Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-11-02

spread his rather good looking face
I've tried it on all the dogs | can think
Of" he admitted looking ruefully at the
parcel. Never mind; they'll havo to ac-
cept something one Of these days"
why the mischief don't you give it up
for the present, Fred2" said l. You have
a little money; why not lie on your oars
for while and wait for the world 20
catch up with YOU"
"Well. I'll tell you" said Fred as
Stunning his confidential manner. But
mind, It's secret. spent last summer
at the Isle of Wight on the Long Island
coast. There | met the lovcliest girl
Fred here threw his eyes and kiss to the
ceiling "She was stopping with some
people-thc Rutledges-who had a cot
tage there. Well, Laura-her name is
Laura-Iaura Window Is an orphan.
don't know that that has anything to do
with the story, but then she is. Well,
met her, and then / met her once or twice
more and then it seems to me some way
as if | didn't meet anybody but her. NVe
used to play lawn tennis and batho and
drive together, and the result was that
got wcll--you know
"Nover mind that; skip it," said |.
You proposed and were rejected, | sup
poser
| NV hCttpltu, Sdlu ITtl, growing req
under the influence of some tender remiu-
iscence.
And yet people scot at Miracles"
murmured viciously.
But when | came to talk TO Mrs. Rut-
ledge continued Fred, noticing my gibe,
II got it hot. and no mistake She asked
me whether it was acting like gentle
man to engage a young girls affections
| just because | knew she had a large fort.
une. By Jove, it just knocked me ont.
You know l haye about three thousand
year. | saw this girl living with the
Rutledges; | knew she was an orphan,
and l thought, if | thought about it at
all, that in marrying her | was doing
bit of the Cophetua business l am
blessed if the old woman did not row me
for fortune hunter. She said Three
thousand a year is nothing. ! could not
live on it myself. THAT fact) Then
she went on to dcnounce fortune hunters
in general and my impotence i'll partcu-
lar. She told me. among other things in
the course of her harangue, that | couldn't
earn my salt. Shes wrong there, though,
old fellow" laughed Fred i think
could do that. don't u5c great deal.
"Of course l was very much cut up
about the whole thing" he wont on.
Laura stuck to me like brick, though
Erred has a mack of mixing his meta
phorsl, and said she didn't care what Mrs
Rutledge said. Shes deucedly fond of
me, you know '-complacantly carcsSing
his mustachc. But / was not going to
have that old cat saying that had mar
ried Miss Window for her money and
couldn't support her Would your
Not if could help myself. admitted
"Bht don't SEQ quite how she could be
muzzled." Fred looked at me for mo-
ment obviously and went on
Zone day it occurred % Laucl-I saw
her sometimes -.
"Oh! You saw her s1metimeS2" iDut in
yes. OF course. There was lane
back of the Cedarhurst track that She
liked to drive through | used to meet
here there. As was saying when you i'll
terrupted me. with severe glance in
my direction 1T occurred 20 Laura that
might try and make some money just TO
show that | was good for something. She.
of course. never doubted my ability, but
she wanted me % convince other people of
it. Funny had not thought Of it my
self, was ii ItOtr qIc:iad Fred peusiveiy.
There seemed ~ me 10 be no reply to
this 50 | merely boysej my head in a.,
sent.
Yes. exactly continued Raeburne
with n reproachful look IN his face, as if
he had rather hoped to be contradicted
80 then we talked over all the different
sorts Of business, Laura and I. and Laura
concluded--hs is very clever, you must
know-thnt rs i took light or ten years
to get footing in any other business.
and As we could not AFFORD 70 wait that
long. | mus start cut and be an author
III earnest. That, she said was the only
! 4, i. -.
tanned at once You know have dabbled
in verse mo-e or Less have written some
really lovely stanzas about Laura, but of
course She would not allow them to be
published So all this fall | have been
trying all | knew 10 got something OF
mine accepted And that j the reason Tvs
got to have ,omething accepted con
cluded Fred emphatically adding anv
iously, DO You think have a chanceI'
Now, what should one say to fellow
like that:
Fred. said /. after considering a mo.
ment You have my best wishes, Old fel
low. But Why don't you and tho Cir
marry now and then go on to fame and for
tune hand in hand2 It sometimes takes q
year or two for writer in Goth.u tc
make his mark
Sarcasm is simply thrown away on
Fred.
"That is just what Laura says, ho re
joined checrfully. so Wo havo decided
that whenever my first story is accepted
We will get married ut once"
THAT is very sensible dctcrmina
ton cried l. Success 20 Tho Carnival
Of Crime
l seized the package out Of Fred,
hand and waved it enthusiastically arounC
my head, Offering up silent prayer The
while that some editor might, in mo
ment of temporary mental eclipse. be in
duced to accept il.
Just AT this moment I saw Raeburn,
suddenly rise from his chair and star,
open mOuthed at the screen behind III,
with eyes that stuck out like bat pegs.
turned in my chair and saw a sight thai
brought me to my feet instanter Owe
e. g
/: EI!Ai17' ! fl 5I