first wife had been
married before. Apparently she'd
never got over it. He thinks women
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