The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-08-03
asked the widow.

asked the widow.
"Which?" said the girl with the
dimple, coloring as though she knew.
"Why the man who gave the theatre
party the other day, and sent those
beautiful rubber-tired, electric cabs"
"Oh, you mean Mr.. Murgatroyd?"
eyes, that's the name. What has
become Of him?"
ooh, we drifted apart somehow.
You know he lived in Brooklyn"
"But he was SO unusually nice.
Don't you remember that princely
supper he gave us after the theatre
and the flowers and ALP"
"Yes-he was very nice-but do
you know-he was-you must never
tell-but he was-an undertaker?"
Gan undertaken? Ughr'
"Yes, felt that way at frst-but
do you know, Leila, I wouldn't have
minded it so much il he hadn I insisted
on talking shop-and-even obtrud-
ing his horrible profession into his
social life in the horridest way. I
really liked him, and after the first
shock I made up my mind that it
wasn't q bit worse than booming BIZ
cycles or automobiles or any of those
other things"
"You poor dear! Tell me all about
it,"
"Well, didn't even suspect it ut
first, but lots of odd things happened
through his peculiar way of looking
upon his-profession-as an ordinary,
everyday one. He did not seem to
realize how uncanny it all was. You
remember that house party down at
the Van Smartes' place on Long
Island?"
"Why, yes-you met him there,
didn't you?'
"Yes, we met there, and the Van
Smtrtes had arranged for a lot of oil l.
fashioned games to be played in the
barn. One of these was forfeits. We
had great fun, and when Mr.. Murga-
troyd was caught he dived down in his
pocket for forfeit, and what do you
think he gave us?
Leila, it was q screwdriver! Not
like carpenters, but quite small with
q nickel handle. thought it odd at
the time, and later on he stepped on
my gown while we were dancing and
tore the duchesse lace founce-you
remember that white gown?
"He was dreadfully sorry, and in
sisted that he must replace it, although
Tried to laugh it off as one does, YOU
know. I was pinning it up when sud
denly he took little tape measure on
OF his pocket and measured the tori
part. 1t wasn't like any other tap,
measure. It was white, with blacl
figures, and asked him to let me Sc,
It. II measured about three yards!
Then came the theatre party. Their
were fourteen of US in all, and he sen
. cab apiece for us. When I wa
thanking him for the delightful even
ing I spoke laughingly about his OK
travagance in sending such lot, ON
remarked that his cab bill must hav
been enormous. Then he told me tina
he owned them. I thought this tn
strangest thing! Fancy owning fou,
teen cabs! But I supposed he wa
immensely wealthy and that it was
fad.
about two weeks after that
asked me to go driving with him, an
he drove up with the dearest, littl
snow-white team OF horses and spidt
phaeton. We enjoyed o pleasant driv
through tho park, and when v
reached Riverside. I begged him ,
let them out. I love to have hors,
60 fast.
"He explained that the funny lit
Jog trot they went ut was their taste
gait; that it would spoil them for bus
ness if they went faster. Then I ask,
him plumply what his business wa
and he told me. Leila, they we,
hearse horses!
II didn't see him when he call,
after this. It made me SILVER to thir
of it. OF course I did not let-hi
know how felt, for he seemed pc
fectly unconscious of anything odd
the matter. But one dsy-it was
glorious winter day-the first real
deep snow OF the season. was sittil
at the window thinking what . jol
thing q sleigh ride would be, when N
\ Murgatroyd drove mp in q beautii
sleigh, with buffalo robes and be
and two horses BLACK ones this tir
that looked as though they could 3
II weakened and accepted his in
tation to 60 sleighing, and We we
through the Park and along the Bou
ward, when suddenly he turned into
side street. asked him why, and
said Il would excuse him he had