The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-12-19

b
which they commonly omitted.
"Beastly cold weather, " said Bub, deposit
ing his hat on table-hs last call had been
for the purpose of extracting the 80 nee
essary for its purchase-and Tipping the
shade on the chandelier with his silver head
ed stick "Where did you get thatf' He
strobe turbulently across the room TO stare
at an etching on the wall "Oh, come now,
you Didn't think you were getting n good
thing when you got that It's execrable
Bahin
II took a fancy to it,n said Mr.. Prouty,
apologetically.
"Beastly, beastlyin Bub tapped his light
uppered shoe sharply, took an impatient turn
about the room, and bolted off towards the
secretary's desk.
Bub was generally understood to be an art
list. He had n high priced studio uptown,
patronized the best mole!s, and enriched the
art material store ut which he dealt But
the fact was inexpicable to Mr. Prouty, who
met his weighty hills-with the exception OF
nine which Mr.. Prouty had bought and pre-
sented TO friends, he had never AS yet sold "a
picture. Had Mr. Prouty been aware that
the nine paintings stood faced to the wall in
nine respective back garrets, save only on
days when he was expected to dinner, his be
wilderment might have been less As it was,
he listened 10 us hephe"s cop'ouS eNlaha-
tions-hcard gallery committees called cnds
and private collectors roosters-in puzzled
sympathy.
Sekirk Prouty looscned the rcd silk hand
kerchef which incased his somewhat lengthy
neck, cleared his throat, and picked up Il
volume from the table.
u Lliiloert ROBINSON ne read with
stei MUS - 1t iossipic thut you auilLre
that 'inneriie IS ooshf
ti'i'lh 'o-harnliess' MT frouty ta-
terrell
ne Is Il Fellow OF tehth-rate AFFINITY, said
oeihirh' severely ms productions are
urash -uoseerei, lie dropped tho DOCK III
"earihtsS Oh disgust, stroked us chlh win d
h'heu'd Manu. anu stroiiei III Tue uirectioh OF
the secretary
oeiklfk was literary Tue iact' oy reason OF
the peculiaflties OF us apparel ana the
iehgth oil MS mar, was easily discerniple 10
had bacheior apartments on washington
square including an eApehsiVeiy htted study
ana a large library ana oeikirk employed
MS tlihe III writing poetry. what became
oil IL was dubious. lie haa published vol
u'le at MS own eApense-or at Mr' rrouty $;
out 'he nrsC euit'oh, Win the exception OF
press copies soiii ,ay untouched on the pup
hshers sheiVes. Mr. rrouiy, "hile surprised
al the result, was urn believer, through the
lleia'ions vi ms hePhe"' III .io uePra'eu
tdiocy oil reviewers ana the crassitude OF the
rea.'lhg puoiic'
MI Irou'y iooheo through .no uoor 10
where MS secretary SAT- wen heinineu III Dy
ms hephe"s, ne was ""are .hao their 'isits
had tilpied III frequency anu iehgth during
the past seven lnonohs, anu 'nao 'ne carpet
Oh ei'her size OIL MS secretary $ desk had De
gun 10 look positlNeiy alhgy anu worn; he
was aware, III snort, thao ms hephews were
lolhtiy ana se'eraiiy III love WIN foily
hogers.
Mr, frouty nao ,oio hliiiseii '''it 'h's STATE
OF AFFAIRS was hiB,'iS gra'h'ihe' ne naa De
come atCacied 10 ms pretty secretary nc was
iuiy CONSCIOUS VI H. matt 'hcU' Vouid ne 50
niuch uesi'e ioi nei aS an eNeii'u"i coiliio
pie Se'tieheh'i he was aware tna'' were ms
sho"erihs mana ~l.nara"h' settlement WIN
Bun 1904 or oeihirk froutY would not De
conn out ne 'iau no i''teiit'oh o' "ith
drawing IL. Apparently as the situation
PROMISED, ne Should DO aole oy proxy 10
pio.,no III ioi'' al, 'no 'e'o VI uei me- anu
the thou9he was pieaslhg one put whether
he should PROVIDE lor Mrs' buo lodu OF Mrs
oeiklrk frouty was mystery which, thouBh
MI lrouty haa hiaue some 10" uelicate ana
heataiit attempts 10 i'eheeh IT, was us Seo ui'-
soiVeu.
nus prohAe cioch STRUCK '"ciNe' Dup anu
oeikirK uetac'lee 'neiiisei''s Slowly from Tue
secretary desk
nv" shuii you spe'u IN 'st'''a'' All
Prouty inquired accompanying MS hephews
10 the uoor, WIN MS usufa cncciiui coru'ui
n.y. ana qu'eliy inserting an inuorsed check
INTO the manu- OIL ehch, an httehtion which
oelklrk received win DO" Ill "hich tnere
was an element OF cohdescehSioh' anu BOD
with hohcnaiaiio waive Oh 'ne hahd' -,
Il snail JON lriehds at VIA loihI comfort,
Selkirk reJoihea' adjusting us red SILK hald-
hercniea.
ueoii olill'hs gong 10 nave some Oh US
fellows up the river somewhere SAD DUP
putting MS nao On ooihei VI MS neai'
mere VIII you w. ne a''ue'i' iiio''ieh'iy'
with ms mead Ill the nan.
~ shall dine NJ nome MI frouty replied
Il nave lhsiteu your aunt anu UieIe IN
bals TO dinner anu MISS f'oGers ficr ooaru-
ing mouse oiliher "ouiu hoO oe cnceiiu III one'
you know
MOI cried puo, SHORTY. .,
Indeed. SAID Seikirk, with irohicai en-
pfasis, closing inc uoof WIN snap Mr.
lrouty, an"s'' '''u ~" '"' "e"
back foiiy was STANDING III ,he uoor"a!
with his manuscript Ill her mana, ner slender
form ana Peaehy iace anu soit' iishe mar
charminsiy outlined against inc mar drawn
portiere Mr.. frouty torgoe MS perpieAlty
Ill the sight
~ am 50 sorry nave NOT been ape 10
tnlsh 1t, she was sayiig' l WIN take IL
home with Inc II l may rohys hours END
ed at twelve, III the afternoon she copied III Il
downtown oilice ..
mo, noi Will hot aiio" II, miss rogers,
her employer responded quite Warmly II
is through no lauit oil your own you were
interrupted he adieu' WIN p'oas"i' Joou'
iarlty,
Folly smiled In return.
"lhey are agreeable feiows-my nephews'
MIR. frouty pursued rather ATTRACTIVE.
They seem pleasant, foiiy responded
They are unlike to be sure, SAID Mr.
Prouty, m'lsihgly. SeiKirk mas dl9hity ana
repose of manner; Benjamin, WIN equai sta
bility OF character am sure Is more I'M
pulsive-more eiier'escent. men style 40
RogersP
Il have not thought oil H. SAID fo'ly'
meeting ms eyes sereheiy' ana Win some gen
tie surprise. 49,
They are estilnaole young men, ooth' MIS-
Rogers, sad MI. frouly' desperately
believe them to be oil deep intrinsic worth
with possibilities OF warm affectloh anu pro
tecting strength, shouid-shouid there De DC
casion for it.
81 do not doubt IT, Mr. frouty, sad foiiy'
sweetly,
THEY would make good husnahds-they
wonia llia1e soou n"sD', n.ss i'S H.
Slu Mr. iou's, spaA ~ =. "o' !" '''
dlcui. e'i,oa aSs',,eni , u, n,' Che
am SURF you n'o ' ts;n ,n u on9 5ne
rai.eu ner oiue III 'a'''' "'''' ''' anu 'p'N'
sootilihs'y. .,. 49,, 49, Ii,
nei Jauns. , na IT, a. ar nc S,, Us