Arizona republican., 1908-02-13


 "A his runabOut in favor of tOuringcar and 4 A had a roof put on his house, he also
 laid in a ready made library. Previous to
 the installation of this collection of splendid bindings and uncut edges he had been permitted by urbane book agents who wore silk hats and gloves on the street to money in limited editions His wife liked to open these subscription books and look at the numbers
 Hopkins had vague idea that the lower your ber was the more secure was your standing a booklover but he was not sure.
 And in spite of the nine hundred dollars worth of the best literature of all ages which he had placed in hz library 1t took great deal of argument to make him sure that when the Literary and Culture Club elected him to membership the members of that ization were not having fun with him.
 q krow all about day books and lsdgers" he said, "and little about handbooks, but I'll make an aff- davit that I don't know enough about the old mas ters. living or dead to qualify a literary per son"
 But having been elected, he did the handsome thing Ee invited all the gorgeously gowned ladies of the Literary and Culture Club and those husbands who were sufficiently tanned to come with them to his herse He hired the best caterer in town. He bought q case of champagne He took the newspapers of t!c hbrary-t2ble where they hid a fine copy of Somebody's Visits" to the Homes of Some Other Persons ard he by, hot and uncomfortable for three solid hours while the members took down his books and raved over them.
 And he sent the treasurer check fer h:s dues in advance and gave her the names ot cor2lc oI cA12' in the hardware business that really needed eeya;ag along ethical and literary lines.
 Also he secured important business engagements at the time of the club meeting and arrived at the house where the club was in session just the mem bers were putting their hats and telling one an- other what lovely time they had enjoyed.
 But they caught George Hopkins at the next meet ing He was not present His wife made his cuses She said that he had n to New York to look at some new importations of books.
 He was in New York it was true but he was pur suing an arduous course of study at the theatres rather than the libraries or the auction-rooms.
 The morning he got back his wife met him at the door of his library.
 You guess, George. what has happened while you have been away" she said gayly
 "The cashier has run away or the typewriter has been married or the car is out of order" said the practical Hopkins
 You" said his wife, fixing upon him a lock of great pride you have been chosen as our next lee turer"
 I'll play the pianola for you" said MT. Hopkins "but I'll not lecture for one thousand dollars night never did such thing in my life At my age It's too late to begin. Who started this nominating con .yention for me, anyway"
 "Mr Pilsbury suggested it," his wife told him. and Mr. Haines said he thought it would be per. sectly fine He said that he knew you could tell the members many things they do not know"
 Those two hardware brigands." muttered Mir Hop kins as he stamped to the door
 And remember George" Mrs. Hopkins called to him the meeting Is Monday evening"
 They can have 1t at six o'clock Monday morning If they ike" answered Mir Hopkins "Im going to send in my resignation as get to the store When fed that club of yours did not know that 1t was going to punish by insisting upon me making a fool of myself"
 On his way downtown he thought seriously upon the futility of trying clamp culture gentle men in the hardware line He had to admit that they had evened up matters with him for putting them into the club
 He teephoned to each of them from the store and