The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-11-17
CHOLLY'S SERENADE.
Why the Dear Boys Wooing End
ed Disastrously.

been debating letters to his secretary
ten miles away, lifted his brow to the
refreshing breeze from an electric far
'whirling like crazy chrysanthemum
atop his desk, and, as he lighted cigar
at the little French storage-battery
lamp beside him, murmured, content
eddy:
IF science has any new tricks to
make business mans life easier, I'd
just like to know them"
Certainly he had utilized all with
which he was acquainted, feeling that
in so doing he was measurably indem-
nifying himself for the vast amount OF
very hard work he had done by old
fashioned methods in his younger days.
Some men rich as he had become would
have abandoned even the semblance
of business; while others, not knowing
when they had enough, would have
toiled on, still accommodating. in the
hard, SLOW ways they were used to, like
wheels running in ruts.
But Mr. Blodgett, a typical Ameri-
can, steered middle course. He gave
up hard work, yet, thanks to modern
scientific aid. did more than ever be
fore, and. at the same time, thoroughly
enjoyed the kindly autumn OF his life.
As president of company manufacture
ing electrical apparatus, great deal of
responsibility devolved upon him; yet
he was not seen at its Offices or in its
big factory once a month. One of the
largest and most enjoyable rooms in his
luxurious Staten Island mansion he
had set apart as his office There,
seated before his huge, cylinder-topped
desk-where he could, when he chose,
command a magnificent view of the
bay. listen to the native songbirds in
the grand old elms on the borders of
the lawn, and enjoy the perfume of
fiowers-anybody who had real BUSH
ness with him could find him at any
time in business hours. But his hours
were short, except when his pretty and
willful daughter Flora took it into her
-capriciOus fancy to pay him a pro-
tracted visit, during which she would
sit on his knees, pull his whiskers, talk
nonsense, make him laugh. and utterly
set at naught the electric companys
affairs On such occasions the impa-
patient secretary, waiting by the tele-
phone affair off to take dictated letters,
.diG some debating himself to the re-
-cording angel, and Mr.. Blodgett was
an hour or two later in taking his af
ternoon drive.
Easy life. freedom from care and
abundant outdoor exercise seemed to
have stopped Mr.. Blodgett, at forty
five. from growing any Older. He was
stout. but active: rather bald, but what
hair he had left was red and curly as it
ever was: and his whiskers were tinged
with gray. but, instead of making him
seem old, only gave an air of dignity
to face which, if smoothly shaved,
would have been rather too jolly for
serious business purposes.
A dozen electric buttons, in the top of
a short column fixed by his desk, gave
him prompt communication with every
department of his home esta blishment,
as well as connection with his interests
in the city. Touching one of these con-
veyed to the stables an order for his
favOrite team of bays to be ready in
half an hour.
Mr. Blodgett was just putting on
long buster" preparatory to his sum-
mer evening drive, when his daughter
entered, unannounced by even a rap
at the door, eXclaiming:
Aha, papa! l am in luck. hap
pened to think, only minute ago, that
l wanted you to take me along this af-
ternoon. and l feared you would be
gone"
''No. just going. But, my dear Flo,
/ don't know about taking you I'm
going to drive the bays"
'Nell, what of it? If you are not
afraid of them, I'm sure am not; and
if anything is to happen to you, it
might just as well happen to both of US
at the same time. Just wait a minute,
till get my hat"
''All right, run along. I'll wait
but not two
One is enough"
When father and daughter were
seated together in the light wagon and
the bays were clipping a lively pace
over the dirt road, Mr.. Blodgett said,
with affected seriousness:
Il think, Flo, we will have to make |
war, somehow, on the strange cats |
that have taken to infesting our
place"
Strange cats" l have not seen any |
about, papa. How do you know there |
are any more than usual?'
''They may not be more numerous, |
but they are noisier. l have not seen |
them, but l hear them nearly every |
night There was one yowling most |
among the shrubbery last |
night, and thought | recognized the |
voice as that of the same beast heard |
Tuesday night. Sometimes it sounded
almost human"
"Oh, papar' protested Flora, laugh
ingly. You are too hard on him. You
know. Just as well as do, that was no
cat. 1t was little Cholly Lytewayte."
Then Cholly initiates cat wonder
fdlly well-so well that he deserves to
be suppressed as cat"
''But you can't suppress Cholly as
at least some men would,
though l don't think you would do
more cruel than throw things
at it-bus you must not make a target
of Cholly."
But why does he make such noises?
They sound as if he were in pain, and,
as the boys say, I'm sure it gives me a
pain to hear them"
'oh! You dear old papa! I'm afraid
you have not even just little bit of an
ear for music. Cholly was singing
me; and he is the only one
of my beaux who is romantic enough
TO do So"
Thank heavenr'
''That he does?"