Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-09-30

turned the letter face downward and
went on with the meal.
Il did not know that your mail
came 70 the club" said Merrihew.
IT doesn't. Only rarely letter
drifts this way"
We'll. 20 on and read It. Don't lot
me keep you from IL Some charmer.
I'll wager. Here pour al, my ndven.
lures INTO your ear. aud on my side
never So much AIS get q hint Of yours
Go oil. read it,
Adventures fddlesticks. The letter
can witt. 1t is probably a bill"
"A bill in fashionable envelope like
that?"
Hillard only smiled, tipped the cra.
Ole and retilled Merrihew's glass with
some excellent Romance Cont. "When
does Kitty sail?" he asked after awhile
Of silence -
"A week from this Saturday. Feb. 2
What the deuce did you bring up that
TORI I've been trying to forget it."
Where do they landw
Naples They open in Rome the
nrst week In March. All the arrange
ments are complete" After coffee
Merrihew pushed back his chair. .r'u
reserve a table In the billiard room
while you read your letter" 4
III be with yon shortly" crate
fully.
So with the inevitable black cigar
between his teeth Merrihew sauntered
on toward the billiard room. while
Hillard picked up his letter and
studied 1t. His fingers trembled slight
" as he tore open the envelope. The
handwriting, the paper, the modest
size. all these pointed TO a woman OF
culture and refinement But a subtle
spirit OF irony pervaded 1t all. She
would never have answered his print
ed inquiry had she not laughed over
1t, for pinned to the top Of the letter
was the clipping. the stupid. banal
clipping: WIN the lady who sang
from Nine. Angot' communicate with
gentleman who leaned out Of the win
dow? ]. H.. Burgomaster club"
There was neither a formal beginning
nor a formal ending. only four crisp
lines. But these implied one thing
and distinctly-the writer had no de-
sire for further communication with
gentleman who leaned out OF the win
dow" He read and reread slowly:
am sorry to learn that my singing dis.
turbed you. There was . reason. AT that
particular moment was happy.
That was all. 1t was enough. She
had laughed. She was a lady humor-
ously inclined. not to say mischievous.
A comic opera star would have sent
her press agent round to see what ad-
vertising could be got out Of the incl
dent; prima donna would have ap-
pealed to her primo tenor for the
same purpose. A gentlewoman surely:
moreover. she lived within the radius.
the official radius. Of the Madison
square branch Of the postoffice, for
such was the postmark Common
sense urged him to dismiss the whole
affair and laugh over 1t as 1.-The lady
In the fog" had done. But common
sense often goes about with pedant's
strut and is something to avoid on oc-
casions. Here was a harmless pastime
to pursue. common sense notwith-
standing. The vein OF romance In him
was strong. and all the commercial
blood of his father could not subju-
gate 1t. He rang for paper and a
messenger and wrote: Mime. Angot
There is a letter for you In the
mail department Of this Office" This
time his initials were aot necessary.
Once the message was on its way he
sought Merrihew whom he found
knocking the balls about In spiritess
manner
"A hundred to seventy-five DAN"
For what?"
For the mere fun of the game, Of
course"
MAKE 1t cigars. just to add inter-
est"