The suburban citizen., 1901-01-05

boatman had told him Of an adorable
senorlta and an unrelenting mother.
"Why don't you elope with the girl
Diegog he asked his gloomy boatman
when they were well out from the
shore.
"Oh, the senior does not know her
mother" he answered She's tiie
peluQuera at the big hotel, and"
ayes, but l do know her, then. 10
my sorrow" interrupted Randolph.
laughing, for a sudden gleam OF hope
had leaped into his mind at the dis,
coyery Of their common cause. "Choe1
up" he continued, "a woman is very
much like Que OF these fish, Diego. she
can always be clught If only you have
she right bait" And he smiled a SUI.
perlor smile at the things Diego did
not know about women. Then he fell
to wondering how he might manage
to help Diego make his fortune sug
hclent to marry the girl and get tie
chest out Of the old woman's hands.
Before he had reached the shore
again, he had evolved a scheme. He
would play the good angel. Diego, he
argued, If he married Rosa, would be
too shrewd to let the sentiment about
an heirloom stand between him and
the jingling double eagles and, as he
was not an American, ne would have
no other idea than of being Caesar In
his own household However he real
lied that Diego must not suspect an
ulterior object IN his interest.
Rosa was very much surprised and
only hllf-pleased when, the next time
she saw Randolph, his whole CONVEX
satiOn was about Diego's many vlr-
tues. "And Diego is getting so pros
porous, too. He is now half-Owner OS
a brand-new fishing-smack," he eX-
planned, wisely concealing the fact
that he himself was the other owner.
He even arranged day, during the
absence Of the peluquera, when the
three of them should take a sail as
far as Lovers Point
Everything went Off exactly as It
had been ordered, and Randolph's
complacency knew no bounds. 1t was
very comfortable to be so good; 1t was
also very sweet TO watch the happy
lovers in the prov, for DlegO's suit
had prospered under the influence of
the beautiful new boat. Randolph's
mind reverted to Miss Smythe- Browne,
feeling that after all there's nothing
half so sweet in life rs loves young
dream" To be sure, he had not seen
her quite so frequently the past few
days, but when the business in hand
was satisfactorily settled, he would
follow Diego's example, and make him.
self the happlest Of men. If lie had
looked to leeward just then, he might
have seen the object Of his reyerie in
a passing yacht, shifting her parasol
before her astonished, resentful eyes,
although she was bound to admit the
little Spanish girl was very pretty.
When, later, Randolph asked Miss
Smythe- Browne to go out with him
to try the new boat, she sent him
word that she was indlsposed aud
could not think of going. But Ran
dolph's serenity was not disturbed.
How she will rejoice with me when
the chest is really mine,' he thought
"It Is such n satisfaction that she bus
a fondness for these things, too" And
he lapsed into his chronic complacen-
cy.
The role OF good angel suited hin
admirably, and he wondered why he
had never essayed to play 1t before
He accepted DiegO's gratitude mag
unanimously adding; "Never mind, my
good fellow, the wheel spins round.
l may be asking a favor Of you some
day"
And Dlcgo's prompt, anything, any
thing. senor within my poor powers
you may command" made Randolph
feel that virtue really ought to be is
own reward.
A week after the wedding, at which
lie had been guest of honor, toast-mas-
ter anu ulllLlulllS olllAAAf ANsAAlAOlIAis
after assuring Diego OF his purely dis
interested friendship and appreciation
OF his many excellent qualities, made
him sole owner Of the hshing-smack.
The poor fellow wept tears Of joy on
his gorgeous wedding waistco0t, reit-
Grating the hope that he might some
day be able to prove his gratitude.
Realizing there is no time like the pres
ent, Randolph put his protestations
TO the test.
"By the way, Diego, there ia little
thing l might get you to do for me-
he said He was thinking, while he
spoke, what n rich adventure this
would be to tell Miss Smythe Browne,
and how she would congratulate him
upon his shrewdness. He had missed
her greatly these last few days, aud
the flowers he had sent her had been
promptly returned to him; but he was
too busy then to find out whose blum
der it was, for blunder he Cid not
doubt 1t had been.
Diego's honest face beamed with
/ I, 90, hf A4