The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-07-24

| COulQ 90.
"Surely this is Jack Benton? l
couldn't be mistaken, though you have
grown a lot stouter since we met.
Don't you remember Flora Marcy!
If you don't then mans memory for
an old sweetheart is a pretty thin
thing"
Poor John could feel Margaret stiffen
at the last sentence, and groaning in
spirit he introduced his wife to Miss
Marcy whose volubility made up for
any awkwardness that Mrs. Benton s
manner might have caused.
Jack and I were old sweethearts
at Fort Smith Lord, what larks we
used to have in the old days after
school and coming home from choir
practice. l never though of going on
the stage in those days, but talent will
not be suppressed-and here l am.
1t looks like fate, our meeting like this,
doesn't it?'
John shuffled nervously and cursed
fate inwardly and presently the chat.
ter went on again.
"Where are you living? Still at
Fort Smith. Well. / never; our cir.
cult closed fifteen miles from there and
I'm going to take holiday. believe
I'll just drop down on you folks for a
months change. If the old place is as
slow as it used to be, it will make an
elegant place to rest"
Benton looked beseechingly at his
wife, but she appeared oblivious to the
fact that he was still on the face of the
globe. He hesitated a minute and
then, remembering the boy and girl
friendship he glanced at his wife and
said deiantly:
"We should be awfully pleased to
have YOU"
And Mrs. Benton astonished him by
adding with suspicious friendliness:
"Yes, do come; we shall be perfectly
delighted"
With more astuteness than her hus
band would have given her credit for
Mrs. B. had come to the conclusion
that dose of an old sweetheart
when she is as impossible as Flora-is
almost as good for a man as an occa.
sional dose of rhubarb.
Flora came-John Benton saw-but
Mrs. Benton conquered.
Forth from Flora's voluminous bag.
gage came gowns fearfully and won
derfully constructed from materials
which might just have arrived from an
Italian bazaar. The hat with the
green feather was not.a circumstance in
the creations which crowned Flora g
yellow pompadour when she imperson.
ated the heroine in some glowing melo-
drama-and she wore them all at Fort
Smith.
On Sundays Mrs. Benton systemati-
cally manufactured excuses to remain
away from service, and John, who
liked to see women garbed as soberly
as Quakers, was compelled to stink
down the aisle in the wake of purple
gown and green and purple velvet
Gainsborough hat.
Four weeks went by and still Flora
showed no signs of an early fitting.
Mrs. Benton absolutely refused to offer
suggestions, so in moment of desper.
alton Benton bethought himself of an
old-time feud between his mother and
Flora, which dated back to his and
Flora's school days. He wired his
mother at once, "Need you here i'm.
mediately; do not fail me-" and we'll
did he know that the first available
train would bring the faithful soul.
At dinner that day he casually an.
nounced that he expected his mother
that night, or the next morning, at
least.
In the afternoon Flora received a
mysterious message-presumabIy Mar
co-which demanded her immediate
presence elsewhere, and by $50 the
Benton household knew her no more
The next morning found John in
bed with racking, nervous headache
As Mrs. Benton waited upon him in
her quiet, restful way he wondered
how he could have been fool enough tc
fancy himself tired of such woman.
Catching her hand and pressing bis
cheek against it boyishly, he said re-
proachfully:
"Margaret, how could you-what
made you act so, and try to keep her?'
With a spice of mischief in her calm
gray eyes she smoothed bis head and
answered:
"Well, you see, John, dear, l had
noticed in you a growing tendency Of
talking in your sleep-you seemed to
have restless dreams about mysteri