The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-10
FLIP"

It was midnight, and the tempera-
ture stood at 102 degrees F. in the mp
per room of a house In Limassol.
"Oh, dash it all. Villiers, that's the
third time in the last 90 minutesl Fin
ish ecarte for me tonight. Let's go onto
the veranda. How hot it ID, and how
old Flip Is snoring-quite a~poplecticl''
The speaker threw down his hand and
passed his fingers YEARLY through his
tumbled hair. HE opponent, Viiliers,
pushed back his hair, with q yawn, and
started drumming the DEVILS tattoo ON
the table, while the sleeper snored more
alphabetically than ever, and he who
had watched the fall Of the cards fin
ished of his drink and shouted:
"Vasilli!"
"Sair!"
Wake up, You child Of q bondwom-
an, and bring me a large brandy and
soda, with plenty Of NOW In 1.-THE
cleanest youacan get-d'you hear7"
Outright, sair."
The sleeper muttered in his dreams.
Poor old Flip-dreaming, always
dreaming of that heartless Jezebel,"
said Villiers az the trio moved ont on
the veranda.
| Then spake he who had called for
drink and whose name was Jones-plain
Jones-and said:
IT have never quite got to the bottom
Of that affair. Old Flip only spoke to
me on the subject, and that very sketch
lily, as we were riding through the pass
to Cophino. Do you know the rights of
the matter, Fidus Achates?"
"Oh, yes," answered Villiers.
"Then tell us the story"
Wait till the drink and
you've stopped your mouth with another
cigar, and then ! will, though it's too
hot almost to parley."
AS he spoke he threw himself into an
easy chair, an example which was
speedily followed by his companions.
Presently the Greek serving boy reap
peared with the iced fluid. He did not
Immediately retire, and on ViIliers an
grily asking him what he was waiting
for he replied hesitatingly in his broken
pigeon English:
"Kalitsa gunia, aignor, comey to me
and say, 'Inglese signor, Harvey, being
here?' Me say, Yes Signora say,
I'Go telly me, signora, Inglese signora,
VANITY see-savey?' Me- say, .Or-right,
and go plenty quick bring soda water.
Me coming back presently after by'm'-
by, plenty quick me coming-6nish sig
moral"
"Oh, get along! You've been drink
ing too much vino, you s~coundrellnr Il,
"No, me no drinky vino. Me-
"Oxo!" snapped Villiers, and the
Greek withdrew.
AS he passed through the adjoining
room the sleeper moved ~uneasily and
muttered a woman's name.
"You heard THAR" inquired the teller
of tales. well, that's the keynote.
AS far as / remember it was eight years
ago and during Ascot week that the
trouble began. Flip had been just three
months engaged to Lily Fane-ever met
the Fanes OF Ridley Manor?-and they
were to be married in the autumn.
Flip-you'd hardly know him now for
the ardent, impulsive old fool he was
then-worshiped the very ground she
trod upon, while she was nothing but a
heartless, grasping, scheming'--
STEADY over the stones, drawled the
hope of all the Joneses.
Then Villiers, with a short laugh
Rather q waste of words perhaps
where one would suffice. She was d
woman, and can any good thing come
from a woman?
well, to the point. For a mere 6a-
price, arising from an arrogant bet that
she could do with Flip as she liked. and
You know old Flip's a pretty hard nut
to crack, she told him after lunch on
the cup day that he must 60 abroad al
the end Of the week and not return un-
til a week before their wedding, which
was to take place, I believe, on Nov.
10. OF course he took it as q joke, but
that night she again repeated her extrav-
agant demand, saying she was really
in earnest; that some d had doubted
If his love for her would carry him
such lengths at her expressed desire.
!, did he fly into "a furious passion, III
would you OF I or any sane mag? Not i
bit. Like the infatuated fool he was. he
said 1t was very eard. but that ii she
really wished such extraordinary PROOF
OF the affection she should never doubt,
and so %. The long and short Of 1T yai
the end of the week saw him at Monte
Carlo. OF course he went in for q little
'futter,' Just for something to do.
Equally, Of course, he won. He tried
again, and again he won. Then ths
. fever took him, and he played.
! He was very comfortably of and X
) had no excuse for plunging as he did
and III il hadn't been for that -accurse{
girl he might have been q happy, pros
porous country gentleman today insteat
or a wreck 10 the government service 81