The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-04

does not Oh to-, YOU do not object; IL Is q
perfect con- u.,..ioa Of the verb TO marry"
"Mrs. Baxter" said that lady's husband
uneasly, II fear that she"-
"Ho!" cried the stranger, switching the ali
lightly with his cane. you are master in
your own house, If mistake not"
The hattery was not misplaced.
81 think am" returned Mr.. Baxter, with
q portentous cough.
"Then there is no more TO be said see
the hotel within speaking distance, and il
can he assured that the young folks have
your blessing will retire with the conscious.
ness Of duty well performed
IF you mean that give my consent said
Mr. Baxter, still evading the eyes, II GER
tainly do. Perhaps | was hasty, Delmar
your hand-I was young myself once"
"Thank you, sir" said Delmar, gripping
him firmly. And you, sir
But the stranger merely smote the air again,
This" said he, with gracious smile,
"would be the proper time for me to reveal
myself, but alas! have nothing to reveal
| said l was q perfect stranger and am.
Good.by"
He raised his hat again with benevolent
grace and disappeared in the shades Of the
decorated hallway.
Mrs. Baxter was still clutching the opera
glasses in her nerveless hand when the trio
surged in upon her and began to explain in
chorus. 1t took three-quarters Of an hour Of
the hardest kind Of work to bring her around.
but the good soul broke down at last and then
animosity was supplanted by curiosity.
ut was ungenerous as well as impolite,
john" she said, sternly. you might at
least have brought him here for . brief
period"
'Iwill fetch him here" said Qelmar, dough-
tily, passing out and down to the hotel desk.
accompanied by his prospective fsther-in-
law.
"Stout gentleman, with gray hair" re-
peated the austere clerk English lord,
baron or some such rank believe. Run
down from Long Branch for two or three
days and leaves on the $50 train"
"A lord" exclaimed Mr.. Baxter, greatly
agitated. "How exasperated Jane will be
when she hears that he has gonei"
"Do you mean the stout man, with the red
face, who always carries thin Gamer asked
Mr. Devine, who had been concealed in q
corner. counting up the days losses That's
not the English lord; it's a comic actor on
his vacation; some sort Of name like Wob-
BILE; left this afternoon, IS everybody does,
blast it all"
This places us in a dilemma" said Mr..
Baxter to Delmar.
at does" said Delmar.
81 say" cried the porter, entering at that
instant, with all the audacity Of q man whose
wages are in arrears, there's been tho very
devil to pay on the second floor"
The clerk stared at him with haughtiness,
which at another time might have been i'm
pressive.
"Ths fat man." went on the porter, I'M
Abashed him with the black suit and soft
smile, has just been snatched up and run OF
On the train"
HAS he paid his billr demanded Mr. De-
vine, with a pale face.
mo baggage-paid in ADVANCE" said the
clerk, CURLY.
"What Of him" demanded Delmar.
"They say he is mad" explained tho por-
or, land two keepers came after him from |
he asylum. thought mssslf hs was rather |
Iueer."
Mr.. Baxter looked at Delmar and Dslmar
ooked at him.
Then they turned on their heels and de-
,arted, musing James Harvey Smith in
The Epoch