The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-07-26
THE SPENDERS
A TALE OF THE THIRD GENERATION
By HARRY LEON WILSON
By HARRY LEON WILSON
Copyright, by Lothrop Publishing Company.

at this moment? Why doesn't a fire
make its own escape, Mrs. Carstep-
Jamwuddle?"
II don't believe you feel right, eth
er. I just know you've got an awful
headache right now. Do let the man
give you a nice piece of this steak"
Don't, I beg of you. Lady Ashmor-
ton! The suggestion is extremely re-
pugnant to me. Besides, I'm behaving
this way because I arose with the pure
ly humorous fancy that my head was
fine large accordion, and that some
meddler had drawn it out too far. I'm
sportively pretending that I can press
1t back into shape. Now you and sis
never get up with any such light poetic
notion as that. You know you don't
don't attempt to deceive me-" He
glanced over the table with swift dis
approval.
Strawberries, oatmeal, rolls. steak
three inches thick, bacon, omelette-
oh, that I should live to see this day!
It's disgracefla! And at your age
| before your own innocent woman
child, and leading her into the same
excuses. Do you know what that
breakfast is? No; I'll tell you. That
breakfast is No. 70 in that book of
Mrs. Rorer's, and she expressly warns
everybody that it cen be eaten safely
only by steeple-climbers, piano NOV
ers and sea captains. Really, Mrs.
Wrangleberry, blush for YOU"
II don't care how you go on. You
amt looked we'll for months"
But think Of my great, big heart
heart like an ox"-he seemed on the
verge of tears-"and to think that you
woman I have never treated with
anything but respect since we met in
Honduras in the fall of '93-to think
you should throw it up to my own face
that I'm not beautiful. Others there
are, thank God, who can look into a
mans heart and prize him for what
he is-not condemn him for his mere
superficial blemishes"
!. "And just know you've got in with
fast set. I met Mr.. Milbrey yester-
day in the CORRIDOR"
did he tell you how to make a
lovely asparagus shortcake or some
thing?"
HE told me those men you go with
so much are dreadful gamblers, and
that when you all went to Palm Beach
last February you played poker for
money night and day, and you told
me you went for your health!"
'Oh, he did did he? Well, didn't
get anything else. He's a dear old
soul, if you've got the copper handy.
If that man was a woman he'd be a
warm neighborhood gossip. He'd be
the nice kind old lady that starts
things, that's what Hoddy Milbrey
would be-
And you said yourself you played
poker most of the time when you went
to Aiken on the car last month";
ITO be honest with you, ma, we did
play poker. Say, they took it Off of
me so fast I could feel myself catch
ing cold.''
There, you see-and you really
ought to wear one of those chamois-
skin chest protectors in this damp
| climate
well, we'll see. If l can find one
that an ace-full won't go through I'll
snatch it so quick the man'll think
he's being robbed. Now I'll join you
ladies to the extent of some coffee,
and then I want to know what you two
would rather do this summer than
"Of course said Psyche, mo one
stays in town in summer"
Exactly. And I've chartered a
steam yacht as big as this hotel-all
but. But what l want to know is
whether you two care to bunk on it
or whether you'd rather stay quietly
at some place, Newport perhaps, and
| maybe take cruise with me now and
then"
"Oh, that would be good fun. But
here's ma getting so can't do thing
| with her, on account of all those beg
gars and horrid people down in the
sums"
Mrs. Bines looked guilty and feebly
deprecating. 1t was quite true that in
her own way she had achieved a repu-
tation for prodigality not inferior to
that acquired by her children in ways
Of their own.
"You know it's so, ma the daughter
went on, accusingly. lone night last
winter when you were away we dined
at the Balldridge's, in Eighty-sixth
street, and the pavements were 50
sleety the horses couldn't stand, SO
Col. Balldridge brought us home in the
Elevated, about II o'clock. Well, at
one of the stations a big policeman
got on with little baby all wrapped
up in red flannel. He'd found it in an
areaway, nearly covered with snow
where some one had left it, and he was
taking it down to police headquarters
he said. Well, ma went crazy right
away. She made him undo it, and then
she insisted on holding it all the way
down to Thirty-third street. One man
said it might be president of the
United States, some day; and Col
| Ra116ridpa said. rplypou,r