The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1902-03-20


by the way, can't you come out to
our Browning Club meet Thursday.
Char-Mr. Hughes is to be there, and
you ought to begin to mix little. as
they call it. He's going to give a read
ing of some sort. You and l can 60
"Win you go with me-" Joe was
alert now.
"Ycu may be sure | will"
SO they agreed to so to the Browning
symposium, and Ingham went home
with a new hope and an indomitable
determination in his suileless heart.
They were in the west-bound cars,
radiant, expectant and happy. going TO
the club, and sure of the old camera
derie, when Ingham, seeking for a
topic said:
by the way, Miss Marie"
Gust Marie will do" she corrected.
"All right, Marie; but talking of
Hughes-you said he was on to-night's
programme you remember the medal
he got for that essay Junior year,
Eyes, indeed; it was about woman.
wasn't it?''
"Well. yes; about mothers-the title
was The Christian Mother How did
you Like that:"
st was grand. Don't you remember
how everybody carried on over 1t?
Why, l never did take any interest in
Char-Mr. Hughes - till he delivered
that grafton. Don't you know how
mamma cried over it? 1t was a glor-
ious thing! l never suspected he had
so much soul, did you?"
"Well, he never had. as matter of
fact" whispered Joe Ingham, handing
the conductor dime. Fact is, [ wrote
that grafton myself, wrote it for him
because he was eaten up with a desire
to get a medal You know he never
had much ability. and his father was
everlastingly nagging him to distin-
guish himself. He did distinguish him
self that night-with my grafton. l
don't begrudge him the honor. but he
never showed me any gratitude. On
the contrary, he always boosted that
no man of 90 could have written such
a masterpiece"
"Why, Joe" said Marie, coming
closer. and with her face drawn and
her eyes abroad. "Joe, you don't mean
it? Why, it wasn't honest; it was
fraud; surely Charley Hughes wouldn't
have stopped"
ooh, 1t was all right TO palm off the
grafton, Marie, but it was the way he
acted afterward that hurt me. You
know the last time he was at Creston
he never so much as called to see me-"
And little Marie, wondering and iut-
tered, waited till they were off the car
before she said
"Joe, I'm sorry I didn't know you
and Mr.. Hughes were on bad terms.
I've promised to let him escort me
home tonight, and"
"Why didn't he take you to the en-
tertainment also?" Mr.. Ingham was
nettled.
HE said he'd be too busy-a lawsuit
or something. Oh, he's dreadfully
busy, Joe. But 1 told him I'd go to
supper with him afterward and-and-
1 hope you'll not be offended"
Not at all. Marie" he said coldly.
GO ahead. I'm accustomed to getting
left"
And poor Marie was most unhappy
when they entered the crowded hall.
The usher could not find two chairs to-
gether for them, so Marie sat in the
front row and Joe Ingham, in a Sullen
mood, sat three rows behind her. When
the time came for Charles Hughes to
stepped forward and said:
1.-The next number on the program is
a paper by Mr.. Charles Hughes, the
eminent young lawyer. Is Mr.. Hughes
in the house,"
There was a hustle about the doors
and directly Mr.. Stupidity
Hughes, as the college boys used to
call him, entered and rushed forward
with a great show of hustle. He
mounted the stage took a sip of water
and said:
Ladies and gentlemen of the Brown
ing Club, friends and fellow citizens:
have been so busy with numerous
new and old law cases within the past
few days that I've been unable to pre-
pare set address. However, in a few
moments of leisure this afternoon
dashed off little paper, entitled The
Christnai Mother"
At the words Marie Franz looked
around and her blue eyes blazed when
Joe Ingham smiled a knowing smile.
Then Mr.. Hughes, ''the eminent young
lawyer" launched into the resonant
and rounded periods of his 'dashed-off"
address.
Joe and Marie met in the crush at
the door when the show was over. Mr..
Hughes was yet the lion of the dissolv-
ing audience. Women were weeping
as they shook his hand.
"Well, goodnight. Marie" said Joe
with a quizzical look in his eyes.
"Was it your oration?" she whis-