The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-09-28
graphed you from Dells that the baby

| guns!" he exclaimed. Don't you think
| it was necessary for her to say where
| she wanted me to meet her? Would
that have been like sending message
that had to pay $685. on when ten
words would have said the whole
| thing?'
Il didn't think you would stop to fig
| ure how mu 4 it cost when the baby
might have been dying" said Mrs. BIZ
lings, Indignantly. Il don't care If 1t
wa, teething; you were just as scared
about it as l was when you got there.
Il wasn't kicking, you know that per-
fectly well. / spoke about it when you
brought up the subject. But that hasn't
anything to do with Alice. l suppose
well have to let her find her way here,
that's all. | might see Heusner about 1t,
| though
Mr.. Heusner, being a western passen-
ger agent naturally ought to have
known what to do, but he was puzzled
at first. IF | knew that she was com
ing over our line could fix it all right,
he said, "but in the base vernacular,
there are others
ut occurred to me that there were
Others" said Billings. IF there weren't
there wouldn't be any difficulty"
The passenger agent rubbed his head
thoughtfully with penholder, and Bill
lings looked anxiously at the office
clock as though he thought there was
possibility that it might suggest some
thing. At last Mr.. Heusner's counte-
nance became irradiated with the lumi-
Mostly of an idea.
"Of course you can't be at all the sta
tons at once" he said.
NO" agreed Billings. 1T would
simplify matters if | could, but | have
not even got an astral body that can
rely on"
But you could go to one," continued
Heusner, land let your friends go to the
others"
Billings rose and shook the passenger
agent solemnly by the hand. You're
nothing short of a genius" he said. ut
doesn't detract in the least from the
value of the idea that it is so beautifully
simple. / ought to be kicked for not
thinking of it before-any man of or
binary intelligence would deserve a
kicking for not thinking of it. All the
same, | want you to accept the tribute
of my respectful admiration"
That afternoon Billings told his of
flee boy that he would not be back be-
fore five o'clock and went out and hunt
ed up a number of his friends and eX-
planned the situation. Several of them
were bachelors, and they consented,
with enthusiasm, to help Billings to
meet his niece. Billings mentioned the
fact that she was 20 years of age and
more than ordinarily attractive in APP
pearance. They promised to bring their
sisters, too. The two or three married
men that he saw were kind and sympa-
thetic. and said that they would come.
When Billings had disposed of this
matter he sought out q caterer and
made arrangements for nice little
supper to be served at his home. His
cook was fairly competent, but he want
ed to make a special occasion of his
niece's arrival and dazzle her with a
display of Chicago hospitality. He
thought, too, that it would be easier on
Mrs. Billings and that she would con-
sequently be disposed to be easier on
him.
The reception committee were all as
sembled an hour before the time of the
arrival of the first train. Billings had
his schedule already arranged, and
mounted a tabouret to proclaim it.
My young friend Hallet l shall as
sign to the Pennsylvania" he said. II
regard the Pennsylvania as one of the
most probable of any of the stations.
Hallet, / congratulate you on the prefer
ence l have shown you. You will adj
dress her in a modest and gentlemanly
way, of course"
You want to remove your hat, Hal
| let" said another member of the party
kindly. Try to look self-possessed
! but not so much so that the young lady
will take you for confidence man.
You mustn't scare her."
| Order here!" commanded Billings.
Eddie, you can chase yourself down to
| the Erie. That's at the union station,
too. You and Hallet-No, | guess
won't let you do any doubling up. I'M
derstand that you are to work separate
~ and return here with or without the
young woman just as soon as you have
sifted the passengers. Wait minute,
Eddie. Don't rush off yet. Everybody
starts together. Fisher, you take the
Lake Shore, and Culverson the Balti-
more d Ohio. Harrison street, you
know, Culverson. I'll go to the Mchi-
gan Central. It's more than likely that
she'll come either on the Lake Shore
or the Baltimore & Ohio. But, then,
again, she's probably going to choose
the Grand Trunk. So | will send Mr..
Jenkins to the Grand Trunk. If Mrs.
Jenkins goes, too, it will have a tenden-
cy to put the girl at her ease. Well, of
course, that's just as you settle it be-
tween you. How about it? Are the
ladies to go, too?"
In the interest of harmony ii was al
last decided that the ladies should go
too And after RillinCS had handed Nh a