Richmond daily palladium., 1906-01-29


but my word for it, you'll regret il
inside of "a hours. You are graduate
Of the proudest military school in the
world. and you are going to make
groom of yourself."
I've already done that and been
locked up overnight You are wasting
your breath, Chuck"
well, hang you for jackass, sure
enough. | promise; but if you get into
any such scrape as this, you needn't
send for me. l refuse to help you
again"
II can't exactly see that you did
LET'S get out. Got a. cigar in your
pocket? am positively dying for a
smoke
Suddenly brilliant idea came To me
Did you know that Miss Annesley
the girl you saw on sn!phoard. is in
Washington and was at the embassy
last night?"
No! You don't say!'' He was too
clever Tor me. when get through
with this exploit, Nancy'll have TO in
troduee nae Did YOU see herr"
8 Yes, and talked to her. You see
what you missed by not going last
night"
Yes, / missed a good nights rest
and cold bath in the morning.
Where shall | say you were last
night?' l asked presently.
Mister James struck his chin dis
eoncertedly. Il hadn't thought of that
Say that | met some OF the boys and
got mixed up III little game of
poker"
You left your hat on the rack and
your cane in the stand You are sup
posed to have left the house without
any hat
Hat" He jumped up from the cot
on which he had been sitting and
picked up the groom'S tile. Didn't
you bring me a hat?"-dismayed
"You said nothing about it,"-and
roared with laughter,
How shall I get out of here? /
can't wear this thing through the
streets"
"I've a mind to make you wear it.
And, by Jove. you shall! You'll wear
1t to the hatter's or stay here. That's
final. never back down, either"
"Ill wear 1t: only mark me, I'll get
even with you. I always did"
II am not a boy any longer,"-with
an infection on the personal pronoun
We'll, to continue about that excuse.
You left the house without a hat, and
you met the boys and played poker
all night. That bitches Wonderfully.
You didn't feel well enough to go to
the embassy. but you could go and play
poker. That sounds as if you cared
a lot for your sister. And you wanted
to stay at home the first night, because
you had almost forgotten how the in
side of private dwelling looked. Very
good; very coherent"
Cut it, Chuck. What the deuce ex-
cuse can ! ?"-worriedly lighting
the cigar had given him. ~.y-
"My boy, I'm not making up your
excuses you'll have to invent those.
I'll be silent, but refuse to lie to Nan
cy on your account Poker is the only
excuse that would carry any weight
with It, You will have to let them be-
you are. if you persist in this idiotic
exploit"
You don't understand, Chuck. l
wish | could tell you; honestly, do
The girls will have to think mean
things of me till the farce is over /
couldn't escape If wanted to-
els 1t Miss Annesley, Bob? Was 1t
she whom you ran. away with? Come
make a clean breast Of it, If it's she
why, hat altogether alters the face of
things"
He walked the length of the cell
and returned. 81 give up. You've hit
it. You understand now. | simply
can't back away; couldn't if tried. .
Are you in love with the girl?"
That's just what want TO find out,
Chuck, I'm not sure. I've been think
ing of her night and day never had
any affair; don't know what love is.
But if it's shaking in your boots at
the sound of her name, if it's getting
red in the face when you only just
think of her, If it's having wild de-
sire to pick her UP and run away with
her when you see her, then I've got it.
When she stepped out of that con-
founded carriage last night, you could
have knocked me over with paper
wad. Come, let's go out. Hang the
hat! Let them laugh if they will.
It's only couple of blocks to the hat
ter's." t.s,r .1- Ell IT,. .t. f..
He bravely put the white hat on his
head and together we marched out of
the police-office into the street. We
entered the nearest hatter's together.
He took what they call drop-kiEk out
of the hat, sending it far to the rear
of the establishment. l purchased a
suitable derby for him, gave him ten
dollars for emergencies, and we parted.
He proceeded TO a.telegraph office and
sent dispatch to a friend up north,