The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-08
BY HERMAN KNICKER-
BOOKER WELE.

! saiu w liouSHpys as he Set
down his cup. and ran an investigating
and suspicious tongue along the edges
of his lips.
! drastic measure, admit con-
tinued Barton, but one which 1 shoul!
have considered justifiable, could have
foreseen the miscarriage of my other
plan. You know my elder sister, Emil
! ly?"
We bowed, for it was a duty to know
Emily
And You know her eldest daughter.
| Emeline?"
We bowed again; it was a pleasure
to know Emeline
well" went on Barton, cit so hap
pened that they We're to dine that even
ing in the neighborhood. and I arrang-
| ed with them to drop in upon me in an
, ofhand way soon after their dinner,
which was a small, informal one.
was convinced, you see, that Carhart
could not fail to fall desperately in love
with Emeline, which would have SIM
plifled affairs at once"
| OF course, we both assented-T
through cavility, but Willoughby, as
fancied, with a somewhat heightened
color.
! Il presume you did not take Miss
Emeline into your confidence" he said,
a trif1e stiffly.
NO." answered Barton. "but have
| often wished since that I had been
more frank. It's just the sort of thing
she's good at"
| Willioughby tossed his excellent
cigar, half smoked, into the CRATE,
with what appeared unnecessary yio-
lence.
you were saying that your plan
fell through" he prompted.
"It did" rejoined the host. cit fell
through completely, as you shall see. I
kept my young friend at the table as
long as possible and Nathan-to his
| credit [ Will say twas never more
deliberate; but when Carhart had de-
clined almonds and raisins rather
pointedly for the third time, we rose
/ from the table, as the clock struck
ten, and came in here to smoke The
lights We're low. as they We're before
our friend Joe tried to blind u.s.
81 beg your pardon!' I exclaimed,
and, fastening to the button, I re-
ouced the room again to semi-dark-
ness.
1 AL, lHdl more ike 1t, SAID Bar
ton. 81 much prefer the light sub
dued. Well, here we were-Carhart
before the mantelpiece, where 1 stood
lust now, smoking composedly enough,
and I between him and the door, list
ening for the sound of the bell which
might at any moment announce the
arrival of the ladies. I remember per-
fectly that we We're discussing setter
dogs; and, as you may we'll believe.
I was never SO put to it for anecdotes
in my life, when at last the welcome
summons came
II thought you said your plan fell
through Willoughby interposed.
ut did" retorted Barton. 1.-THE bell,
which echoed through the house. was
not rung by Emily at all, but by a
servant with a note from her to say
that, being indisposed, my sister had
decided to drive directly home Eme-
line, she added, was going on to some
Internal dance. I had given Carhart
no intimation of my sisters coming,
and naturally did not reveal the con-
tents of her note. In fact, I made the
dim light an excuse for stepping into
the brighter hall, and this enabled me
to conceal from him my first chagrin.
AS l stood not two feet from the TIRES
hold, debating what my course should
be, observed that Nathan closed the
front door upon the messenger; and
presently he passed me, going to his
pantry, as I thought. I must have
| remained standing there before the
door nearly a minute, though it SEEM
ed much less, for, when l turned,
Nathan was at my elbow again, hold
| ing in his hands a. tray of cups.
"'You served the coffee not min
utee ago, you idiot!' I said, betraying
the irritation which I felt; and, fur
thermore, I will confess, the smell of
| coffee brought back to me most pain
| fully the only plan which then re-
manned.
81 thought you might be ready for
| thum more persisted Nathan, with
his most aggravating lisp. I did not
know the gentleman had gone
! Comet I exclaimed. You must
be blind. The gentleman, Mr.. Carhart,
is in the smoking-room.'
| "I beg your pardon, thir; but beth
not retorted Nathan, moving from
me as though to avoid a blow. The
gentleman amt in the thmoking- ROOM
1 OOl! CIleu, udllcu
him, but the next moment had found
his words too true. Carhart had van
ished, disappeared, melted, as one
might say, into the element of air"
| "Strange!" I reflected, lowering my
voice as an aid to Barton's climax.
Strange enough" cried Willough-
! by, less impressed than l had hoped.
"And so your servant was the first to
make the discovery"
| yes" answered Barton; although
I have never allowed him to know Of
my establishment. 1 did my best to
pass it off as joke. I allowed him
to believe that Carhart had taken
leave of me before the stupid blunder
of the second coffee
'Athking you'd pardon, thir," came
in injured, lisping accents from the
! gloom. 81 never brought no thecond
coffee that night, becauth the cat up
tibet the coffeepot. nor did thay, thir,
that the gentleman had gone
Barton, concealing his annoyance,
sat regarding his domestic for mo-