Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-09

The aTIlclc 8InTOugl ZOE the IC0lr0 time
when Josephine looked up and said:
Here comes Mr.. Grandin.''' .
Hide it," said her aunt.
Indeed shall not. intend thai,
he shall see it first of ALL .. !.
Good morning, Mrs. Blake; good
morning, Miss Talbot. May sit
here? I did not see you ladies any
where last evening" ill., :. Tvs. r. =.
Eve played 'porrazo' in our rooms
with the colonel and Mr.. Edmunds'
Do you play 'porrazo,' Mr.. Grandin 9"
Il tried it once, Mrs. Blake, but ]
do not approve of a game where You
lay down a card and say 'porrazo,.
with great triumph, only to have the
next person to you lay down another
card and say contra porrazo,' and
take it ali away from you. Where is
the colonel, by the way?"
"He has gone to the city for the
day."
"There is something here that J
wish you to read, Mr.. Grandin," said
Josephine, handing him the paper.
The young man read the \article
and brought his lips together in a
bunch.
''This refers to Col. Talbot, I take
it, said he.
Josephine nodded.
Sand it means that he has lost his
money!"
Josephine nodded again, and her
aunt looked sadly into her coffee cup.
"Does this involve you in any way.
Mrs. Blake?"
"Not at ALL"
Mr.. Grandin smiled cheerfully.
: II suppose I ought to be decently
sympat athletic" said he, ''but it is DIES.
perately hard work. This affects NO
one, it appears. but Col. Talbot, and
my regard for him is entirely by
proxy. I am ready to take his loving
daughters word for it that he is a
delightful character, but he has
never shown that side of himself to
me-"
"But it affects me-" cried Josephine.
"Don't you see that?''
''Not bit of it, said Mr.. Grandin.
II am going to take care of you. and
I have great plenty" Mrs. Blake
looked up in surprise, and he adj
dressed himself to her. "This is a
matter which I would have taken up
with Col. Talbot, if he had ever given
me a chance, but lis manner toward
me during the last week or so has
been such as to make it impossible
for me to address him on any subject
I don't blame him. I am sure that
if I had such a precious object to
guard, I should be Cerberus, too"
He took card from his pocket and
wrote some names upon it. Here is
bank" said he, land firm of attor-
neys, and a well-known business house.
all of them located in the city where I
live. Now if the colonel wishes to
make inquiry of any of these he will
find out, think, all that he needs to
know about me as son-inlaw."
Mrs. Blake picked the card up doubt
fully and placed it in the bag that hung
at her side. She stood a good deal in
awe of her brother.
When the young people were alone
few minutes later, Josephine said: 81
heard where you were last evening""
Grandin SHOOK his head sadly.
"What small place a big hotel is, -
he said.
Are you anxious to make yourself
still more unpopular with my IA
ther?" $500. 49," il"
II wanted to see what sort of a
step-mother-in-law I was likely to
haye-that was all"
"What do you think of he7?"
II agree with you. She won't do
at all. Something must be-by Jove!
Where is that paper? Let me have
it for awhile, will you? I have an
idea"
He took the paper and went off in
search of the widow, whom he pres
emily found sitting alone. She liked
attentions from young men, and
Grandin was delightful talker.
A second letter from "a. G. w."
which arrived a day or two later,
conveyed to the colonel some informa-
ton about Mr.. Grandin that caused
him to open wlue his eyes and whis-
tie softly to himself. The colonel was
not exactly a .worshiper~ of wealth,
but he found. it easy to respect a man
who was worth several times as much
money as he was, ana he started out
Immediately to apologize, and make
amends. In his search he came upon
the widow, bonneted and cloaked and
accompanied by her maid.
"Good-by," she cried, airily; II am
off,
"Off!" exclaimed the colonel, in as
tonishment. He had seen but little
of her during the last few days, but
had supposed that was due to acct
dent.
eyes, to the Pizarro and then back
east" she said: "Thank you and your
dear daughter and sister for being so
kind to me-" Her manner was pat
ronizing, not to say zcontemptuous,
and the colonel. who had grown ac-
customed to her soft, confidine WAYS,
was too astounded to. do anything ex-
cept stare at her, as she : vanished
down the corridor. -: ,.,s..
Mr.. Grandin would listen to no
apologies or explanations, but grasped
the colonel's hand and shook it
warmly. '@Thenst they had a brandy and
soda together.
"That newspaper story" said the
colonel, twas a fake. i did not lose'
anything in the" Blue Elephant"
''You didn't?'' cried Mr.. Grandin:
and he laughed.
: "No,''' said the colonel; and he ex7
planned how and why he had Sc
cured its publication. At this Mr..
Grandin laughed good deal more. .