Mexico Missouri message., 1906-04-05
THE LION OF
THE EVENING
By BEArRIx NALLAM
tcOPJrisst, 100, ~ JOssph . BOvis..,


iison Ward, author Of the fashionable
novel Dust to Dust"
Jack Leyden lazily put out hand.
opened a bracket cupboard that was
within reach of his comfortable chair
and distracted therefrom a spoon. He
held II out to his friend.
"Oh! how extremely funny you are
this evening. my boy!" said Teddy.
You must really save such brilliant
Jokes for your next book. Think Of the
trouble you'll have to find another!'
There, there" said Leyden sooth-
ingly
"Beastly sell your going to dinner
party tonight" continued Teddy.
Perhaps you'll do my dinner party
for me instead?" suggested Leyden.
You're welcome to it, for Of all the slow
institutions a dinner party where you
don't know a soul is the worst"
what, when you are the lion Of the
EVENING"" said Teddy, enviously. Sud
denly he was all alive. "Tell you what,
Lnyden-I've an idea. C'No?" inter
polatei the other in so gentle a voice that
Teddy flowed on undisturbed) rip
ping idea: You know how often we've
been mistaken for each other?"
Teddy" and Leyden sat up in his
chair, IF you are about to suggest the
extremely original idea that you should
go to that dinner party as the famous
novelist (ahemD Ellison Ward allow
me to tell you on good authority that
Queen Anne is dead
Teddy looked crestfallen.
But listen" he said. persuasively,
walking up and down the room. After
all there's nothing new under the sun.
And. d'you know only yesterday great
giant of fellow came up to me and gave
me a resounding slap on the back with
hearty Well, Jack, my boy! We've
both got blue eyes and lightish hair, and
we're pretty much the same build, ami
you only know your hostess, and that
very slightly, and I'm sure not to meet
anyone l know"
But you haven't even read the book
properly through, have you?" asked
Leyden of his scatter-brained friend.
"Oh, that's soon remedied. YOWlend
il to me for one hour, and I'll engage to
be letter perfect by the end of that time"
Il don't see how you are to manage it,"
said Leyden, weakly, but Teddy was
half way down the stairs.
II.
You must let me introduce you to my
daughter she is most anxious to know
you" said Mrs. Leland co Teddy in her
most gracious manner.
AS the latter followed his hostess
across the room he felt, to use his own
picturesque phraseology. that he was
in for it now and no mistake" However,
since retreat was impossible, he re-
solved to pull himself together and to get
As much fun out of It as was possible
AS for the book, he had read it through
most thoroughly, all but the last chap
ter, which he had only time to glance at,
but he could certainly guess at most OF
what it contained
Mrs. Leland came to a stop before a
pretty dark girl standing in a little
circle of people.
Elsie" she said, this is Mr.. Jack
Leyden, who writes, you know"
Teddy bowed. He resolved that moth
ing should make him commit himself to
any fact about that book. He would
be very lawyer for caution.
However, either Miss Leland did not
think it in good taste to begin about his
book, or she felt shy.
How thankful Teddy was! Seems to
me / understand what gratitude really
feels like, for the first time!" he thought.
But just as he was in the middle of a
relation of one of his most barefaced ex-
PLOTS, and just as his auditor was giving
him a most interested and bewitching
glance out of her violet eyes, who should
he see across the room but great pal of
his, by name Harry Ross.
why, Teddy, who'd have thought OF
meeting you here?" cried his friend.
Teddy's smile of welcome was truly
diabolical to witness.
Il say, Ross, you know" he said with
what he fattered himself was admirable
self-possession, 81 wish you wouldn't
call me nicknames now, It was all very
we'll at school" This was accompanied
by an expressive frown, for had not Mrs
Leland distinctly introduced him to heI
daughter as Mr.. Jack Leyden?
Ross face expressed bewilderment
He could not imagine what BranscombC
meant by grimacing in that awful way
at him.
why Bra" he was beginning, wheI
Teddy seized his arm and dragging hin
away. said in a low tone-men can
whisper
I'm Jack Leyden tonight. Jack Ley
den remember" And as the other stare,
blankly at him, everybody began to go II
70 dinner. and little Mrs. Leland was a
his elbow again saying:
You will take my daughter In"
AS soon as they were seated at tn
dinner-table Teddy took a glance at tn
lady on HIS left. He gained an impress
sion Of handsome warm-broWr firing
which Refused to melt into the full brow,
nalr at the sides Of the head. and OF a
expanse Of bony neck and shoulders
He turned to Miss Leland. What prett