William MacLeod Raine

“ Harley, as the president of the society, to offer you my personal congratulations.”
Hathaway shook hands across the table with young Harley, and sat down, smiling a little wistfully. What each man thought has not been told, but what each man did is a matter of record. They gathered around Harley and shook hands with him and wished him all kinds of luck and joy. ”

“ After which, no doubt, they went home and looked on a certain photograph of a dark-haired beauty smiling elusively, and then they probably sighed and squared their shoulders in the fashion of men who are hard hit, but not down. ”

“ In point of fact, Aline herself was as much disturbed as her admirers and her relatives. Jack Harley alone was serenely at his ease regarding the outcome. The young woman had at first been frankly amused at his open devotion. The fact of the devotion was an old story, but the quality of it was delightfully fresh. She couldn’t help feeling that it was a bit cheeky for the boy (he was only a year her senior) to elbow aside the millionaires and other “prominent citizens” who got in his way. ”