Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08
Mr. Costigans Expeditions Life Port" rna'.. e Brown.
= Porter Emerson Browne

fills pursued through the ramhcations Of his MIND
vague, indeerminate shapes ideas and plots and
plans One by he them down and caught
them to find that his clutching fingers held nothing
and that ne as bad OF His father would
not hear In point of fact he would not hear
anything, because whenever his son tried to speak
TO him he would Immediately begin to sing, and
would continue with his vocal exercises until his son.
too silent In this way he achieved mental con-
tentment because he knew what his son called
him. and he likewise accorded considerable comfort
to his son. who under the of HIS fathers voice.
could tell him lot of things that he wouldn't other
wise have dared to.
At the end of seven days, then, the son decided
that the only thing to do to go to the girl.
Maybe, he thought he could make her see reason.
Or perhaps he could buy her Off for he had consider
able money of his OF course she would prob
ably be dctatorial and aggressive and impertinent
and i'll bred and hashy and would and protest
that she loved his father and that the money made no
difference
1t seemed indeed forIorn hope--a very forlorn
hope But the son made up his mind to take it..
And he did
month later the elder Costgan clad In suit OF
ultramarine pajamas seated the edge of his
bed sucking lemon when at 3 O'Clock in the after
noon district messenger with letter for him.
When it was spread open to his gaze he blinked
Then he gave yell that brought the servants run
ming from all the house. and began to hop around
the room to the destruction of furniture brc-a-
brac. An illadvised kick at tumblng statuette of
the Venus of Milo caused him to suspend operations
and to sit down the floor and nurse his outraged
toe.
at length his man surreptitiousy picked up the
letter from where 1t lay upon the floor behind his
masters utramarine back He read:
Dear Father
Nora and were married this afternoon Knowing
You and your disposition we have decided that 1t s
best for all of us for my wife and myself, to go
abroad for year. When come back we shall
hope to find you reformed and repentant man in
stead OF luminous exponent Of the theory of second
childhood.
With lot of love and all the respect possible un-
der the circumstances
p S.--You certainly aren't lacking in aplomb. The
nrst Nora had heard of her engagement to you was
when asked her about it. When you become engaged
hereafter don't neglect to inform the lady
Mr. Costigan divided the next fortnight between
an attempt to locate his that he might send him
cabegram telling him what he thought of him and
an effort to phrase that message that it might not
be refused at the cable office In both endeavors he
failed, and signally. And he thereupon embarked
SO doing he made will disinhertng his son abb
soluely from all share whatsoever his possessions
and leaving the money for the establishing of brew
cry which would provide free beer for the poor
On a bright June afternoon year later just as
Mr.. Costgan about to set out for his Offices an
electric hanson rolled up In front of the house and
stopped And there dismounted from it tall, we'll
set-up good-lookng young fellow and 1.-the dark
haired girl who carried in her bundle of lace
and linen and ribbons and frls and furbelows.
Mr.. Costgan with his hand on the doorknob and
his foot in the air, gasped
Its Tim. be hivins!" he cried. IAN Moral"
For moment surprise obsessed him; and then, as
slowly his feeling of amazement died and there was
born in its place great and growing anger that
surged through him. from bald head to round feet he
charged wrathfully down the front steps shreking
like stricken rhinoceros.
The two by the hanson faced him unafraid. And
as he them his erstwhile stenographer with
deft little mother motion uncovered the bundle that
she carried and held it to him. whereat he stopped
short in his tracks mouth agape. and gazed with
wondering eyes from which the wrath had now fed
as completely though 1t had never been.
"A ba-aby, be hivins!" he exclaimed In hushed,
thick tones. IA ba-abyi Well Oill bel"
The mother nudged the heap of lace and ribbons
with slender finger.
Say grandpa sweetheart" she commanded,
softly
"Glug glug" returned the bundle amiably; and
the mother smiled up, proudly
Mr. Costgan still stood staring down upon the tiny
pnk-white face before him. Then after a long long
interval his little gray-blue eyes blinked few times
and he rubbed the back Of white kid glove
his hard chin.
"Ta-ake tn kid into tn house, Nora" he said.
Th' noight air plays tn divyle wild ba-abies.''
The son. going into his fathers room that evening
at 10 o'clock to bid him goodnight found that gentle
man standing in the middle of heap of ornate and
gaudy apparel In one hand he held small piece OF
plaid vest and in the other picture of his dead wife
"Oirn a gran'pa, Honoria," he said to the picture
as his son unheard entered the room aAn, ~ orr,