The sun., 1908-07-19
THE LITTLE RED
| COVERED BOOK
Smithers and Gentleman George
csrry Away at Least
One Prize.

~
with the muocury bilin' over. Without a
clint in our clothes or odder roof than a
lid over our heads, we roamed the town in
search OF that change in our luck whicn
cudn't be for the wuss.
Just as there are some wild burds which
emudge from the storrum more beautyus
Of plumage. 80 misfortune seemed to touch
Gentleman George Ringgold with a more
refined gintleness than marked his orasher
days. There was a soft and sombre melan
choly which gev to his Mobile features
the distincshun Of wandering prince i'll
disguised For the .rist, he was wearing his
bist clothes-for lack Of odders.
We stopped in the gaping tunnel to
great office building to enjoy the cool and
perhaps work the crowd; and though move
on lively was tho cry Of the starter. that
dispot eyed large oortyusly as he stud.
hat in hand, at wan side. his hyperborean
locks tossin' careless over his lronio brow.
and with me. little in the rear. In the roll
OF decayed detainer.
Equally interested and admiring, too,
were the looks Of dried up old man. who
might have been born and reared In snun
box, who sidled troo the corridor only to
sidle back again for anudder spy along his
inquisitive nose But large was detached.
distracted; raped be the high t'oughts
that come from low ivin'.
felt touch on my arm. 1t was the
snufy old man a-snuffin'.
Am wrong in Judging that your friend
and you have more leisure than meansf'
he whispered.
$50 near right that We stands ready to
trade hull lot Of the wan for little Of
the odder,' answered.
without quisohuning the motives Of
your employer
"N you drives that motor Of yours troo
the Tin Commandments, we won't ask you
to slow up for the pieces
offer farms to suit.
The rear single office on the top floor to
which this stranger led us had the words
-Guerin. Genealogist" on Its door. Within
and crowded as a card catalogue; Guerin
took down a little red covered book. all
tiled with scrip, and skinned its pages for
a while Like bowlegged Nome.
MIR. Ambrose Mcknight. the multi
millionaire contractor at lengt' he said.
will be pleased to intertain at his sub
bubban home the eccintrio Earl of Lom-
bardo and his eldest son. Lord Roland
Ayres. with view to matrimon al dalliance
between the latter and Miss Floesie
which bein' july interpreted, old hundrid
per cint..' snapped large like a whip.
means that We are to be cappers for your
swindlin game.
AT q fair and rashunal remunerashun.'
returned Guerin gravely. Why shudn't
it be SO whin alone have med 1t possible
perpared the way without doubt or quibble.
deranged for privacy and recepshun incog.
established the titles and certified to the
estates. drayed the marriage eontraets-
you might almost say signed thin. Why
not. l ask7 Wud you deprive me Of the
Just fruits Of me life work."
And with that he told an amazin' tale
of how he won the confidence Of the coarse
notices. s. Cutoheons. fambly trees runnin'
back to Charley Maine and Hiram A. BIZ;
stuffin' thin so full of sham and pretince
tnat in the ind he was entrusted with the
International giving away in marriage Of
their daughters.
Il takes my time,' he concluded; Il works
by mysilf. In this book are the names
OF hundrid clients whom have fitted out
with ready made distinoshun. Ocoasunally
whin have proper material in hand. such
had dried into puddles fish oudn't be moro
eager for bait
sBut Smithers. here large OBJECTED.
quite UNNECESSARILY fought. 'he doesn't
Neither dooes the nobility. explained
Guerin. -Tis but q step from eoronashun
to the chamber of horrors. They expect
the Earl TO be ecnintrio. tell you; Your
red nosed friend wud have 70 outdo him
sih TO stretch that word .
And so We got down to business, and
whin we got up found Ourselves in chains.
Still. Guerin was wonderfully fertile In
providing for. livery contingency. and
liberal. even lavish with his outfit: In
luxury, with all the possibilities of luck
whin It. tuns from the wuss.
-I'll make up to Flossie. all right. Smith
ers,' said large on the train goin' down;
@but II this queer old chap with his queer
shud see fit to disappear. and We cud get
hold Of that little red book Of his-well, I
wudnt dream that dwelt In mobile halls.
I'd dwell there"
This thought kept persistin in Jarge's
mind durin the next fortnight. While
nawthin' cud be more spontan'us and un-
reserved than our wilcome. still Flossie
did not measNre up to the promise Of her
name. case Of arristed devilopmint.
l shud call her, a poor. scrawny little creetur
with weak eyes and frightened lips. as IL
oho had been half crushed between those
great movable household idles. her hotty
father and her silly mar. OF carse. she
accepted their plans for her future. but
unly with the sublime sif -objurgashun Of
Jizzybel's darter whin she faced the lines
in the fiery furnace.
l don't say that large didn't fascinate
Flossie. Again and again seen her green
ish blue eyes tunned towards him. as cat
might look at king; but there was coun-
tercharm to work in the prisence Of young
Hubert Dole. that was old Meningitis
private SECRETARY.
Intimet relashuns are apt to perduce a
union of opposhets. AS NICK night was
pompous. arrogant and ignorant. 80 Dole
was muddest timid and we'll informed. A
wholesaler in freckles. a retailer in pimples.
with goggles as a pummanent ventur' on
the side. Dole had the surprised and fright
ened way with him that 30 marked Flossie.
II annywan In the game Of life was drawin'
to pair Of nervous fdgits. thin two cud
have filed the hand. P'raps 1t was fear that
had drawed thin to each odder, Just as
skeered lambs and mice scurry close and
huddle togedder. At all evints, prior to
our comm there had been some mutooal
tinderness. as large realized much to his
Doorly disguised dispust