The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-01-26

WlEnC0 1AC WOAiA ANoO OH AAAo AiOASJ
ssHow could you wish such wicked
thing = cried her aunt reproachfully.
ssNow you see what has happened.
They were just beginning to read the
article through for the third time when
Josephine looked up and said, "Here
comes Mr.. Grandin.'
ssHide it, said her amt
ssIndeed shall not. [ intend that he
shall see it first of all.
ssGood morning, Mrs. Blake. Good
morning, Miss Talbot. May | sit here !?
/ did not see you ladies anywhere last
evening.
"We played 'porrazo' in our rooms with
the colonel and Mr.. Edmunds. Do you
play sporrazo, Mr. Grandin p
II tried it once, Mrs. Blake, but | do
not approve of game where you lay down
a card and say 'porrazo' with great tri-
umph, only to have the next person to you
Law down another card and say, contra
porrazo' and take it all away from you.
Where is the colonel, by the way 2
sHe has gone to the city for the day.
sThere is something here that | wish
you to read, Mr. Grandin," said Joseph
inc, handing him the paper.
The young man read the article and
brought his lips together in bunch.
seThis refers to Colonel Talbot, | take
it, said he.
Josephine nodded.
ec-And 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?'
ssNot at all.
Mr.. Grandid smiled cheerfully.
81 suppose | ought to be decently smy
pathetic, said he, "but it is desperately
hard work. This affects no one, it ap
pears, but Colonel Talbot, and my regard
for him is entirely by proxy. | am ready to
take his loving daughter s word for it that
he is delightful character, but ne has
never shown that side of himself to me. =
ssBut it affects me, cried Josephine.
ssDon' you see that 2
"Not bit of it, said Mr. Grandin.
81 am going to take care of you, and |
have great plenty" Mrs. Blake looked
up in surprise, and he addressed himself
to her. This is matter which | would
have taken up with Colonel Talbot if he
had ever given me chance, but his man
ner toward me during the last week or so
has been such as to make it impossible for
me to address him on any subject. | don
blame him. | am sure that if had such
precious object to guard | should be a
Cerebrus too.
He took a card from his pocket and
wrote some names upon it. "Here is a
bank, :" said he, 'sand firm of attorneys
and well known business house, all of
them located in the city where 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 a
son-in- law.
Mrs. Blake picked the card up doubt
fully and placed it in the bag that hung
at her side. She stood good deal in
awe of her brother.
When the young people were alone a
few minutes later, Josephine said, Il
heard where you were last evening.
Grandin shook his head sadly. "What
a small place big hotel is T. he said
care you anxious to make yourself still
more unpopular with my father r
II wanted to see what sort of step
mother in law l was likely to have, that
was ALL
'What do you think of her p
81 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? have an idea.
He took the paper and went off in
search of the widow, whom he presently
found sitting alone. She liked attentions
from young men, and Grandin was de-
lightful talker.
A second letter from GA, G.. W"
which arrived day or two later conveyed
to the colonel some information about Mr..
Grandin that caused him to open his eyes
and whistle softly to himself. The col
onel was not exactly worshiper of wealth /;
but he found it easy to respect man who
was worth several times as much money as
he was, and 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.
"Goodby,' she cried airily. 81 am
off. :"
"Offp exclaimed the colonel in as
constituent He had seen but little of her
during the last few days, but had sup
posed that was due to accident.
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 patronizing,
not to say contemptuous, and the colonel,
who had grown accustomed to her soft,
confding ways, was too astounded to do
anything except stare at her as she vanish
ed down the corridor.
Mr. Grandin would listen to no apologies
or explanations, but grasped the colonel s
hand and shook it warmly,
''That newspaper story" said the colo
mel, twas fake did not lose anything
in the Blue Elephant.
"You didn IT, cried Mr.. Grandin. And
he laughed.
'No,' said the colonel And he ex-
planned how and why he had secured its
publication, At this Mr. Grandin laughed
good deal more.
"You see, said the colonel, az have
always bad horror of marriage in my
family with any kind of a mercenary ele-
ment in it. If such marriage could be
avoided by little ruse like that, | thought
I would be justified in resorting to it.
Don't you agree with me p
Mr.. Grandin laughed again, but he said
that he entirely agreed with the colonel.
He had heard of the widows departure a
little while before, and he knew that that
danger was passed. He reserved his part
of the confession, however, until some other
occasion when it might be needed.