The Indiscreet Letter by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
page 18 of 41 (43%)
page 18 of 41 (43%)
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"Oh, dear me!" said the Youngish Girl, with unmistakable sincerity. "I'm afraid you haven't learned anything at all from me!" "Oh, yes, I have too!" cried the Traveling Salesman, his whole round face lighting up suddenly with real pleasure. "I've learned about an entirely new kind of lady to go home and tell my wife about. And I'll bet you a hundred dollars that you're a good deal more of a 'lady' than you'd even be willing to tell us. There ain't any provincial-- 'Don't-you-dare-speak-to-me--this-is-the-first-time-I-ever-was-on-a-train air about you! I'll bet you've traveled a lot--all round the world--froze your eyes on icebergs and scorched 'em some on tropics." "Y-e-s," laughed the Youngish Girl. "And I'll bet you've met the Governor-General at least once in your life." "Yes," said the Girl, still laughing. "He dined at my house with me a week ago yesterday." "And I'll bet you, most of anything," said the Traveling Salesman shrewdly, "that you're haughtier than haughty with folks of your own kind. But with people like us--me and the Electrician, or the soldier's widow from South Africa who does your washing, or the Eskimo man at the circus--you're as simple as a kitten. All your own kind of folks are nothing but grown-up people to you, and you treat 'em like grown-ups all right--a hundred cents to the dollar--but all our kind of folks are _playmates_ to you, and you take us as easy and pleasant as you'd slide down on the floor and play with any other kind of a |
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