Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-10-13
MAIDS AND Al
| w MILLIONAIRE 81
BY Stuart 3. Stone.

Mr.. Pelham was much exasperated
when his big siX-cylinder Red Death
limped up to the Sign of the Brown
Flagon. There was mud on his back
and mud on his chauffeur's back and
all kinds Of broken little bolt-and-nut-
things groaned and tangled beneath
the car. Also Mr.. Pelham was raven.
ously, maddeningly hungry.
1t was because of these things that
Mr.. Pelham planned the most deli
cious sarcasm for the waiter who
should come for his order. He had in
mind to call the lingering attendant
Mr.. Tortoise and then to request him
to lubricate his joints.
And then the swinging doors opened
and something entered that choked
the half-uttered rage on the young
mans lips. The something was rosy,
radiant, brown-eyed chit, who smiled
saucily at Mr.. Pelham as she patted
her thick coiled hair.
"Your order, please?" she asked so
that the young man could not say
whether she TESTED.
Very doubtfully, very awkwardly he
commanded that roast beef and fish
and pale ale and paler cheese be
brought, and the brown-eyed girl dis
appeared, with the millionaire's eyes
following her closely. And Mr.. Pei
ham was not sure but that she snick-
cred
For 20 long minutes he sat at the
empty board until the pleasing reverie
of the brown-eyed maid gave gradually
away. At the ticking of the twenty
first minute the doors swung back
again and another dream passed be-
fore the gaze of the hungry man.
This was fairer, maturer vision-a
vision with hair like spun gold and
eyes like the Tuscan sky. The most
diverting dimple played upon the pink
cheek as she placed an empty" plate
and shining cutlery before the dazed
young man.
81 am desperately hungry, madam,
groaned Mr.. Pelham.
THE supper is in preparation" the
vision treasured him, as she seemed
to drift from the room.
For five minutes more Mr.. Pelham
half-dreamed. haIf-fretted, by his
empty plate; and then a great-limbed,
beauteous Juno appeared with bowl
of simmering, steaming stuff. This
she brought over to the wondering
man and would have set it before him,
but the toe of Juno caught on an
earthly chair and a third of the Juno
esque stew went-slosh!-in the mil.
lionaire's lap.
POUNDS, madam" ragged Mr.. Pei
ham. rs this den Of torture.
But Juno had gone, with the haugh-
test "Sir!" and Pelham could but
gobble the unspilled two-thirds while
he rubbed at his burned, soaked leg.
1t was a red-haired damsel who
brought Mr.. Pelham's meat, but the
creamy tinting of her features ap-
pealed to him most of ALL Still she
ruined his beef with overturned vine
gar and giggled. And the fifth, nut
brown maiden Of charm, stepped upon
his tenderest corn. And the last fair
maid smiled mockingly through clear
gray eyes as she asked If he was en-
tirely satisfied.
Entirely" beamed Mr.. Pelham.
Though it had taken two hours for the
feast of beef and beauty, Mr.. Pelham
was now really complacent. He nestled
behind the Adirondack Weekly Pho
neer, and the first thing was this:
Misses Eunice, Edna, Era, Elma,
Enrica and Elf, daughters Of Host
Palmer of the Brown Flagon, are at
home from Vassar."
"Well, blast mel" said Mr.. Pelham.
II didn't think they could be domes-
tics" He picked his gold-rimmed
teeth, then muttered in satisfaction:
'It is the prettiest place in the hills.
think l shall stay bit"
AS the shadows fell lights doomed
in the little parlor and the sounds Of
musical stunning came to Mr.. Pei
ham, at his smoking on the porch.
The music lured. At the window he
halted and peered in.
The gorgeous, glorious six sat, daz-
zlingly gowned, playing, laughing,
chattering, cooling in corners with gal
lants. Twenty-three SWANS from the
hills strolled about, turned music,
murmured compliments. looked ten
Derby From the corner nearest him
Mr. Pelham caught the words of q
silvery voice:
"Oh, that fellow in the auto-he was
a joke. We took the conceit out Of
him all right" and three young men
slapped their thighs, laughing in a
grating bass.
A hoarse voice rang out in the night.
It was Pelham, the young millionaire,
calling to his man of the goggles and
lever:
Bring the Red Death around. Who