Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-10-17
THE HONORABLE FKANCIS. y

From the outset | thought him n
curious young man, rather melancholy
and little awry. His forehead, eye
brows. eyelds curved in bewildering
creases which he tried bv perpetual
twitching to straighten out. and his
weHried expression proclaimed him the
victim Of an intellect several sizes too
large.
OF course, he represented Culture in
some form. He looked scarcely solid
enough for knowledge, and | judge it
would he Art or Music: in the next mo-
ment | knew it was Literature. because
auntie beckoned me. If it had been
otherwise, she would have signaled Enid.
The Staurgrauts imported him, Il pro-
fessor and his wife who grace the even;
ing" as regularly as the waiter.
"A colleague for you, my dear, said
auntie, with the smile that has n hint in
the recesses;. the Honorable Francis
Cranberry. Ny niece writes too
Less risky if he had been told off to
irritably to his wife. | smiled little
of the two of us Enid is generally re-
garded as the more seductive. His fears
were based in the fact that Mabel an
neXed an obscure artist last year. and
Mildred a weil-connected Socialist the
year before.
Miss Milford writes, too?" the Honor
"'''' AAANiH ANBNhACN hS l. NitNAth nm
away.
II try to- explained You couldn't
belong to- family like ours without doing
something ambitious; the seed is sOwn
III earliest infancy, and in due course
we sprout."
And the next process?" he inquired,
with polite interest
1T VARIES" | answered, vaguely: "once
or twice it has ended in transplantation.
Genius-literary genius, that is he
begaI, 'hourishes in all conditions. even
in II vale of humiliation paved with the
IollIg stock that continues to ROLL
III is humiliating," | asSented. land
tlfre is such brutal brevity about the
limited slips, thought had one once with
a pen-and-nk sketch ut the end-the edi-
tors signature. Now I've started col
lection"
But stationery and stamps are vital"
he broke in. and | looked a little sur
prised Scions of the peerage are not
usually hard up for the something under
siXpence requisite to dispatch 50 many
thousand words and insure their return.
Have you a Specialty:' | asked,
rather curiously.
Il don't believe in Them" he retorted,
hrusduely. and dropped his voice mys-
tcrously; they're all frauds. and one
is worried to death for no reason what
ever
| glanced round and observed the pro-
fcSSor just within ear-Shot, watching us
intently while he devoured sandwiches;
Mrs, Staurgraut. AT a little distance, was
watching. too. over the edge of a wine
glass We have often told auntic she
should set that couple to good square
meal in the dining room when they come
there is something suggestive of famine
in the havoc they make among the sand
wicheS. That night, however, after re-
marking that the caviare was inComp8ra-
bile, their appreciation was obviously less
heart whole: instead. they seemed en-
crossed in watching myself and the hon
orahle, in evident fear that he would be
led astray. With intent 10 Justify the
assumption. | beamed on the Honora bile
Francis. DO tell me what you writer
| said eagerly, Il am really interested
The honorable smiled on me with a
sort of ponderouS playfulnesS; his eN.
preston showed that he was pleased
I've written various odes and owed's."
he retorted, humorously, ITO editors and
| creditors"
| pointed inimitably. IL thought you
We're going TO be conhdential--"
The honorable became suddenly grave
You seem intelligent" he said, mus.
! ingly
Auntie, who happened TO pass at the
moment, conveyed 10y her approving ex-
preston that She thought me intelligent
| also
| Please | pursued, in supplicating
| whisper to the honorable.
Its fiction he rejoined with burst
OF gratihed enthusiasm; always fiction
ana eternally fiction, to obviate the con
! sequences Of fact"
Il looked puzzled and it pleased him.
ms hand wandered To bulkiness in his
! Sah pocket There must have been sew
| Sral qulrcs of the inky foolscap he pro-
du'cd' and the professor looked distinctly
/ annoyed.
| He approached MS. y say. old chap.