Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-02-27

the name of Mrs. Philip Sydney Hargrove,
the insuted friend and hostess.
When left the club the other night"
continued Page, " | simply took the coat the
attendant handed me, without question, and
didn't discover until the next morning that
| had not my coat, but its counterpart.
made inquiry at the club, but no one could
give me any information until tonight
Your friend, Mr.. Van Eyeck, happened to
know the lady to whom that letter was
addressed, and also that she was a friend of
yours, suggested you as a possible owner of
the coat. 1t IS too bad it happened; for
perhaps it haS-haS inconVenienced your "
he ventured hesitatngIy.
"No-no; not in the east-not in the
least" stammered Pendeton in anything
but reassuring tone. "OnIy II believe
there was also a letter in your pocket" he
added, gancing in the direction of his wife.
Page broke into a hearty laugh. "Yes,
there was: quite an important one, too, for
the loss of it delayed my trip day or two
and gave me considerable uneasineSS."
Pendleton, with an embarrasSedair, handed
him the mutilated and tear-stained sheet, and
there was distressing pause as Page eyed
the missve of woe.
"You see," he said hurredly, it caused a
little misunderstanding. Ny wife has a
friend by the name of Nell, and-and-"
with a smile. "You need not tell me any
more. But think that in sef-defence |
would better make little explanation of
this letter"
The person addressed is my brother,
Nelson Page-called 'Nell' for short We
are twins, and have lived congenalIy and
inseparably together in M-untiI a short
time ago, when father thought we would be
better off apart. We used to have pretty
gay times together-too gay, in fact; so
father sent me up here to live with my grand
mother and set me up in business. Nelson
remained at home with him, so we don't
see much of each other, which is Consid-
cradle of hardship for US. regret to say
that my grandmother is the person TO oWhom
| refer as the old girl, which certainly isn't
creditable to me, but didn't suppose that
anyone but my brother, who can thoroughly
appreciate it, would ever see the letter"
Pendleton accompanied him to the front
door-glad to escape from the oppressive
atmosphere of the library.
That did cost me a devil of a lot of
trouble" he said ruefully to Page.
L" I'll bet it did, answered Page with a
laugh. " took in the whole situation when
| saw the letter and was blamed sorry for
you, too, but ! hope my explanations have
set everything straight It's good thing
Van Eyeck happened to know your friend"
damned good thing " calculated
Pendleton terventIy, as he shut the front
door with a relieved bang.
A letter of explanation was dispatched to
the irate Mr.. and Mrs. Philip Sydney Har-
grove the next day, and while polite ac
acknowledgement was promptly forthcoming,
a request that Mrs. Pendeton return and
finish the visit thus abruptly terminated,
was, for some reason or other, omitted. In
her heart of hearts, however, Mrs. Pendleton
ever afterward believed that Mrs. Hargrove's
final blow to their friendship was prompted
more by suddenly debated vanity than BY a
righteous defence of virtue