The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-11-28

aOul0 no Wcut, Will one twenty 0OllaT
bill in his pocket, a joyful heart, and a
countenance studiously grave.
He played the silent and serious role
all through dinner; but not SO cleverly
as to satisfy his wife.
tSeems to me you're very queer this
evening, Tom," she said at length.
''Don't you think SO, Olympia? Is any.
thing the matter, dear?"
At that moment Tom heard the door.
bell ring, and knew that his various pur.
chases were beginning to arrive.
81 suppose l ought to tell you, my
dears," he said, addressing the three
ladies in solemn tone, s'that we shall
be obliged to vacate these lodgings next
week"
Mrs. Bannick gave her husband sym
pathetic look, as much as to say, sits
an outrage, their prosecuting you SO, but
don't worry about me-" Olympia said
perhaps L have money enough to pay
your rent, Mr.. Bannick. I'm sure
have!'
81 can't stand this much longer" said
Tom to himself. 'Why don't they bring
that confounded parcel up stairs?" But
he compelled himself to shake his head
and sigh as if all hope were vain.
''Pve spoken for other rooms already, >
he remarked.
"Well, we shall feel more comfortable
in some less expensive place." said Mrs.
Bannick, with a smile that made Tom
long to jump up and hug her.
Mamma and | have been thinking
that we are able now to take lodgings
by ourselves" began Olympia, ''and"-
Tom could not have held in another
moment; but just then the door opened,
and in came the servant girl with big
paper box, addressed to Mrs Bannick.
TO me" exclaimed that lady. "Why,
what in the worldwide can have sent
me anything?"
"Open it and let's see what it is," said
Tom, thrusting his hands in his pockets
lest, in his impatience, he should tear it
open himself.
Mrs. Bannick opened the box, unfolded
some tissue paper and disclosed mag
nifcent sealskin cloak ''Oh, this is evi-
IDENTIFY mistake" she said. ''The idea
of my having a sealskinl But oh, how
lovely it is!''
''No," put in Olympia; ''here's card
pinned to it: TO Mrs. Bannick, with the
best love Of Why, my dear, it's from
your husband himselfr'
''Hurray! Ha! hav' cries Tom, ssit's
all right, girls! The new rooms we are
to move into are palace! We're as
rich rs Cresus! Ispent nine hundred and
eighty dollars this afternoon, and here's
the other odd twentvr' And springing
to his feet he embraced first his wife and
then Olympia and her mother amid a
chorus of exclamations and questions
and scene of excitement impossible to
describe. And before they could settle
down to any sort of composure the hell
rang again, and more bundles and boxes
appeared, until the little dining room
looked like haberdasher's and cos
tuners shop. The four happy people
talked so Fast that you would have
thought there were dozen of them, and
between the outbursts of admiration and
delight at the new things Tom interlard-
ed his account of the mornings advent
ure with the millionaire count. Finally
the flowers arrived in two divisions, one
for Mrs. Bannick and one for Olympia
and her mother.
"This is too glorious!' exclaimed Toms
wife, kissing him. 81 couldn't bear an
other thing-tonight! Tom, you are an
angel, and so is the count! What sort
of a looking man is he?"
"Oh, French style," replied Tom;
"blonde, with dark eyes; handsome
fellow, Miss Raven! He's bit stiff in
his manner, but that's only outside. We
got to be quite chums before he left. and,
by the by, caught myself half dozen
times feeling toward him as if he were
an old acquaintance, though never met
any one bit like him before. Isuppose
all good fellows will be like one another,
somehow. But it was odd, all the same