The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-23
HE STAGES A PLAY 40
AND TAKES A KISS @@g
IN REWyAIQl 0@

sets social politics to adapt my play
to such satire"
''Oh, I'll do that for you,7 she kindly
replied
And, Uncle Silas, she did, and with
such wit that was amazed, and frank
ly said so; the--more amazed because
her writing is daintily witty, whereas
her speech, as you recall, is calculated
to Impress hearers with the belief that
her vocabulary is as limited as it is
brusque.
You are deueedly bright, Polly"
said, and then blushed to hear myself
call her by her first name. She over
looked that, or seemed to, but laughed
heartily at my use Of the word ''deuc-
edly." You are transformed mani"
she declared. laughing. your use of
'deucedly' tells more than all your tai
lor's extrayagances, your horses, clubs
petlts soupres, than anything else.
Bravo, Reuben!"
Mrs. Lacquerres arrangement of my
modest little play changed the rival
kings into queens; andNthey, with their
following of native girls, furnished the
feminine portion Of the cast, and diplo-
mats and naval officers called for the
services of number of my men
friends. Mrs. Lacquerre played one of
the queens, and Aunt Sarah the other.
and~their witty hits at the brass band
set rivals kept my audience in merry
mood. My part in the play was the
German consul, whose duty it is to
make a final decision as to the rival
claims to the throne. Mrs. Lacquerre
was the queen in whose favor / was to
decide, and the action required that
queen and consul rub noses, as is the
custom among the natives, as assign Of
amicable relations. Mrs. LacQuerre
looked bewitching. having given rein
I, feva H0c
being a person of notable loveliness-
SO, at the moment our faces approach
ed to rub noses, a sudden spirit of mis-
chief, which few months ago l would
have considered myself incapable of
harboring, made me salute her lips
with mine, in lieu of the nose rubbing.
The audience saw, and laughed heart
lily at my daring, but Aunt Sarah Sc
verely reproached me for the act as
soon as chance afforded her undisturb-
ed opportunity. Aunt Sarah reminded
me that such an act was most unbe-
coming at any time, but in her pres
ence it came near being an insult, not
alone to her, but to her daughter, my
charming cousin Josephine. My dear
aunt was emphatic in expressing her
hope that my indeeorous act did not
portend any return Of my warmth Of
affection for Mrs. Lacquerre and was
appeased only when l assured her Of
the Unconditional nature of our friend
ship. Mrs. Lacquerre laughed the in
cident away, as the others did in pub
lic but later took me to task about it
in terms which proves her possessed
of still another unexpected vocabulary.
'It was darn fool trick of you to
do' she said to me. mot that am
objecting to being kissed in public
the more pubic the less harm. That's
not the point. You are queering your
own prospects, and that is evidence of
a lack of wit hate to see-in YOU"
MY own prospects," exclaimed.
Surely" she replied. "Here you are,
trying to get my gal to marry you, and,
knowing what crank she is about the
conventionalities, you get gay in just
the way which will take you months to
square. For a man who is in love with
Frances you seem to know precious lit
tie about her makeup"
For some reason this view of the sit
uation vexed me, but / politely re-
sponded to Mrs. Lacqperre: 1T is true.