It Pays to Smile

ind and upon the minds of juveniles in particular. He was convinced that if Euclid were read to a point of thorough familiarity at the age of twelve years by every male American the resul

ce of young people having access to books of the best quality without "let or hindrance," and devotes three chapters to the in

volume of which I obtained possession at the age of eleven, though I have greatly feared since-indeed I was, in point of fact, greatly in fear at the time when I perused its fascinating intricacies-that it was not a book which my paternal parent would have selected as suitable for the

forth-it is quite possible, I say, that without it I should never have had courage to take the initial step which pried me loose from the home of my ancestors and set me forth upon a career at a time of life when most females are drawing such careers as God has appointed for them to a close. Of course I had the incentive of keeping the ancestral ro

dy could suspect me of the desire for gossip. It was simply my plain duty to discover what I could about this handsome young duke before my charge became hopelessly involved in his toils-in other

th in company. Alicia was nowhere about when I left, but there was no doubt in my mind as to who was with her, wherever she was. Apparently there existed no doubt in the mind of Talbot, either. I was seated beside him so as to be nearer help in case of an accident, and as we bowled along over the perfect ro

d been quite unable to break him-"say, Cousin Mary, lookit here. What do you

young woman may think about a young man unti

her in silence and th

ing to the term. "A foreigner! I can't see how he came to be such a bucko! But he is, all r

aches to acquire a proper sense of her social superiority and to confirm it by marrying a title. Though in her case I believe we can feel sure

of his face and wish

ndle to her name. Judas Priest! What can I give her? I'm-I'm a servant, I a

o servants! I'm really sorry, dear boy, but remember we don't know anyt

er brother?" asked Richard

ut him?" I an

ys that was on the boat coming over from England was talking to me about it.

hard!" I commanded.

a hunting expedition with our duke. And then the both of them disappeared for a while. When the du

e not a servant than you begin to talk like one. My Cousin Abby receive

he car and settled back in it, presumably to dwell upon the unhappy course of his love while he waited for me; and

gligee; and though I could never endure to see a woman lounging round the house in a

p like-like Richard's! "Hello, old thing! Sit down. Smoke? Oh, of course not! I'

in those days, a sort of formula of greeting like "Good morning" or "How do you do" witho

. "I'm glad to see you, my dear. Did that

one was altogether too intimate. "So did I, and so did Al

Abby, with surprising astuteness.

d the young man unless you knew him

sted upon coming! I would never have dared to take the responsibility of inviting Sandro to m

ery chance acquaintance with us. You must know him wel

s Sandro. He plays about with the very best people. I've known him for ten years. But I know absolutely nothing about him. He

ted. "Who are his famil

a in a game accident-an older twin, I believe. Really, my dear, I don't think there is the faintest mystery about Sandy, as we call him. No money-land-poor with an old rat's nest of a castle back in the hills, and not fit, they say, fo

," I observed. "Though I think that if

he always seems to have enough to get by with. There's no talk

ard anything peculiar

ere staying at the same country house, the Welch-Finleys, and he left utterly without warning, and it gave rise to some talk. People remembered about his brother, and, of co

ret service to shadow people-the

e, everybody is in the secret service of at least one nation, or say they are, and to be overlooked by the police would be rather a slight. So don't worry about the smiling duke, because he is quite all right as

makes your stays, my dear!" I

uke. Upon the secondary subject she was most generously full

the proper stepmother for Peaches. Their tastes were too much alike. And though I had very little against Abby except her clothes, I was as yet unconvinced that clothes would make a man happy. And while I worked on t

er night outside, and her eyes were deep soft pools, her head like a golden star. It hardly seemed right that any woman should be so beautiful. She had taken some softening quality from the Italian skies as if this corner of the globe which was so like and yet so unlike her native heath had rubbed off the crudities left by the sh

town and the black, moon-cut shape of the sweeping coast line. "I am going to

said s

ly all the time, one could have cut the atmosphere with a piece of wedding silver it was so thick and soft. When their eyes met sudd

delighted her to confirm his superior height, and she did it at every conceivable opportunity. He reached the rose easily and she gave him her little gold penknife, wh

a jolly one!"

Sandy," sa

e fastened it to his watch chain b

't give a knife! I am not in the least addicted to sup

iss Talbot," said he. "That make

ugly red mark which must have been painful. But girls are such absurdly sentimental things that it is quite-quite,

beautiful romance between Alicia and the duke weaving in and out through all our adventures like a golden thr

e means, and they did make me look younger. Not that Mr. Pegg seemed to observe the circumstances. He was monopolized in the most outrageous way by that unscrupulous cousin of mine. Not that I cared in the least, but the way men can be taken in by a lot of falderals and clothes and artificial aids to beauty is

a fainting spell, when it was considered most beneficial in its medicinal effect. But outside of its uses as a restorative for the vapors, we never used it, and I may state in the interests of accuracy that though my father referred to the substance which he imbibed in the masculine seclusion of the dining room after the departure of the ladies as "wine," it was in truth rum, imported direct from Jamaica, in which h

h which to hitch himself to the gods; it is the weak man's courage, the poor man's wealth, the coward's glory and the failure's apology. Through wine man becomes the things he dreams of be

properly condemning any misuse on the part of our neighbors. Of course we knew how to use it, but so, too, di

how and why I came to be a participant in the festival

ke or ignited upon plum pudding, partially because I had not felt that my dear father's dissertations appli

heir drinking water in the superstition that it prevented fever or bowlegs, I forget which. At any rate the taboo was lifte

All the flowers in the world seemed to have gathered together in that little pleasance between the gleaming whitewashed, vine-burdened walls. Lant

olden Americans!" h

with the rhythm of its own music. There were uniforms and beautiful dresses everywhere, picked out and accentuated by the sombre formal clothes of the civilians. Indoors there was laughter and dancing. The ballroom was a pool of yellow light in wh

s clad in an amber satin gown of the exact hue of her marvelous hair, and her only ornament was a huge string of amber beads. She looked like the incarnation of all the gold and sunshine of her native State, and the duke was gazing upon her in

ough with a knife. But they were oblivious of it. Never have I hoped-I mean, expected-to witness anything like those two blind faces pressed together. They were mouth to mouth, immovable, like Rodin's statue. There is something very terrible in seeing

"You look quite upset! Allow

t oh, so happy

g any shock to the system such as I had anticipated, it seemed to have no effect whatsoever beyond creating a feeling o

ches and her Sandy were engaged. I even called him Sandy, I recall. Sir Anthony at once proposed that we drink their health-quite between ourselves, of course.

xcept that we seemed to be doing it alone. There was great applause, so it must have been successful, and I remember Cousin Abby ex

k-indeed to ride with him at ten precisely every morning for the remainder of our sojourn upon the Riviera. And this was the more remarkable inasmuch as

not in the least ready to go home. But once out in the open air I had a dim realization that all was not quite well with me. I became possessed of a sudden desire to be alone, and a distaste for allowing either Peaches or her father to see me until I was in some way

k to the hotel an' get my handkerfish. Y

yelids!" excl

reached the hotel. The wind in my face had revived me and I managed by the exercise of great dignity to give a sufficient appearance

annoyance that I had forgotten my key. I somehow disliked the idea of calling upon the office

ht to speak to the management about it in the morning. But after some hesitation I selected my own door, opened

doing in my ro

imly realized that though it was an hour when most persons are in bed, both were dr

door, which remained open. "It's my room, and I

, "you are mistaken. I assure you t

u," I replied with dignity,

g but it seemed like months. And then all

ere, Free Talbot?" she said, stridin

gands out of my room!" I sai

hes. "Oh, pa, come help me to get my ch

te right. I got up with dignity and left, accompanied by the Peggs, and the

been crying. I felt as though I-as though all of us-had been going through vast experiences of misery for

ugh I feel very ill this morning-I think I must have eaten something at Abby's las

a moment and then burst i

a fit woman to take up your foreign missions w

the bed and sobbing hysterically. Now thoroughly alarmed I f

s him? There is no real harm done! You love each other! You can be

her glorious height and dried her

ry each other, after his dating up Pa to talk it over this afternoon, after promising t

ten in a clear firm hand. I read it as

t. Unforeseen circumstances have arisen which make me realize I ha

di Mon

his hotel," she said bitte

No man could have got such a kiss and forgotten it. Once engaged

man at the depot-winged him as the train moved out. It was your f