Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-01-22
A Modern
Bachelors Romance
By j. j. BELL
tAuthor Of Wee MacGreFor.' Etc.

BY j. j. BELL

1t was a November evening. nearly
nine O'Clock. at which hour The Easy
Goers were due TO meet their worthy
president,
Mr. Perry Parkin delighted to enter
tam such appreciative guests as the
Easy Goers, and looked forward to four
or five hours of cheerful relaxation.
THAT must be- M~artingale." he said
to himself as the doorbell was sudden
" and violently rung. "Martingale's
always the first and the hungriest,
poor fellow
Mrs. Phigg, the housekeeper. entered
the dlniug-room, bearing a small tray,
upon which lay a telegram.
An! Perhaps some one can't come.
What a PITY" he murmured, tearing
open the envelope.
What, what-what's this? .
Good life!"
He read the telegram again.
Aunt Eliza has eloped with the or
ganist. | can't stay here, so will come
to see you. Arrive $3.50 tonight.
Mary"
Mr.. Perry Parkin groaned and paced
the floor with uneasy steps. "Of all
the nights for her TO come here." he
muttered. And | haven't seen her for
years-not since she was a child, and
rather an obnoxious one. Don't sup
pose Ia know her if l met her on the
street; but l suppose my having sent
her birthday and Christmas presents
regularly has caused her to regard me
as a sort of friend in need. Well, we're
both practically alone in the world so
far as near relations go. Hullo! Mar
tingaie, delighted to see you" Perry
stopped in his walk and shook hands
with his guest, a gentleman who
looked like a retired colonel, but who
Vas really a traveller in low priced,
more or less, mechanical toys-penny
jumping jacks, tin fish, squeaking dolls,
dancing niggers, and so forth.
Internally cold tonight, Parkin,"
remarked Mr.. Martingale, warming his
hands at the glowing fire.
A minute later appeared a quartette
of gentlemen, each of whom the trav-
eler in mechanical toys professed him
self Internally glad" to see; and
shortly afterwards, the last of the
guests having been welcomed, the
party sat down to supper.
This is an Internally fine duck, Par
kin" observed Mr.. Martingale from the
foot of the table, as he savagely hacked
at the plump carcass in front Of him.
"Glad you think So" said Mr.. Par
kin, e~ndeayoring to shake off his nerv-
what are you having, b.
land?" he asked a quiet-lOoking little
man with a large, shiny, dome-like
head who sat on his left. "Will you
have chicken or chuck-I mean"
Thanks, l will have chicken. Hope
I see you well, Parkin," said the little
man.
"Oh, I'm all right" replied Perry,
with an effort at a smile. The fact
is, gentlemen he said, raising his
voice so that the general conversation
ceased, the fact is that ] have IA
relative coming here tonight, and l
shall presently beg you to be so kind
as to excuse me for half an hour, and
not consider my leaving you for that
time as a breach of or hos
pitality. / did not know my-my rela-
tive was coming until shortly before
supper
Don't mention it, Parkin," said half
the company, and Mr.. Martingale add
ed: I'm sure we'd all be Internally
glad to meet your relation, if he
1T is a-a-fe-female relative,
stammered Perry.
Just then, to his intense relief, Mrs.
Phigg entered and whispered that his
cousin had arrived. With an apology
to his %dumfounded guests, the host left
the table.
1T must be an aunt" said Mr..
Wragg TO those about him.
Well" remarked Mr.. Martingale,
zone doesn't usually get Internally red
when an aunt pays a visit. HIM!
him! Another bit of duck, Robin
SOM"
Mr.. Perry Parkin opened the parlOr
door and stepped in as he might have
done had his destination been a cold
bath on a frosty morning.
Are you very angry?" The words,
softly spoken, reached him ere he
could touch her hand.
Angry? How could he be angry with
this pretty, graceful creature who
smiled at him in a half-shy, half-con-
hdent fashion? He hadn't a word to
say; but his hand-shake satisfied her
Il had no one else to go to, you
know. l couldn't bear to stay with
anyone in Breakdown after Aunt Eliza
making such a stir. And so l came to
you, Perry"
He started. 1t was so long since a
had called him by his first
name. "You-you did right, Mary" he
said, awkwardly.
We'll. l thought you would be able
to tell me of a nice boarding house, or
something of the kind, where I could
stay till l made up my mind about the
But your neutrality-suspicious.
old thing!-seemed to expect me to