Gordon Young

“ Alexina had married at eighteen and was widowed, at twenty-three. She was a natural born mimic and for her own personal amusement had learned to deal crooked faro; otherwise she was just a helpless, pretty, blonde, demure, baby-faced girl-wife. Grimshaw had been an intelligent man, a gambler and gentleman unafraid. When he knew that he was dying, he took her hand and spoke words of wisdom:
“Wear black for a while; then get another husband, little girl. Don't mind me. Be sure to pick a good loser; better still if you can get a good winner. ”

“ The Puritan maid laughed, touched a cameo ring that he wore and then disappeared into the crowd. There were many Puritan maids, and Farthingham had not noticed that she wore any rings. So he despaired of singling her out. He couldn't remember having done any woman a favor, not any Puritan maid, anyway; but then one could never tell what a woman would consider a favor.
“Listen,” said the Puritan maid a few minutes later to a stout, burly, jovial parson. “I just overheard Mrs. Grimshaw say in the dressing-room that she had promised to marry Jack Rickard. ”

“ Farthingham protested that no one would dare think of such a thing—as that the house was not straight. And as for the trimming she had given him—well, he thought it was a good bit of fun, and he didn't mind losing as much as she seemed to think, since she was returning the money. ”