It Pays to Smile

ess, which was the almost universal method of procuring outer garments in his early youth. But it is possible that he intended to imply that the beauty of some females was insurmountable by bad

nd the reaction which I experienced upon first beholding the Eiffel Tower was as not

Mr. Pegg and his daughter had stepped out to undergo the preliminaries of obtaining a card to the public gambling hell, and I, unwilling to countenance thei

and came in whistling under hi

doll!" he sang sott

It was empty save for a young girl, very much overdressed, who was standing with her back toward me, loo

ing!" she exclaimed. "H

ed, and here she was already, upon the very first day of our arrival, greeting me literally with open arms. So much for the trouble I anticipated-it was gone like a wreath of smoke! But as I took a good look at

tenanced by my dear father and mother, or indeed by Euphemia or myself, all such so-called aids to beauty being unknown to the gentlewomen of our acquaintance and recognized only upon the persons of outcast females and constituting the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual disgrace. Of course it must be admitted that some of even Boston's very

ld them! And sinful-looking diamonds dangled from her ears almost to her shoulders. The hat she wore might better have been fashioned for

need not grow old except through lack of the desire for youth. She seemed to stand there before me with the spirit of her unconquerable youth radiating, as it were, through the painted shell she had put upon her body. I at once, and for the first t

his iniquitous spot! How is poor dear Boston? I feel a million ?ons away from it! And how is Cousin Euphemia?

she was tryin

de and heartless dog catcher with a barred wagon. Euphemia is well excep

write?" asked

said I. "But I had somewhat anticipated the circumstance and am not und

It certainly was a p

hairs close together. "What on earth made you do i

ionship to the sunlight. And yet, had I merely seen them without knowing them, I should have unquestionably characterized them as impossibly vulgar; that was the plain truth of the matter. To Abby they must inevitably seem so at first glance. And knowing this I instinctively rose to the

"from California. And their heart

lionaires and vulgar," said Abby

h how she deduced so much fr

by hook or crook to introduce them to an assortment of foreign titles. That's so, isn't

gasped. "H

y this time. "My wits are about all I have with which to make good my bri

aghast. "I was not even awar

she said briefly.

y," I sai

see you need have no reticence about offer

ous as to how I should approach my distinguished relative upon so delicate a matter as remuneration for the peculiar services which we required. And so, though in a sense I was shocked by her frankness, it made my path far easier, particular

stance that we can be of benefit to each other at this time. Mr. Pegg intends to offer you a thousand dollars each for introdu

Abby. "Now go ahead

ou infer that there are rest

ur eye I know there

not expressed his desire that ther

and her lips curling in a distinctly unpleasant smile. It fi

aid quietly. "How

?" I

very distinctly. I felt as though someone had stru

horror. "A bribe! How

ress she stared at me for a long

n-please! One gets so hard, so used to things like that out h

y experience, and at once the instinct to rescue and help her was uppermost in my mind. I fussed over her much as I used to fuss over Rex, our pet, when anything ailed him, for he had been my dog, not Euphemia's, as Abby had supposed. And presently she grew qu

estionable company. You must guarantee to me that you will introduce her to no one who can harm her. Her father has a faith in her ability to take care of herself which is founded in his knowledge of her singularly beau

confidence," Abby remarked.

. "And Alicia's motherless condition places a great responsibility upon me. S

set, really. I'll have you all out to dine this very week. I'm at San Remo, you know. Just a short motor drive from here; a duck

"Mr. Pegg will be delighted, I am sur

ack in the security of your lif

e!" she replied l

d disconcerting. But I stro

cannot truthful

n for my change of heart. Never, no, never, did I expect to utter such a sentiment, much less to have felt it! But the harsh fact was that

ess tropical than I had imagined. Also I had expected that the natives would be rather more like those in a production of Cavalleria Rusticana, to which my dear father had once escorted Euphemia and myself upon the occasion of

was unstinting in my praise. Not

ought to see California. They'd better bring o

but awful small. It's something like a poc

at anything could be m

West yet," said Peaches cheerfully

ut in mildly. "Do you know, sometimes I fear you t

she declared. "So why not the biggest liars, as wel

to understand. And nothing was more so than this insistence on her part that anything Californian was superior to ev

nta Barbara," she said; "only, of course, these hills

rceive that it was not only useless but that her education was not really impaired by the secession of my efforts along these lines. She possessed a

p our sequence where Abby le

er, as I observed from the window, and which gave no clew to the newly disclosed fact of her poverty-scarcely had she departed and

we spent our summers; a very charming place it was, too, with a fine view of the ocean from the veranda, and a dance for the young people every Saturday night, and I had greatly enjoyed taking my knitting there. I was at present secretly at work upon a pair of socks for Mr. Pegg, intended as a

. This gambling joint is strictly high class. The layouts at Dogtown have nothing on it-absolutely! To lose a little something at Monte is like losing a little at monte with a small 'm' over to Dogtown; and allow me to inform you that no California native so

the manifestation of my unalterable disapproval by steadfastly refusing to accompany them or to discuss their experiences in that den of iniquity. Even Richard,

s coolness lasted into the next day, despite the arrival during breakfast of Abby's invitation to dinner, at which Mr. Pegg and Alicia both evinced great satisfaction. I hoped to divert them into a visit to

ruitless attempt at persuading me to accompany them, and when they had been gone for hal

ng it out of doors. I therefore put on a shade hat and a light wrap, packed my fancywork into my knittin

iry directed me volubly. I thanked him and passed on in the direction which he indicated. But when I reache

ot altogether surprising when one realized that the number of tourists was undoubtedly far greater than on the Massachusetts coast. And as I approached I noted that a large number of c

xuriance in the semi-tropical growth, and selecting a sheltered bench that was shielded from the light breeze by a mass of camellias in f

to meet Mr. Pegg's taste for the exotic in dress and at the same time offer a conservative surface in that part which would be exposed to the general public. Having then satisfied myself that my work was as my mother would have desired, I counted the setting-up stitches anew to

y exhilarating. And so I was not paying very diligent attention to my work. Indeed my eyes were ever prone to rove from my knitting, a fact for which Euphemia has often chided me, though I do quite as well without watching my stitches, the occu

irred just the other side of the bushes, and a hand containing

n by paralysis, and the next I had sprung to my

ctively, though it is a fact that I

nderstand. But the hand containing it dropped to his side, and for several seconds we stood staring at each other, he with the pallid daze of one who has bee

ve for a large rabbit's foot that dangled incongruously from his watch chain. His

h I knew perfectly well. "Don't you know that

ish, his voice hoarse and remote. "G

into your pocket this minute! Don't you know you are apt to caus

thing into his coat pocket, and continuing t

ds out of his way. He obeyed like a person in a trance. "There now!" said I. "You

ticule in case of emergency, and at length an emergency had arisen. Hastily retrieving th

his quickly!"

ook about to see if anyone obse

whispered. And with a single gulp he d

work?" he whispered feebly

oothingly. "There! Don't

replied, straightening up.

nd it won't poison you in the least. Never

e in his hands. "Oh, how much better I feel!

to take care of foolish men!" I returned. "Sit

d at me in that sil

ses open to me. Either I must get a sign, an infallible sign how to play, or shoot myself. I decided to wait until two o'clo

nd dropped h

ws? See here now, I am going on knitting, and suppose you watch the stitches for a few mome

w lease of life. Gradually he became animated. Color returned to his pall

. Then suddenly-he did everything suddenly-he spoke directly to me. "Red and black!" he said, fingering

hen ten of black and

ith a sudden strange co

ack!" said he. "It's a sign. It m

started away. But I was too quick for him. I caught h

I'll just thank you to hand o

ed lightly. "There you are. Don't do any

mazingly swift gesture, and before I could say "

d so when the poor crazy man had gone and seemed little likely to return I settled myself for a cat nap, determined to compose my nerves and not allow my afternoon to be ruined by th

dness knows how long! I at once began to gather my things together, preparatory to leaving for the hotel when I perceived t

ney, his hat, mysteriously retrieved, also brimming with lucre, his vest bulging with it, and his hand full of bank notes. Straight toward me he came, and dropping upon his knee

neeling man. "My sign from heaven, accept a few

said severely, while gatheri

shouted. "Twenty on the red, ten on the b

said severely. "It ought to be turned to holy uses, and you will onl

and her father pushed their way through the crowd, accompani

n!" she yelled. "Free

me to the young

er out of next?" she asked him whim

Duke di M