The Winslow mail., 1900-11-15

dens, shaking his head as if he were
somewhat palsied.
Poor old Green!" he said, with real
tenderness. Hes certainly not the
man he was year ago." He was still
musing, not altogether gayly-for he
too, was in the siXties-when the door
opened and a handsome young fellow
entered.
Thought I'd find you here" he
began; but he broke off with "Hullo!
what's the matter?'
Admiral Brown had jumped to his
feet, and there was neither sweetness
nor light in his eyes now. He faced
his son with squared chest and
clenched hands.
'Now then. SIR" he cried. "1've a
tough bone to pick with you. What
the dickens do you mean by kissing
Helena Green in a public place? Do
you know what you've done, sir?
You've
But Eric Browns face arrested the
further flow of his fathers rhetoric.
1t was grinning in the coolest imag-
Unable manner. Not particle of
shame on it, either. "Why, hang it
ALL dad!" he said, blandly, "she asked
me to-
asked you top
"Pointblank You know what a
jolly girl she is, and 1 confess I'm
awfully-''
Il know nothing about her except
what l see of her. But you must be
out of your mind"
Il thought she was-at first" said
Eric, still smiling.
Tell me the circumstances. Was
she drunk, and were you, too?"
Neither of us, I'll swear. Helena
drunk! My hat, dad; you're pretty
| rude
The circumstances, sir?" cried the
admiral, as if he were again on the
Audacity, yelling to subordinate in
a storm.
1.-The circumstance? Oh. we were
just together by chance, you know,
on one of the benches at the Pump
room end of the gardens, and she was
saying how she loathed that beast, Sir
Titus"
The man she's going to marry! A
nice little baggage, hang mel"
We'll, yes, sir, if you put it that
way. He showed up, white waistcoat,
strut, eyeglass, red nose, and all the
ugly rest of him. He was quite a
hundred PAGES off, you know. We'd
been talking commonplace till then;
but she changed her manner all at
once. L want you to do me favor
she said, suddenly. I'll do it, said
L, as any fellow would. Then she
went awfully red and whispered:
Kiss me-just once-on the cheek
There wasn't a soul in sight except
that brute. 1t knocked me silly. Will
you or will you not p she went on. I'd
no idea she could be so fierce 1T is a
matter of life or death Well, 1
couldn't stand that, of course, and
so-I-did it."
Admiral Brown rubbed his nose-tip.
"She asked you?" he murmured, as if
bewildered. 81 thought-that is
You're not yarning, my boy?"
my word! no. Only, you know,
this is between ourselves, dad"
Between ourselves? Why, GER
tainly. Bless my SOUL" He seized
his hat. Tin going to the Pump
room. Don't come with me. Bless
my SOUL"
He blessed his soul yet again when
he was on the club steps.
Admiral Brown came upon Gen.
Green in the neighborhood of that lit
tie temple arrangement near the
Pump-room. There was a lady's
statue under a stone canopy in the
temple. The lady's name was Hygeia.
The general was still exceedingly
irate, and there were latent feelings
of remorse in him. which increased
his anger
What the mischief has that to do
with it if we have been friends for
five-and-forty years?" he was asking
himself, while he wiped his forehead
with a large lphur-colored silk
handkerchief. Then he turned, for
Admiral Brown had addressed him as
"Gen. Green"
Its my go now," said the admiral.
y
claimed the general, pettishly. 81
wish to hold no further communica-
tion with you. even by letter"
''Dare say" said the admiral. "You
brought an accusation against my
boy just now. Well. you've got to
apologize
'I'll see all the Brown family in
Hanover first, sir!"
UNFORTUNATELY we have no estates
there. Allow me to tell you that your
daughter is liar
"a what. sir? Out with it. After
that you'll say I'm one, I suppose.
There's Sir Titus also; perhaps he's
one as well. Robert Brown, I'd never
have thought you, of all men, would
have gone out of your way to call me
liar"
''No, nor 7. But I've come here ex-
pressly to tell you you're something
else. You're silly old fool. Bill
Green-that's what you are"
"A silly old fool! Old fool! Thank
you. And now perhaps once more you
will give me the great advantage of
your absence"
by no means. Where is the minx?"
Mink, sir?''
That daughter of yours. She's not
fit to pick up my Eric's tennis balls
for him. How dared she do such
thing? You've got hold of the wrong
end of the stick, my friend; and by
Harryi I'll Norr, vO, IN bafOra I've