The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-15
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Il By JEAAkErTE H.WIALwoRTn:
COPYRIGHT 1893. BY TIE hUrnoR.]

WOQIuu Do SO SWcCPiASi cuSo SPEAK
for yourself and Monksey, please. I
don't care if 40 white owls roost on the
cape jasmine bush every night, and
you may spill the salt every day of your
life SO you leave me enough to put in
my viotuals. ="
Miss Monokton regarded him severely
over the gold rims of her pince nez.
''There is certain sort of courage,
Maxwell, that comes from ignorance.
Puppies and boys are usually lavishly
endowed with it. would also like to
suggest that food is quite as expressive
and much more elegant than vic
tuals. "
The boy laughed and resumed his
work with slate and pencil. Marianne
was conscious of coming "goose flesh. a"
She was distinctly nervous. She got up
and made tour of the room restlessly,
struck few desultory notes on the
piano and came back to the table to
lean over Max's shoulder. He was dec
Grating his smudgy slate with rather
fair Likeness of Miss Varina, pursued by
b lGS1OA VI Sll1dlA OONllS. lAdQO AOI
laugh, but she passed her handkerchief
over the slate before going back to her
place.
ST say, Monksey, don't omens and
signs ever mean good luck?" she asked,
with a ring of genuine anxiety in her
voice.
ssOf course they do.
"Well, then, do try to think up some
that mean good luck to Reggie. The
truth is, whenever he goes away we
grow fanciful I think he might have
written as long as he did not come home
this trip Of the Red Wing. He certain
ly said he would be here this morning.
Miss Monckton looked solemn.
Cuisines may have detained him,
but he certainly could have dropped us
a line agree with you that he has
been most inconsiderate.
"Oh, 1 didn't say that. Reggie is new
er inconsiderate. He is just the dearest
fellow in the world. wish he never
had to go away from home. The house
is empty without him. Max looked at
her with dancing eyes.
ST don't know what you and Monk
sey will do when Reggie and I go into
the army"
"Army? What army?'
"Ours, Of course. The southern army.
I heard Mr.. Potts and Mr.. Thatcher
talking about it when went in for the
mail this morning, and they say it just
can't be STAYED off much longer. I
shouldn It wonder if that was what was
keeping Reggie SO long. -
eff what was keeping him, Max?
You talk like an imbecile. -
Precisely" said Miss Monckton,
"and old as you are, Maxwell, feel
strongly tempted to order you to bed. ="
Max glared rebelliousiy.
''Calling fellow names nor ordering
him to bed won't put back the war a
single day, and I know my brother
Reginald will be one Of the first men to
shed his blood for his country. My
brother is cut out for soldier. I guess
he will fit out company Of his own.
He will be captain Of it, and am going
as his first lieutenant. hope we will
have red stripes down our trousers legs
and red pompons in our caps. 1 say, sis,
then won't you wish you had been a
twin brother?"
This bit of bombastic eloquence reliev-
ed the nervous tension on Marianne's
spirits. Her laugh rang out clearly and
gleefully In the midst of it Miss Monck-
ton raised her hand impatiently.
''Do hush moment, Marianne Isn't
that Reggie's setter bowling so?''
Marianne's mirth died away in
nervous giggle. Miss Monckton sus-
pended her darning and leaned forward
in an attitude of strained attention
Maxwell silenced tbs scratching OF his
pencil across his s1fe.
From the cool, $751; obscurity Of the
starlit lawn there fioated in to them "a
prolonged mournful howl as dismal as
the plant of lost spirit. 1t rose and
fell and rose and fell several times be-
fore dying away in sort of moan.
81 told you so, :" said Miss Monckton,
looking with grewsome triumph at her
pupils.
"You told us what?" Max asked, re-
covering from MS spasIu Vi NERVOUSNESS
with shamefaced laugh.
"That this day had begun all wrong
and that we need not look for anything
to go right until another sunrise. -
Well, that being the case, think
TIL go to bed and sleep off the remnant
of this one' - Max pushed his chair ba
with such force as to send it sprawling
on its back.
Mercy on us, Maxwell, are you in
league with the spirits of evil?''
"What now?''
Don't you know throwing your chair
down means the loss of money!"
"Oh, jimminy krimminy, I'm going
to bed. I say, Monksey, suppose you
go too wouldn't mind listening to
you all night, but Marianne pays you
the resnect of thinking there is some
There rang through the house q shriek.
thing in your spooky talk. Good night,
sis. Take my advice and practice that
piece Reggie wants you to accompany
him in. He is sure to ask you for it the
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