| Show K if 0 0 1 0 I 1 BEN WAS I 1 0 AWA 0 0 1 0 0 A j AT 0 0 X I 1 0 S 0 0 0 2 0 X 0 by MYRTA DAVIES X 0 0 0 x i I 1 7 1 I 1 kak K S K i la lal NeWs PaIP nobody ever called den ben flanders a success socially lally and no one was fur tiler from calling ben a success socially I 1 I 1 than betty huntington only daughter te of the of the avenue and ad sister of on of the managers of tile the birin where ben worked betty was IS as lovely as a june morning fis as sweet of disposition as a P pink inking god white rabbit but withal with a illand of 0 her own ben knew all these things but what was a fellow to do lie he knew he was nuts in the social world and he knew that betty knew and lie knew that betty knew that tie te knew otherwise why won idt him to at least ebe som sometime entime invite a small party and give him a chance to see her if nothing more than see surrounded by the bunch bunc h of a adoring dorter males who knew how to act and ald did it betty was no snob it because ben was just it a rising mechanical engineer with an invalid mother to suppo support rt and not even a bowing bowin g acquaintance with tile the avenue that bet jy let him see her ofte oftener nei since lie he had bad met her at the annual an num le festival stival in music hall he had called twice and had had the jo joy y of seeing betty alone suitors and relatives had been miraculously dispensed with moreover with bettys power of ln in tuition site she probably 7 realized how beastly uncomfortable tine poor fled fied ben would have been among them anyhow there had been something about that second call that had made ben postpone his third not indefinitely e but at any rate till he be got more light on the best means of pursuing his suit with the only girl in the world who was wag just close enough to perfection and who possessed a warm plowing glowing loveliness besides ben was no slacker but until he was sure caution was bens slogan and the fact that the fellows laughed at him for being so quiet and slow did not dimi diminish niall the caution nor did it lessen the discouragement to meditate on the gay aliveness all veness of every one of elizabeths favored friends all of them lending rose and orange lights rever toning down the garishness 1 I live up to that music not in a thousand shousan 0 years groaned ben and dug into tile the mechanical engineering gi with greater vim than ever ben hustled it counted ben wits was promoted again was given glan charge of half a dozen older but less skilled workmen and all the ahe while ben did not fall to remind himself that he was doing it all tor for betty it was exactly a week before thanksgiving that it seemed to den ben cautious as ever that the time had come to make that postponed call on miss bliss elizabeth on the avenue ilea ben went without asking it if he might only finding out casually from bettys brother tha she would be home lien ben was waa flabbergasted and the jubilant assurance and welcome vouchsafed by miss betty flabbergast ed 1 him more do cobe come in betty urged when the mald maid called her to the hall to neet meet ben we heard from you for so long I 1 know now youre here oh please stay for the party its informal anyway planned on tile the spur of the moment I 1 do like informal things I 1 really do its its my engagement party ben P ben gasped away went his cau tion to tile the winds your tour engagement party 4 1 I really cant discuss it now beamed betty but bui I 1 never was so happy in my iny life come on in and make me happier benjamin flanders squared his shoulders you bet ill come in lie he said and marched and war inar elous thought for the first time in tits his life as far as society usage and behavior was vas concerned he did not feel in the least uncomfortable something more important engrossed him betty engaged I 1 what a fool hed been he might have known if he waited hed lose out but confound the roan man get her engagement wa i ant marriage hed five him a close chase it he could win out in business by sticking to 10 it working like a trojan frojan with betty the incentive give him the chance ben was a revelation that night to the people at bettys party ile he fitted into the hilarious unorganized affair like the last find and most essential part of a 11 huge jigsaw puzzle puzzie before he came acme there hail had been a queer indefinable nervousness in the air a won eoln shared by everybody about what was going to happen next with bens arrival a change took place everybody was just as interested even the meek little girl in brown obviously ly a 11 guest in the city but things were less less helter belter 61 shelter elter the unaccustomed informality that had evidently aed up tip ti ism whole party took to itself a charm that led the old fashioned paroos and charales charades cha cham rades des a he JOY with refreshments coming hours too zaon oa the instant those refreshments were announced up danced 13 ben en to betty 1 I dont care who the man la its you youre your r e engaged to lie declared 1 and I 1 dont wont want to see him I 1 dont want to him take you in tor for eats eata either and im not going to ive been it a cad and IM I 1 in ashamed ive always dreamed about our marrying arming in you and L somehow or other betty flunt huntington ington I 1 believed you could learn to like me not as much as I 1 care about you but some when you told we me tonight it was your engagement party I 1 vowed id give the tuan man a close chase im sorry I 1 dont have to be dishonorable it if I 1 have been a tool fool you said this was an informal impromptu party you ou 1 I did suld said betty anybody know its an engagement party yet yes said betty 1 I know it I 1 invited tho the folks of course when did you invite them betty gazed steadily into bens eager eyes 1 I like you calm you arent worked up about anything are you mr flanders ben if you VDU please yes I 1 am worked up but ill calm down again when you answer my question when did you invite these folks two minutes after my brother told tile me asked him if I 1 would be at t home tonight said batty unashamed you mean you wanted to hurt me you wanted me to suffer buffer because id been so slow I 1 deserve it not that ben I 1 wanted you here for a party a real party the informal homey sort that counts the sort ive always known you like best tile the only kind where everybody has a good time and besides ben I 1 did want to give on an engagement party 1 yes said ben steadily go 0 on n but it go oft till you came folks expect formal here ou know As aa soon as you came I 1 knew everything would be all right ben you P get it over with I 1 change my mind who are you engaged to betty ben swallowed hard illes hes lust just as lucky as I 1 thought he was tell me im going to congratulate him who la Is he be nobody said betty softly swift the change in bens tortured face who Is engaged he demanded that little girl in brown over there betty told him and nobody ever gave her any kind of a party I 1 wanted to and and you wonted wanted to wake me up by making me think I 1 was coming to yours yourn la Is that it partly you know what that means 1 I ought to those calls of yours made me feel as if id always known you and I 1 was so happy when you came tonight I 1 told you so ive always known everything youve done at the factory my brother says im a nuisance asking about you every time I 1 turn round well relieve him hereafter said ben jubilantly nobody watching Benja benjamin inIn flanders escorting miss elizabeth hunt inton ington in to dinner would have mistrusted any lack of social ease and prestige ben was at home with the girl he loved |
