Bought and Paid For; From the Play of George Broadhurst Part 12

Turning her back on him, she walked away and took a seat near the window, where she could look out on the street. But he followed her:

"I thought you'd say something like that," he said. "It just shows how much you know."

"Explain it to her, Jimmy," exclaimed f.a.n.n.y.

"What's the good?" he replied scornfully. "She wouldn't understand.

But I will say this: If I had an opportunity to show some rich man just what I could do, I'd be worth perhaps a million dollars in ten or twelve years, and that would mean a swell house for you and me, and servants, and automobiles and everything like that. I'd show 'em!"

Overcome by the vivid picture he had drawn, f.a.n.n.y took his hands.

Enthusiastically she cried:

"Oh, Jimmy, wouldn't it be lovely? And perhaps we could get into real society, too--perhaps we might meet the social leaders from Harlem and Brooklyn whose pictures are in the papers every Sunday!"

"There'd be n.o.body we couldn't meet," he cried proudly.

"And fancy!" exclaimed f.a.n.n.y--"fancy going to the dressmaker's, picking out half a dozen dresses, having them sent home without even asking the price, and letting them charge just as much as they like!

Wouldn't that be heavenly?"

"You can have all that and more," he cried exultingly.

Virginia shrugged her shoulders. The topic was becoming distasteful to her. Impatiently she exclaimed:

"It's perfectly ridiculous!"

Going over to her sister, f.a.n.n.y put her arm around her neck:

"All I want is for you to be happy, sis."

"I know it, dear," replied Virginia. "That's the way you've been always."

"You're different to me," went on the elder sister.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You'd do any man credit."

"Oh, f.a.n.n.y!"

"But I'd hate to see you try to keep house on eighteen per. That means doing your own work, including the cooking--yes, and the was.h.i.+ng--and you weren't made for that."

"Don't worry about me--I'll be all right."

"I hope so," sighed f.a.n.n.y.

"I will, don't fear," smiled Virginia.

Not yet discouraged the s.h.i.+pping clerk returned to the attack. Folding his arms in authoritative fas.h.i.+on and addressing his future sister-in-law he said severely:

"Will you give me a straight answer to a plain question? If Mr.

Stafford does ask you to marry him, will you? Come on, now, will you?"

"I won't talk about such things," retorted the girl.

Her face flushed up. It was easy to see that she was getting angry.

Shrugging his shoulders, the young man walked away, but sarcastically he said:

"Well, if he does and you don't accept him, you'll be the biggest fool that ever lived!"

"That's just what I say," laughed f.a.n.n.y. "Ha! I wish he'd ask me!"

Quickly Virginia turned to her sister.

"Would you accept him?" she asked.

"Would I?" laughed f.a.n.n.y. "Oh, would I?"

"And throw Jimmie over?"

"I'd throw Jimmie so far and so hard he'd think he was struck by a cyclone."

"And I wouldn't blame her," said the young man, scratching his head.

Virginia looked in amazement from one to the other.

"I can't understand either of you," she exclaimed.

Never at a loss for an answer the clerk proceeded to explain:

"Why should I expect any girl to stick to me and fourteen per when she can have a place like this? Look at this swell furniture, these rugs, and them ornaments--" Going, over to the mantelpiece, he picked up one of the costly Peach Blow vases, examined it critically for a moment and turned to the girls: "I suppose this is one of them peach--peach--something or other--vases I've read about."

"Peach Blow," corrected Virginia.

"That's it," he grinned. "I suppose it's worth six or seven thousand dollars--"

"Be careful!" exclaimed Virginia warningly, "or you'll drop it."

The words were hardly uttered when Jimmie's foot caught in the rug and he stumbled, dropping the vase, which broke into two pieces.

Bewildered, horrified, he stood still, surveying with dismay the fragments at his feet.

"Now you've done it!" he exclaimed hoa.r.s.ely.

"I have?" exclaimed Virginia indignantly.

"Yes--I shouldn't have dropped it if you hadn't shouted at me."

Picking up the pieces, he tried to fit them together.

f.a.n.n.y, frightened out of her wits, was speechless.