sake, for my sake--I'm your one disinterested friend
and you know that my love is real--for the sake of your
own soul's salvation in this world and the next--don't
marry that brute! Commit suicide if you will--jump off
the bridge--take poison, cut your throat, blow your
brains out--but, oh dear God, not this!"

"And why, may I ask?" was the cold question.

"He's in no way your equal in culture, in
character, in any of the essentials on which the
companionship of marriage must be based----"

"He's a diamond in the rough," Mary staunchly
asserted.

"He's in the rough, all right! The only diamond
about him is the one in his red scarf--`Take it from
me, Kiddo! Take it from me!'"

Her last sentence was a quotation from Jim, her
imitation of his slang so perfect Mary's cheeks flamed
anew with anger.

"I'll teach him to use good English--never fear.
In a month he'll forget his slang and his red scarf."

"You mean that in a month you'll forget to use good
English and his style of dress will be yours. Oh,
honey, can't you see that such a man will only drag you