The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-29
CUPID OF THE TELEPHONE
BY JEANETTE HADDERLMAN WAL
 WORTH. ICopyrisht,i | eo2. by Daily Story Pub Col s. @S@SSS~

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 to 1t" m
 "I shall tell him that his mother is i'll and make him go home with me-" He stamped his foot with impatience-"wiii you, or. will you not put me across me river?" How do you know he is going to make a fool of himselfr'
 "Is 1t likely that Bellinger would find a suitable wife in these backwoods! Twenty-Five, thirty forty dollars; lars glr,, .rs II o'clock tonight. That telegram was not explicit enough. l may be too late by morning Will you do it?"
 Yes" said Bella quietly. You Just walk down that plank walk till yoi come to some boats chained to the pier; I'll tell ma what I'm going to do ana get her to light the big lantern. sos l can steer home by it"
 He was heartlessly indifferent 10 neI homecoming He supposed she knew enough to take him over safely. Beyond that he felt no concern. Nothing inter ested him just now but the rescue or the young brother for whom so brilliant destiny had been marked out-from mar riage with a nobody, a village plebeian.
 With strong, supple wrists Bella plant ed the oars in the row locks and assign ed him his place with orders not 10 wriggle about more than he could help. It. air't going to be a swift trip she said, sending the boat away from the pier with long smooth strokes. we've got about everything there Is aginst us Wind, tide. drift wood and fog to say nothing of the chances of being run down in the fog by the mail boat. Shes due about now. Maybe Providence will see us through though. suppose if the worst comes to the worst you know how
 "Yes, I can swim if needs be, but how about you?'
 "Oh. I'm taking care of myself right now" she answered. with an odd laugh. Don't you bother about me-"
 She rowed on in silence, now turning her 1.-the body to watch the approach of some particularly threatening drif log; now to fix her gaze steadily on the illuminated face of the town clock.
 The town clock and the jumbo lantern were about equidistant from the boat when she developed sudden turn for conversation. "S'pose you find you arc too late to stop that foolishness of your brothers you'd you be terribly cut up?
 Are you the unforgiving sort? Would it go very hard with-him-to have a row with you? s'pose the girl don t count with you.'
 brute I've shown myself to you I pre- sume if the thing comes off. in spite of me, I'll have to make the best Of a bad bargain, but it need not come off if you
  forty collars if you get me there in time to stop it.
 Did he ever make love to the other girl? You see this is the first love story I ever got mixed up in."
 There was a note of exhausted pa- tience in the mans answer. 'I must say. Miss Chaffee, you are remarkably in- quisitive even for a woman. No, can't say that he ever did. but 1t would all have come right but for this mess"
 Ten minutes more of hard rowing and Bella's small craft lay rocking alongside the pier on the Brownville side. The man jumped ashore eagerly and began to tumble in his pocket. You are a trump and hive earned your money.
 Bella laughed up at him gayly: Never mind about the money. l guess you are in hurry to stop that wedding and as your horse is on our side you'll be com ing back that way I wouldn't keep you waiting for the small matter of forty dollars; better hurry up the hill"
 Thank you. you are very considerate and shall certainly bring you the money in the morning..
 He walked rapidly up the sloping bank and was soon lost to sight.
 From the shelter of a cotton shed two meE came into view and took their places in Bellas boat. One of the men pos sessed himself of the cars and quietly dire cted Bella to seat herself in the bow.
 Pretty well done. little girl. Bobs an ugly customer to row with, and now, bfOIner MdAWsll there VIII Ildke q TOW futile before We meet"
 'I could have wished a less precarious way of getting married, my children. but Cupid has his own way of doing things"
 Even to using the telephone" said the stIcng. fresh yoIng oarsman. sending a ringing laugh across the turbulent wa tors.
 The clock in old Chaffees sitting room was just striking eight as the Reverend MaYupll Iltfnrnh Gnfannn pronounce you man and wife,
 'The devil you do!' came in an angry voice from a man just stepping into the light of the jumbo lantern. How did you get over here?' he asked, striding an grily up to his brother.
 Ian Bellinger laughed and took his pretty wife by the hand, "K came over bv return boat Now Bobo, do you call this foolishness?'
 The senior did the only graceful thing left for him to do. He smiled demurely down upon the girl who had so cleverly ''done him." Mrs. Bellinger, I believe J owe you forty dollars"
 Bella answered with ready wit and lovely blushes: No. sir; that was only if I got you thsre in time to stop this foolishness. failed in my part of the contract. Yours, was to make the best of a bad bargain"