The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-07-23

''The writing is the same" she an
nounced. "He would be convicted In
any court in the land. ! am an old
one and badly cut OF repair, and you
are clipper and climb hills like a
cat. II he doesn't leave the hotel this
evening we shan start for home in the
morning"
"But l won't go until we are sure
about it," replied the young lady, with
spirit.
"0h, well be sure enough about It.
Meanwhile at dinner tonight Wen give
Mr.. Paul Clifford the coldest snubblng
a man ever received. II you don't as
sist me III telegraph your father.
Wen see II he will put up with his
daughter being called a cat and de-
cided bargain. will do the snub-
blng, and you simply maintain your
dignity. Out Of repair, am II Wen
see IL he isn't worse Off"
The artist missed his half finished
eplstle, made search for 1t and final
ly indited another and mailed II away.
He came down into the parl0rs ten
minutes before dinner, hoping for
word or two with Miss Cleves.
She blushed at sight of him and
blushed still harder as he advanced.
but she stood on her dignlty-that Is,
she turned her head away-and In
some confusion he passed her and re-
marked to the aunt that 1t had been
fine day. Miss Cleves wheeled about
like a machine. and after fixing him
with cold glare lasting thirty sec
onds she icily replied
"Sir, you have made a mistake"
The artist fell back. He almost fell
over himself In doing so. So far as
he was concerned he might have fall
en- over the hotel and not been aware
of the fact. 1t was a summer frost,
and 1t nipped him hard. Had he turn
ed once more toward the girl he would
have found her pose as dlgnified as
before, but a look of something like
pity In her eyes.
Mr.. Clifford did not enter the din
Ing room. Frostbites take away
mans appetite He went out into the
dusk and sat down on bowlder and
imagined that he was Sherlock
Holmes, and after an hour or SO he
figured things out.
Then he sent telegram to friend
in the city-a friend who knew the
Cleves family well. That night he was
missed from parlors and verandas. He
could play and sing and recite, and
there were many inquiries for him.
When they were addressed to Miss
Cleves her reply was:
Excuse me, but l don't know the
party"
There was new arrival ut the hotel
next forenoon. He was closeted with
the artist for half an hour, and then
he hied him forth and found Miss
Cleves seated in grotto, still wonder
Ing how any man on earth dared to
write to another that she was an old
one. The interview which followed
was hot for the first fifteen minutes.
Then 1t gradually cooled off, though at
regular intervals for the next half hour
the woman in the case rose to her feet
and exclaimed:
"Yes, but how dared he write that
the old one was no good and out Of
repair? It's shocking, sir. It's dread
full It's something that l cannot for
give"
"But you know, Miss Cleves"-
"And how dared he speak of my dear
niece as climbing hill like q cat!
And how dared he refer to her as
scooter on the level! Think Of 1t, sir
scooter!"
"Bnt you now understand
"Why, if her father come to know
that she had been called a cat, a
scooter and a bargain, should trem-
BILE for the consequences"
Nevertheless, when man has expla-
nations that explain and when he goes
over those explanations often enough,
even an Indignant old maid must be
convinced at last SO 1t was with Miss
Cleves She finally melted. drew a
breath Of relief and. seeing Miss Eileen
strolling toward them, she called to
her:
"Oh, dearie, it appears that we have
| made an awful mistake. 1t transpires
that Mr. Clifford was writing to Mr..
CASTOR about couple Of autos that
the latter had asked him to look at.
Therefore am not an old one. and you
don't climb hills like cat. II you
can find Mr.. Clifford bring him here
and l will apologize"
Any artist who didn't pursue bis ad-
vantage after that deserved to be left
behind In the race.