The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CROWNED HEADS. stories of men who had proposed to her, and, according to Genevieve, they always got excited and emotional and sometimes cried. Ted Brady had fitted her with the ring more like a glover’s assistant than anything else, and he had _ hardly spoken a word from beginning to end. He had seemed~to take her acquies- cence for granted. And yet there had been nothing flat or disappointing about the proceed- ings. She had been thrilled through- out. It is to be supposed that Mr. Brady had the force of character which does not require the aid of speech. It: was not until she took the news of her engagement to old Mr. Bennett that it was borne in upon Katie that fate did not intend to be so wholly benevolent to her as she had supposed. That her grandfather could offer any opposition had not occurred to her as a possibility. She took his ap- proval for granted. Never, as long as she could remember, had he been anything but kind to her. And the only possible objections to marriage from a grandfather’s point of view, badness of character, insuf- ficient means, or inferiority of social position, were in this case gloriously absent. She could not see how any one, how- ever hypercritical, could find a flaw in Ted. His character was spotless. He was comfortably off. And so far from being in any way inferior so- cially, it was he who condescended. For Ted, she had discovered from conversation with Mr. Murdoch, the glazier, was no ordinary young man. He was a celebrity. So much so that for a moment, when told the news of the engagement, Mr. Murdoch, start- led out of his usual tact, had exhibited frank surprise that the great Ted Brady should hot have aimed higher. “You’re sure you've got the name right, Katie?” he had said. “It’s really Ted Brady? No mistake about the first name? Well-built, good-look- ing young chap with brown eyes? to him. 665 Well, this beats me. Not,’ he went on hurriedly, “that any young fellow mightn’t think himself lucky to get a wife like you, Katie; but Ted Brady— Why, there isn't a girl in this part of the town, or in Harlem or the Bronx, for that matter, who wouldn't give her eyes to be in your place. Why; Ted Brady is the big noise. He’s the star of the Glencoe.” “He told me he belonged to the ~ Glencoe Athletic.” “Don’t you believe it. It belongs Why, the way that boy runs and jumps is the real limit. There’s only Billy Burton of the Irish-Amer- ican that can touch him. You've cer- ‘tainly got the pick of the. bunch, Katie.” He stared at her admiringly, as if for the first time realizing her true worth. For Mr. Murdoch was a great patron of sport. With these facts in her possession ‘Katie had approached the interview with her grandfather with a good deal of confidence. The old man had listened to her re- cital of Mr. Brady’s qualities in si- lence. Then he shook his head. “Tt can’t be. I couldn't have it.” “Grandpapa! ”’ “You're forgetting, my dear.” “ Forgetting?” “Who ever heard of such a thing? The granddaughter of the King of England marrying a commoner. It wouldn't do at all!” Consternation, surprise, and misery kept Katie dumb. She had learned in a hard school to be prepared for sud- den blows from the hand of Fate, but this one was so entirely unforeseen that it found her unprepared, and she was crushed by it. She knew her grandfather's obstinacy too well to argue against the decision. “Oh, no; not at all,” he repeated. “Oh, no;.it wouldn’t do.” Katie said nothing. She was be- yond speech. She stood there, wide- eyed and silent, among the ruins of her little air-castle. COMicdoo S CO@