The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-10

d relative OF The Riddles Of Philadelphia,
and yelling "Nexti' every day at Ills
chnir4 In the Montgomery Street shop. III
Talk about Monsieur neaucairci He lod !
a double life. all right. It was lucky for Il
him that none Of the met in Flora's SGT
happened to patronize that Torsorlal Es-
tnblishment. Mrs Donovan admired his
white. soft hands, and thought his finger
nails were very distinguished looking
what the devil wau Brcwny 70 DO a
If he showed UP Two-step Willie nc
would have to confess to having planned co
! a pretty mean game himself, but ":
couldn't bear to let the thing go on any
farther. It certainly WASH righ TO Il
Flora. It was a hard nut to crack. tle i
couldn't nsls Willie to step dowt, and out, 4
3.t5this late hour. Els one hope was tia I
MA Ia rbcr wouldn't be nble to stand the i
nace end would sink beck Into Minna
street oblivion from lack OF funds. But
lust about as soon as he decided n hi 49, 4
WIlie showed his hand. He was hel p IS
'lessly In love. and was actually trying
to marry Flora Donovan. lie to oaS
Browny about 1t himself!
How. Flora could stand for him, BrownyI Il
conldn.t ace, but she advertised the fact
/ liberally. she had him everywhere. and
i Browny didn't even have q chance for g i
! look in. II he called In the daytime, Flora
was out. II he called In the evening or
I met her at q blow, little old Two-Step 4
"A Willie would be surely moored along
5 side, Browny never could get her alone
a even if he'd dared to- tell the horrid
q truth, which was becoming harder every
Y day.
Il Brown lay awake nights over 1t. He'd
l.. :, ,yf no vr
* self. by this time. only he didn't dare to
il confess. Two Step Willie had now got
i his second wind and was a game stayer.E5
\ Finally Browny took his life In his 4
Il hands and sent word to Flora that he /
Unjust sec her that afternoon. She said
Il she'd be In Browl,y, I think, was going
a to settle the puzzle by proposing to her her
i himself, and calling for show do Wn.
I He was taken into a little reception
~ room off the hall, and while he was walt
Z Ing he heard Flora come from the. din-
B inp.room where the maid didn't seem
TO have looked for her. She went
Il to The telephone and began to talk. When
a !Browny heard her say, Hello, Willie NH
+ he listened like a school girl. And he
4 certainly heard things. # siS,
a Yes. he heard enough to make him per-
( Iyplre freely. From what he caught ne
n grow pretty certain that Flora and VIII
a lie we're enga ged and that they were plan
q Ming to elope that very evening and take
Il the Owl train to Los Angeles. nat SET
Il fled 1t for him. But, of course, he didn' It
u know that Flora hadn't taken the tele-S
\ phone Off the hook at all and was really,
4 talking to the hatrack. iiF I'll gi}8 7tsi$$
= Flora came into the reception room
n with her hat on and seemed to pc very
8lmuch surprised to find Browny waiting
4 |3for her there. He didn't lose any time
{ but went to 1t like a man. 55S
II have come to say what l ought to-
: have told you long ago. Flora, only =
+ didn't dare to. introduced you to Mr..
!. Riddle. and wilfully deceived you about
i him. II deserve to be horsewhipped. But
! you mustn't have anything more to do 4
i with him, Flora i III 3S
4 ..Why?'' asked Flora. II think he Is
a awfully interesting 5i3gs
q H"Ees not what you think he Ell
Browny stanmered the the fact is he he's =
barber!''s II iigf ST
!. Flora laughed. .sa,s.5.8s.
. well, Mr.. Browning you've decided
, to tell me at last, have you - AM
1 1t was now Browny's turn to be Devil
dered
DO you mean to, say you knew at be-
fore? p, he asked
{ give known it for some time she an,
swered, smiling at him in a highly pleased
way ..and was only waiting to see
!, whether or not you'd be honorable enough
to confess your rather poor joke on me.
a I'm glad you have. at last, though It's
, pretty late in the day!,
Well, Browny married her that winter,
t so l expect they made It up all right.
: And believe that Two Step Willie Is still
t a friend. and calls arly-always laf-
a ter 1880 P NJ though. The funny part
! of the whole thing or the pathetic part.
! II YOU like. was that Willie told Flora
a his business, In all innocence. the night
y he was first ntroduced.-Copyright by
!. Mcclure, Phillips & Co.