Putnam patriot., 1908-10-16

was fo be youDz again. Even ner worst eneprv must have been forcei 10 admit that 6ay the complexion fffsf aniehca fss Perkins was three A brand. and thai fbe moxemeDis Of tbe oil datae aroHnd fbe room had all the iifhesess of giElaood
 After fhe mf#dsy iHneh she becanae peiUlanf and usfvoBs and Gnaiiy dT9fe Perkins awHy fa sIt bF herself siie thus secured aB interval in whieh fo pack suaH trunk with the things slie 8euid need alaaHd tue yacht Al the dinner hour she had the meat served ia her rooms S4e ate sparipgiy, but drank rather more thar usual of her fayoriie brand of wine IL is needless to add that be bottle passed througa the hands of Perkins before taking its place on the tafie.
 Half an hour after diDner my lady felt drowsy and retired for nap She could sleep for two or three hours and then have plenty Of time to turn the key on the unsuspecting Perkins.
 Her purs were laid aside for the
 
 nonce. her complexion secured against accident. and she laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep like q tired child --or gFandmother However. when The count drove ID soon after 10 o'clock he found my lady ready and waiting. and the drive 10 the quay was quickly made
 En route he wanted to inquire If there had been much trouble in dis posing of the watchdog. but as his companion seemed disinclIned for con versation he decided 10 let the point stand over until later They went on board the yacht at once, and my lady was handed over to the care Of the stewardess She might have inquired aboard yet but she didn't. She didn't seem to care
 The count and the captain bad had their morn ng cocktails and were hum grily awaiting fhe appearance of my lady and breakfast. when she sailed into the cahin affer night of sleep broken at intervals by chuckes that seemed to chuckle of their own ac- cord
 She had smile Of serenity on her face, and she st down to the table with gael appetite The captain deffed his eap aud made his bow. The count stafted te da the same thing. but caught his hgeail and then yelled.
 Ii was ierl ius Perkins the jewel Perkins tie Hatehdos Perkins the ail around best ever she Has calm. She was trnnquil she waa very much at home
 She excused the absence of my lady on the grounds of very pressing ep- gAgement and promised, as her sub stitute. 10 enleF every hour of the trip so kindly planned and so ausplciously begun.
 II was q breakfast with firecrackers and Roman candies tied to It. Every minute or two there was a snapping and cracking. and every minute or two something would go of The count cursed and rayed and tore his hair. the captain grinned and chuck led and Perkins said she hadn't en- joyed a breakfast so much in many moons.
 It was soon discovered that she and the count we're not en rapport and coundnt view matters in the same light In fact. they speedily decided that they didn't want to be found drowned ia the same Mediterranean sea If the disappointed and eurslng man had had Perkins afar en the desert or on sone lonely mountain peak he would have gladly wrung her neck. but oil tie yacht there were re straiuts
 Of course the craft put back. When Perkins reached the hotel she found my lady in teafs and her complexion ruined for life The count left Nice the same evening without having called; the cantnln of the yacht had nc news for reporters and to this day there are not half dszen people who ean elevate their eyebrows and ieak know ingly when certain name is mentioued.
 Perkins did not take advantage of the circumstance as another might slse simply used the incident as lever when she wanted 10 cut short another filtration. After she had stated her case with the force aud clearness of an attorney at law she would hold up forefnger and conclude with
 ,.Cut II short. my lady I may not te there next time te doctor your wine and take your place, and then what would the world say2.'