The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-01

you Just come rlgnL up tO LHS hoAsST an make yourself at home. My house is the proper stopping place for my old friends and their folks, says he. So dad-that's a Lew Brankin, of Placer-he says to me this morning, when l come away from home with load of horses; Butch, says he; just you go up an stop with Si Gilson. I've knowed him for ages, an he's a good feller, ali right An so,' was the hurried but cheerful conclusion, T come''
 I'm sure Mr. GilsOn will be glad to see yOu," said Mrs. Gilson, sweetly, but inwarsly furious. Hes always glad to see his old friends. Won't you take an easy-chaid while I telephone him at the office and see if he can't come straight home"
 .''Oh, yes, Butch Brankin, of course" responded Mir. Gilson promptly. "Old Lew Brankin's youngest. We'll, Mary, we've got to treat him handsome. The Brankins control a lot of votes we've needed be- fore, and we'll need again some time. And he's really a descent young fel- low, though I expect he looks pretty rough"
 No, Nary with growing frmness as Mrs. Gilson sweetly suggested that perhaps he could come home at once and visit with MT. Brankin-'I can't possibly leave the office until five o'clock, anyway. An important off in hai an hour, and I've got other work later. You'll have to give up the bridge for once, Mary, seems to me, and bt good to the boy a little. I'm sorry to ask it, and of course you must please yourself about complying, but it would be a great favor to be if you'd be pleasant about it. Take him for drive
 Mrs. Gilson, conscious that the wis itor, restlessly moving about in the parlor, could hear every word she ut tered, was compelled to refrain from the relief of plain speech. She said good-by with forced sweetness and hung up the receiver with bang. Then she telephoned the club member who was entertaining the group that afternoon that an important happen ing, tobe explained later, would pre- vent her attendance. She was miser- ably certain that the disappointed hostess would not soon forgive her defectionA half an hour before time for the playing to begin, and this certain ly added fuel to the heat of her not unnatural indignation. But she re- turned to the parlor, grimly deter mined to do her duty by her husband and his friend
 Would you like to take a drive in the park with me?" she inquired, but the youth shook his head promptly.
 ''I get so much of the trees and the road out hime," he exclaimed, that I'd rather change off a little when I come to the city, Couldn't we go to the theayter for while?"
 Mrs. Gilson, inwardly thanking Providence that 1t was too late to comply with this suggestion, ex- plained the fact to her visitor Then she removed her bonnet and gloves, ordered some iced Lemonade and wa fers, and endeavored to make MT. Brankin a degree less uncomfortable than he seemed. Tt seems a little warm here, don't you think???' she suggested. Wont you remove your coat?"
 She meant, of course, the long, old- fashioned bay garment that Mr. Brankin evidently regarded with nri1 unconventonable youth read into her words the whole-sound home meaning, He not only removed his Overcoat, but also the shorter coat beneath it, Mrs. Gilson crimsoned at the maids irre- pressibe glance at his shirt sleeves, but said nothing. Simon had directed her to be good to MT Rankin; she would make no halfway sacrifice.
 When MT. Brankin, after much nervous precipitation and many strange grimances, confessed that his new patent leather shoes were flair murderin his feet" she offered the re- lief of paid of her husbands slip pers. They went up to Mir. Gilson's room to procure these and Mrs. GIL son, innocently turning into the sec ond floor "den," sacred to similar uses, hoped the visitor would remain there. But no, indeed
 q think it's more cheerful-like downstairs" he presently announced, looking wisefully from the window. 'I sorter like to see the street."
 And in the parlor window, coatless but delighted, he sat all afternoon, while Mrs. Gilson, entertaining group after group of the fashionable callers, who never before. had eected to ap- pear on other than her recognized days" suffered mental agonies with the calm smile of stoic. Her only relief lay in sweetly explaining that Br. Brankin was the son of an old friend Mr. Bilson had known as a boy in the country. MT. Brankin, with a desperate desire to be agreeable and to shine in society, added intimate de- tails and particulars with an ungram- nautical vim that greatly amused the other guests, Mrs. Gison' sought in vain an opportunity quietly to deny herself to visitors for the rest of the day. When MT. Gilson at last made his appearance his exhausted wife re- tired to her own room and dropped fiat on the sofa, utterly regardless of the fine new gown.
 "I'd rather clean house for week than go through a siege like that again." she remarked, responsibility,