The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-20
CURTIS WATERLOO.

James HanQOipn CullS IS promising young man. He works for Smith & EIdridge. dealers In mines of various assortments, oil wells and stone quar- ries. Mir. Smith is manager of the firm. He likes James Randolph. and says that if he didn't have such an unmen- tionable kind of a fool for wife he would amount to something some day. Mrs. Curtis does not know that Mir. Smith says that. about her. Neither does James Randolph know it, but he suspects it. He thinks so because since he came back from his recent trip through Pennsylvania he had occasion to say something like that himself.
 James Randolph toured the Keystone state at Mir. Smiths suggestion. There were pending transactions of import ance to be closed. and in his opinion James Randolph was better qualified to close them than any man in the office. except Mr. Eldridge, who, being fiat on his back with rheumatism, was obvious ly unable to travel.
 T want you to exercise particular tact and discrimination in dealing with those people in Scranton" said Mir. Smith when explaining to James Ram dolph his itinerary. ''The fellow in that bunch who really counts is Horace Perkins. Perhaps you have heard of Perkins?"
 Hear of him?" echoed James Ran dolphdolph. Well, should say have. He married my wife's cousin Kate.'' | MT. Smith said, '.Ah, indeed?" in a tone which might have reasonably been construed as reflecting disparagingly on MT. Perkins matrimonial judgment, then, apparently not wishing to become embroiled in discussion of family vir- tues, he resumed his instructions on business tactics.
 Perkins, he said, Ifs the man you want to tie to. Keep necessarily. If you can talk him over you will put a quarter of million dollars in the
 
 Icidentally small sum in the pockets Of James Curtis.''
 This proposition gave James Ran dolph a glimpse of heaven. In reality he went home that night hanging to a strap in Walnut street car, but SC buoyant was he that he felt as If he were being transported bodily through pillows of scented, roseate air. Judging by his emotions he was still enveloped in chunks of that radiant atmosphere when he drifted into his uptown apart ment, but he probably overestimated its beatific qualities. At any rate, his wife escaped it's influence. Instead oi rejoicing at his fine prospects as James Randolph had expected her to do sine cried. James Randolphs face assumed a preternatural length.
 There, don't take on so, little girl, ,
 " won't be gone long. suppose you w1ll be pretty lonesome while am away, but you can get May you will get along all right
 I "Oh, it isn't that!' protested Mrs l Curtis. I'm not thinking about myself 4 I'm thinking about you. I don't see how you are going to get along. I am I afraid you can't stand the cooking You know that since have been doing my own work you can't bear to eai away from home. and hotels do serve ! such notoriously bad meals
 James Randolph flushed guiltily That's so," he said, with sidelong glance of curiosity.
 Mrs Curtis led the way to the dining room and James Randolph followed meekly. The only hope I see fol you," she said presently, is in your Scranton visit. You can stop at Horace Perkins's while you are there Oi course 1 don't know anything about Kate's housekeeping. She used to be reprehensibly lazy as a girl, but pre-. sume marriage has brought her out ol some of her bad habits And, anyway she'll have servants,a and even if she shouldn't have, what you do get to cal will be home cooking and will agree with you better than the slabs of heavy food they serve at hotels and restau. rants"
 James Randolph looked uncomforta- ble, as if already smitten with an ad. vance installment of the inevitable dyspepsia. "It's very kind of you" hs said Ito take such an abiding interesl in my digestion, but I don't see how can accommodate you. I don't like tt stop at Perkins. It doesn't look well He is the man I am going to strike fo the biggest pile of money while I an gone, and it looks hoggish to soak hin for several hundred thousand dollars worth of stock and live off him at tn, same time. It's adding insult to inju ry."
 I don't know anything about the in jury you propose to infiict,' returned
 Mrs. Curtis, "but I do know that Kat and Horace would be insulted if yo,
 were in Scranton for week and didn' stay with them. I'll write to Kate to day and tell her you are coming. I an . sure she will write you to be thei , guest
 { James Randolph demurred volubl. . and with spirit, but his demonstratio. . of disapproval was ineffective. Tha , night the disconnected correspondent 2 with Cousin Kate was renewed wi fervor. Two days later an answer ws received, and when James Randolp- left Philadelphia on the followin. . Monday it was the understanding al around that during his stay in Scranton fa xU011ld accent tha hnSr,ita1;+ty of IIa,.