The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-22
ALOST OPPORTUNITY.
BY WILLIAM J. HAMPTON.

BY WILLIAM J. LAMFTON. S.
 Copyright, 1901. by Daily Story Rub. Col as * * * |:
 many solitude smashers are not in the cigar stand man 8 stock" and she swept Ser eye over the assembled hosts of man. siess maidens.
 SO very anxious to meet a strange man. &s'I am sure you do not MT. Bang leigh, replied Miss Post of New fork. whose hair was of a light but pronoun- ssteod 1t, you would not be here.
 MT. Bangleigh giggled, though just why
 he could not have sand, and the anxious
 girls falrly shouted. MT. Bangleign thought he was amusing the ladies, and
 what more could be asked of a man than
 that?
 ,Ssfhe new arrival disappeared from view sat 10 o'clock via the bar-room, where ne
 indulged in d Scotch solus. Whatever
 dreams he may havc had, be appeared next morning as a changed being. and In
 his delightfully."- cool flannels, his ire
 proachable patent feathers. ana ms sat
 isfyipg cravat and negngee shirt he was worthy of all emulation by mankind, ana
 admiration by womankind,
 "lsnt he just too perfectly psriec1 TOT anything earthly?" exclaimed Miss Pres ton, clasping her hands in spontaneous adoration.
 And every girl about her murmured a soft Amen i, But MT. Huntington was discreet, and when he had breaktasted and smoked ne sa,Intered critically by various small and large groups and finally seated hfmsen near a large and lazy old dowager who was of suncient importance to De leIt to herself without retiecttng upon her social position. Some time later, when three or four girls in yearning loneliness stroll
 ed around the piazza corner and saw the the talking and laughing in the most de- lightful fashion, they found it difficult to restrain their lmpetuosity and not hurl l themselves bodily on the couple; Before
 their emotions had subsided tue Dowager saw them and called them to her. T must present MT. Huntington to | you, my dears," she said in her patron, | izing way which the girls fairly hateo | ordinarily; he is from dear Boston and knows so many people there that really seem to see the glltterlng oome 0L the | State House when l talk to him. ana without further preliminaries MT. Hunt l ington was lowing and smiling and the | girls were flirting and flashing anu f2ll- | ing over each other in their emotional l embarrassment
 Huntington during the next ten hours. | He was really the most perfectly deligh.- | ful man any girl at the Hyltopp had ever
 met in the whole course Of her existence, l and before the luncheon hour he had made each girl happy by assuring her that she alone of all was the sweet spirit
 of his fondest dreams and they would go walking or driving or boating or spooning or something together at the very first opportunity. Between luncneon and time to dress for dinner MT. Hunt ington had enjoyed several delightful,
 though momentary tete.a-1etes, e. I ana nn nad nd
 when he read her. palm for the benent of the whole crowd.
 The look Kitty gave him for that was a voicelesS VOW.
 There was a train for the West at | D. m, and one for the East at p. m., At 6:30 MT. Huntington received tele- gram. o,,-,., ., | he said hurriedlv to the Dowager, and l I must go to him. Make my regrets to | the young ladies and accept my thanks | for your cnurtesles. l am leaving at once for the West"
 The DoWager promised to do so, almost I fearful in her sympathy and disappoint- ment at losing him. You have my Boston address, she | said in farewell, and you must come to see me when I return in October. And
 I do hope your uncle is not in any dan
 ger. Goodbye
 | At o'clock on the eastbound train | came two determined=looking men to tht | hotel. They were business men evident | ly and of agreeable address. but both of | them did not create tithe of the com' | ment caused by the arrival of MT Hunt | ington, who had so lately gone from | them. leaving a vacancy that could not
 be filled so soon, even by two men. | The latest arrivals had d confidential talk with the chief clerk. and although l there were many lonely girls to whom
 they might have said something comfort ing in their bereavement they ignored | every one of them, and confined their | conversation to themselves, smoking vi | ciously meanwhile. They went to bed | early, and in the morning they were ! gone
 For the first time in history the Dow 1 ager appeared at .Reakfast. When all l the girls had copgregated on the piazza | she called them to her.
 | My dears." she said in tones of sup 1 pressed anger and outraged feelings, "l l wish to withdraw my introduction oi 1 Mir Huntington"
 "Oh. Mrs. Fishby," they cried in cho-
 rus; that lovely man? Whatever has
 happened?'
 The Dowager chohed back her rising 'rancor.
 He Is a bigamist, my dears," she ex. l plained, 'and the two men who came
 last night were detectives after him. He ! has five wives living. He hasn't a sin 1 gle redeeming trait except he Is from
 Chicago instead of Boston, as he told
 me. Cgh!' and the Dowager shuddered
 For bigamy" groaned Kitty Preston
 her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, girls ! just think of the perfectly divine 6lrta.
 tions who have missed"