The defender., 1900-01-27
HIS BUSY DAY.
eEeeeEeeeeeeesseeeeeeeeees
7T WAS my busy day.
A pile Of corresponds

ut WAS my busy day.
APPLE OF correspondence as daunt
ing to mans ambition as Pixies
Peak or the Eiffel Tower burdened my
desk and there was a kink in my tenn
per which l had calculated would re-
quire dinner at Martins, tete-a-tete
with Marguerite, to effectuauy straight
en- out. Martins chef makes a certain
pate that puts man at peace with all
the world, while Marguerite is at once
soothing and stimulating, like cham
pagne.
At this point my reflections were in.
terrupted by Forsythe, the best fellow
In the world, but with an unlucky habit
of turning up at the wrong moment
I didn't give him the glad hand exact
ly, for which was sorry enough after
ward, but he was too preoccupied to
uotice.
"Oh, I've something to say to you,
Austin" he said after a few prelimi
naries, with the effect Of having just
remembered something.
IAN right" 1 replied, taking my feet
off a chair to shove it toward him, ''but
make it twenty words If you can. I'm
in rush to-day"
Il can do it quick enough" he wen
on, with an uneasy laugh. II just want
to ask you if you've any intentions of
matrimonial sort, you know, toward
Marguerite"
THE devil you do-' exclaimed. "Il
strikes me that's my business
Perhaps it is" he said, with an air
of wishing to do me every justice, "per
haps it is, but it's mine, too"
Indeed" 1 remarked, feeling that l
was unanswerable.
You see, Austin" cried Forsythe
when you introduced billiard and me
to Marguerite we both thought you
were trifle gone in that direction, and
when l found l thought such a lot of
her l couldn't live without her l felt
that | had no right to ask for her until
YOURSELF
"Deuced good of you," l commented,
stiff1y, seeing he had paused for a re-
ply.
1T only seemed fair to give you the
first chance" he finished, looking at
me In a hurt sort of a way that made
me ashamed Of myself.
You're all right. old boy" l hastened
to say. Forgive me; you took me by
surprise. But since you ask me don't
mind saying l never had a thought of
marrying Marguerite" (Which was true
enough, and I'd never thought of any
one else marrying her either.
Pm mighty glad Of that" cried For
sythe. joyfully.
mo doubt" / said, trifie dryly; but
he FASTENED on: I'm going to take
her to a picture exhibit this morning,
and thought I'd like to ask her then,
if you assured me the field was clear.
l hope 1 have your good wishes, Aus
tin"
Certainly" 1 said. go ahead and
try for her, and good luck go with you,
old man."
The painful memory Of the grip he
gave my hand on leaving still fingered
with me when Dillard dropped in an
hour later. 1 gave Dllard the other
hand.
"Hullo," he cried. Busy, AustinT
Rather" l returned, shortly. Dill
lard's only occupation in life is spend
ing an income Of forty thousand year,
and it's hard to be glad to see a man
like that when you've got your own
nose down on the grindstone.
Just a word in your ear and I'm
through" he announced. IT'S about
Marguerite, you know"
Marguerite" I exclaimed, "then
you've heard
Heard what" he cried. "Are you
engaged to herY
Certainly not" 1 answered, with en-
phasis; what made you think thatr
"Oh, I thought you rather fancied
her and I'm tre71e755.:::s!y glad to hear