The Early Bird: A Business Man's Love Story — John Shaqi
The Early Bird: A Business Man's Love StoryChester, George Randolph
General
The Early Bird: A Business Man's Love Story
Chester, George Randolph
Businessmen -- Fiction; Love stories
"Mr. Princeman and Mr. Tilloughby are looking for you everywhere,
Hallie," said Miss Hastings to Miss Westlake. "You know you promised
to make that famous salad dressing of yours. Luncheon is nearly ready,
all but that, and they're waiting for you over at the glade. My, what
a dear little place this is! How did you ever find it?" Miss Hastings
was now quite conspicuously panting and fanning herself. "I'm so tired
climbing those rocks," she went on. "I shall simply have to sit down
and rest a bit. Billy will take you over, Hallie, and Mr. Turner will
bring me by and by, I am sure."
Mr. Turner stated that he would do so with pleasure. Miss Westlake
surveyed her dearest friend more in anger than in sorrow. It was such
a brazen trick, and she gazed from her brother to Mr. Turner in sheer
wonder that they were not startled into betrayal of how shocked they
were. Whatever strong emotions they might have had upon that subject
were utterly without reflection upon the outside, however, for Billy
Westlake and Sam Turner were eying each other solely with a vacuous
mutual wish of saying something decently polite and human. Mr. Turner
made a desperate stab.
"I hope you're in good form for the bowling tournament to-night," he
observed with self-urged anxiety. "Hollis Creek mustn't win, you know."
"I'm as near fit as usual," said Billy; "but Princeman is the chap
who's going to carry off the honors for Meadow Brook. Bowled an
average last night of two forty-five. I'm sorry you couldn't make the
team."
"I should have started fifteen years ago to do that," said Sam with a
wry smile. "I think I would get along all right, though, if they
didn't have those grooves at the side of the alleys."
Billy Westlake looked at him gravely. Since Sam did not smile, this
could not be a joke.
"But they are absolutely necessary, you know," he protested, as he took
his sister's arm and helped her down the slope.
Miss Westlake went away entirely out of patience with the two men, and
very much to Billy's surprise gave him her revised estimate of that
Hastings girl. Miss Hastings, however, was in a far different frame of
mind. She was an exclamation point of admiration about an endless
variety of things; about the dear little amphitheatre, about how well
her friend Miss Westlake was looking and how successful Hallie had been
this summer in reducing, and how much Mr. Turner was improving in his
tennis and croquet and riding and bowling and everything. "And, Mr.
Turner, what is pulp? And do they actually make paper out of it?" she
wound up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account