The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-07
THE NATTER OF "A KISS.

: 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. II
| was grinning in the coolest imaginable
manner. Not a particle of shame on 1t
either. "Why, hang it all, dad he said
blandly "she asked me to-"
asked you to?"
Point blank. You know what jolly
| girl she is and I confess I'm awfully"-
81 know nothing about her except what
see of her. But you must be out of
your mind"
81 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 Ny hat, dad! You're pretty
rude
1.-The circumstances, sir?" cried the ad-
miral, as If he were again on the Audac-
ity, yelling to a subordinate in a
storm.
The circumstances? Oh, we wero Just
together by chance, you know, on one
| Of the benches at the pumproom end of
| the gardens. and she was saying how she
loathed that beast Sir Titus
1.-THE man she's going to marry! A nice
little baggage, hang me-"
We'll, yes, sir, if you put 1t that way.
He showed UP, white waistcoat, strut.
eyeglass, red nose and all the ugly rest
or him. He was quite a hundred PAGES
off. you know. We'd been talking COM
monplace till then; bur she changed her
manner all at once. I want you to do
me a favor she said suddenly. III 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 soul in sight except that
brute. 1t knocked me silly. will YOU or
will you not?' she went on I'd no idea
she could be so fierce. 1T is a matter Of
life or DEATH Well. couldn't stand
that of course, and so-I-did it,
admiral Brown rubbed his nose-tip.
''She asked you?' he murmured, as if be-
wildered. 81 thought--that is You're
not EARNING, my boy?''
MY word! no. Only, you know, this
is between ourselves, dad"
Between ourselves? Why, certainly.
Bless my soul!' He seized his hat. 81
I'm going to the pumproom 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 little temple
arrangement near the pumproom. There
was a woman'S statue under stone
canopy in the temple. The woman's
name was Hygeia. The general was still!
exceedingly irate, and there were latent
feelings Of remorse in him, which in
creased his anger.
What the mischief has that to do with
1t if we have been friends for f1ve-and-
forty yearS?' he was asking himself
while he wiped his forehead with a large
sulphur colored silk handkerchief Then
he turned, for Admiral Brown had ad-
dressed him as Gen. Green.
- IL l.
II have done with YOU, sirl" exclaimed
the general pettish1y. II wish to hold
no further communication 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 Han
over first, siFi'
Unfortunately we have no estates
there. Allow me to tell you that your
daughter is "a
"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 we'll
| Robert Brown. I'd never have thought
you, Of all men, would have gone out Of
your way to call me a lar
mo. nor I. 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 alb
| sence."
"By no means. Where Is the minx?"
| "Minx, sir?''
"That daughter of yours. She's not fl
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 Harry! I'll warm
you up before I've done with your
Gen. Green sat down on one Of the tenn.
pie steps. THE Lord give me patiencer
he whispered.
Precisely. You'll want all the stool
you can get, anyhow. Who told you m!
boy had kissed your enchanting daughte
who, sir?"
"Who, sir? The best witness in TIL
world. Sir Titus Beach, the gentleman
who is about to become my son-in-law
1 want no more credible witness, SIR
Poor devil" exclaimed the admiral
'he has my sincerest sympathy And ye
no; on consideration, he's well quit c
her. The young woman who would delit
erately sacrifice her own character an
compromise that of one young man i
order to insult her fiance can be n
great catch for any one''
The generals hands began to shake
also his head. There was a lack-llrste
look In his eyes as he fastened them 11po