The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-01-24
CONTRA PORRAzO
By Philip Firmin.

Is very delightful, especially at
the great Hotel Balboa. but even
there clouds are not unknown and
storms occur at times. Similarly the
relationship between Col. Talbot and
his daughter Josephine was said by
their sentimental friends to be a
beautiful one-for they loved each
other devotedly, and were seldom sep
arated-nevertkeless, it had its peri
ods of disturbance, when they failed
TO agree, and when each spoke freely
according to the family custom.
The colonel was n man Of large
means, whose home was in an eastern
city. He had taken suite of rooms
in the Balboa for the winter, for a
party which consisted of himself, his
daughter, aged %. and his sister, a
matron of about his own age. There
was also a maid.
The season was about half-over
when the trouble between the colonel
and Miss Josephine began. The storm
center at the outset was certain
Harry Grandin. Some time later a
second area of disturbance was ere
ated around a widow, Mrs. Bronson.
but this was declared by the colonel
not to be 4 genuine casus belli, but
merely a counter-irritant-and an at
tempt to get up side-issuc.
at seems very strange" said Jo-
sephine. that the person I love best
in all the world, my own father, is the
only one that thinks | am a perfect
fright"
81 don't think anything of the kind"
cried the colonel. Indignantly. "l ou
are an exceptionally handsome woman.
as your mother was before you. and |
know it, as well as-as you do.' lie
finished with grin.
Then why do you always assume
that every man that pays me the Slight
est attention does so merely hccau>c Of
your money!" She bcamcd on him. a.
one does who has scored.
Il don't assume ii of everyone" be-
gan the colonel.
That is not rich and bald and stu
pid."
"My dear" said the colonel. solemn
~. there are some things in this world
that your old dad knows a litt'c more
about than you DO, and money i, one of
them. There are two parts to getting
rich. One is to make money. and the
other is to hold on to it. The first Of
these is easy enough, hut the second
is deadly hard. Who was the English
man who said that wlnrcver he woke
up in the morning in 90 '''v of Paris
and suddenly remcu' 'lat the
place contained, accordug o police sta
tistics, over $4,000 people who would
rob him if they got a chance it threw
him into a blue funk? Now ! have
some money, 1 admit; there is enough
to allow us to take life easy, and to
dc pretty much as we please, within
reason. l have put it in the best pos
sible shape to leave to you when pass
out. But how long do you think it will
last. if some rascally young spend
thrift should have a chance at it. as
your husband? So | would rather sus-
pect 80 innocent ones than have YOU
caught on the hundredth one who would
play the mischief with your happi-
ness"
"iou must be pretty well through
with the &c." said Josephine.
Like enough" said her father. an
that case our young friend Grandin
must be the hundredth that is spc-
cally to be looked out for
"Now to go back to the point from
which this talk started" said Jo-
sephine. 81 believe l told you that there
was to be fishing party tomorrow.
and that Mr.. Grandin asked Aunt Ilar-
riet and me to go. What do you
think?"
"Do just as you please about it," said
the colonel. "You can't lure me into
things, so as to make in in
teresting. I am merely giving you a
little tip, Dodie, my dear, because |
love you"
Miss Josephine flung herself over the
arm of the colonel's chair. and put her
arms about his neck. "Oh. dad, ! love
you, too. Sometimes | almost wish
that there wasn't any money for us to
get all mixed up about"
stick to that almost Dodie."
And, say, dad, you don't mind my
giving you tip, do you?"
The colonel looked little uncom-
Portable.
ITS about the widow. you know"
"Whom do you mean?' he asked,
with dignity; "Mrs. Bronson?"
"Who else? You are not interested
in more than one widow, are you? ]
heard the other day that her first was
a butcher. Think of 1.-THE poor little
amb!"
"He was Kansas City meat man"
said the colonel, Indignantly; "and I
should think you and your aunt might
find something better to spend your
time in than mere gossip"
Whenever the conversation shifted to
the subject of the widow, Col. Talbot
felt himself at great disadvantage, as
S always the case with simple inno-
,ence when IL is called unon tn foce