The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-10

letters to her from the postman. con- fess I was somewhat surprised to find that she was soon receiving communica- tions from him by the coachman. the groceryman, the butcher-boy and don't know how many others."
 "Hah, you astonish m! Won over the whole bunch. did her Bob meant busi- siness."
 You treat the matter lightly" said Mrs. Castleford,. with a touch of asperi- ty.
 ''Oh. no-pardon me. was never more in earnest. This is a very serious matter. We've must settle it without delay" The major paused and gazed away at the river. Then he added in a preoccupied tone: The whole crowd loaded with letters from Bob! Well, well! And he kept the office business right up to the mark, too.'
 Mrs. Castleford made no reply. Her silence recalled the major to himself. Very serious indeed" he went on rap- idly. But situation which must be met squarely and practically. Have you thought, Mrs. Castleford of the plan of going away somewhere with your daugh- ter till 1t blows over?"
 "I have already arranged to go to Eu- rope. We have usually spent the sum mer here, but I have told Isabel that we shall stay this time but a week and then proceed to New York and sail for the other side. She has not seemed op- posed to the plan"
 The major half closed his eyes and for a moment seemed to be thinking deeply. That reminds me-" he said slowly; q noticed yesterday in Bob's room dozen Atlantic steamship cir culars, with sailing dates. didn't think anything about 1t at the time, but" The major paused with the sentence unfinisl,- ed. Mrs. Castleford knit her brows. Then she said:
 Tn sending your son to Philadelphia he took charge of a branch office. Have you not another branch office--a distant one?"
 . Mrs. Castleford, we have branches everywhere. We do the largest--pardon me-of course you are not interested. It just occurs to me that we are negotia ting with the government about matter In the Philippines. I might send Bob over there to attend to it."
 Not any too far away in my opinion judging from what l have seen of his methods"
 T guess you are right, Mrs. Castle ford" assented the major with a smile
 The way he formed private letter trust with those trades-people rather shows that Bobs doesn't lack DUST. We'll call It setSed. You take your daughter to Europe-rll send my son to the Pnilip- pines. Sort of a discourager to billing and cooing, should say. Make it. too. rather difficult to arrange for the milk man to run fin with letter every morn ing before breakfast"
 Tt will give them both time to see how impossible the thing is," said Mrs Castleford.
 "Oh, 1t ought to work, "assented the major. I dare say you have other plans for your daughter"
 Yes. It has been understood that she should marry her second cousin, one of the Spotdolphs. My own name before my marriage was sGotdolph." "Is that so?" replied the major, .Fm something of Spotdolph myself. That was my mothers name. From Phila- | delphia, too."
 Indeed? I'm always interested in meeting Spotdolph Your mother was
 of the Hezekaih Spotdolph family per | haps"
 No, the Gideon Spotdolph, I believe |" "Ah, the elder branch of the family. I
 am of the younger line myself" said
 Mrs. Castleford, a sort of reverence in
 her tone.
 T can't say as to that replied the
 major carelessly. But guess the spotdolphs are all right" Mrs. Castleford looked at him durn-
 founded. Here was Il man, as truly a Spotdolph as If he bore the name, speak,
 ing lightly of the Spotdolphs. She could
 not understand it. It could only be &C.,
 counted for on the ground of paternal l heredity and subsequent life in New York. | However, Spotdolph was Q Spotdolph, a Inh fall | elder branch chose to indulge the ecceu- | tricity of speaking humorously of Spot l dolphs nobody could deny him the right | certainly not a member of the younger | line.
 By the way" resumed the major.
 "since we've settled our business, and
 as 1t is some time before the dinner hour,
 might I suggest a little stroll about the | grounds?"
 | Ten minutes before, Mrs. Castleford
 would have found reasons for declining.
 but-was he not Spotdolph? She &C., | cepted the invitation, only adding that
 she would step up to their rooms and tell her daughter that she should be gone | for half an hour.
 As Mrs. Castleford disappeared in the door of the hotel Major Kent, despite his Spotdolph blood, indulged in a low but distinct whistle. Well, said the Spot dolphs were all right. I always said SO. And they are. She's what some folks would call fine figure of a woman. If the girls as good looking as her mother don't blame Bob. An. here she comes" :" The major rose and fairly beamed at the widow. He was sure that she had made some slight changes in her toi- let, and though, man-lilSe, he could not identify them he felt that they were all improvements and brought out more full ly her good points
 They walked down the broad path and along the narrower one to the edge of the hotel grounds.
 Shall we go down and across to that path overlooking the river which you