Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-02-20

Dear Ar. Oldport, | think you men
toned tomorrow LET'S have 1t all at
one dose tomorrow signatures and
property and snappy rubber bands and
that smelly sealing wax and all. Hay"
luncheon with me? Well, I'll try to
remember to drop in at II tomorrow
Morning"
The Binker wealth was in lands,
tencments and hereditamCntS, as the
legal phrase goes. Lawyer Oldport had
once taken Alexander In his little pull
monary gasoline runabout to see the
many buildings and rows of buildings
that he owned In the city, for Ale"an-
der was sole heir. They had amused
Bllnker very much. The houses look
ed so Incapable of producing the big
sums of money that Lawyer OldpOrt
kept pIllng up In banks for him to
spend.
In the evening Blinker went to one
of his clubs, intending to dine. No
body was there except some old fogics
playing whist who spoke to him with
grave politeness and glarcd at him
with savage contempt Everybody was
out of town. But here he was kept
in like n schooboy to write his name
over and over on pieces of paper. His
wounds were deep.
Blinker turned his back on the fogies
and said to the club steward who had
come forward with some nonsense
about cold fresh salmon roe:
"SymOns, I'm going to Coney Is
land" He said 1t as one might say:
"Alrs off. I'm going to jump into the
river"
The joke pleased Symons. He laugh
ed within a sixteenth of Il note of the
audibility permitted by the laws gov
erning employees.
'Certainly, SIR" he Uttered "Of
course, sir, | think l can see you at
Coney, Mr.. Blinker."
Blinker got a paper and looked up
the movements of Sunday steamboats,.
Then he found cab at the first corner
and drove to a North river pier. He
stood in line, as democratic as you or
l, and bought ticket and was tram
pied upon and showed forward until at
last he found himself on the upper
deck of the boat staring brazcnly at
girl who sat alone upon a camp stool.
But Blinker did not intend to be bra
zen. The girl was so wonderfully good
looking that he forgot for one minute
that he was the prince mCOg. and be-
haved just as he did in society.
She was looking at him, too and not
severely. A puff of wind threatened
Blinker's straw hat. He caught it
warlly and settled it again. The
movement gave the effect of a bow.
The girl nodded and smiled, and in an
other instant he was seated at her
side. She was dressed all in white
She was paler than Blinllcr imagined
mllkmaids and girls of humble sta
tions to be- but she was as tidy as a
cherry blossom, and her steady, SUI
premely frank gray eyes looked out
from the intrepid depths of an un-
shadowed and untroublcd soul
"HOw dare you raise your hat to
me-? she asked, with a smile redeem
ed severity.
II didn't" Blinker said. But he
quickly covered the mistake by ex
tending it to 81 didn't know how to
keep from it after l saw you"
II do not allow gentlemen to sit by
me to whom | have not been intro
duced," she said with a sudden hHugh-
tiness that deceived him. He rose re
luctantly, but her clear, teasing laugh
brought him down to his chair again.
81 guess you weren't going far" she
declared, with beauty's magnificent
self confidence.
"Are you going to Coney Island?"
asked Blinker.
Mel" She turned upon him wide
open eyes full of bantering surprise
"Why, what question. Can't you
see that I'm riding a bicycle in the
park?" Her drollery took the form Of
impprtinence.
And | am laying brick on tall
factory chimney" said Blinker. May
not we see Coney together? I'm all
alone, and I've never been there be-
FORE
at depends" said the girl, ION how
nicely you behave. I'll consider your
application until we get there"
Blinker took pains to provide against
the rejection Of his application. He
strOve to please. To adopt the meta
phor of his nonsensical phrase, he laid
brick upon brick on the tall chimney
Of his devolrs until at length the struc-
ture vas stable and complete. The
manners of the best society come
around finally to simplicity, and as the
girls way was that naturally they
were on a mutual plane of communi-
cation from the beginning.
He learned that she was twenty and
her name was Florence, that she trim
med hats in a millinery shop, that she
lived In a furnished room with her
best chum, Ella, who was cashier In a
shoe store, and that a glass Of milk
from the bottle on the window sill and
an egg that boils itself while you twist
up your hair make a breakfast good
enough for any one Florence laughed
when she heard "Bllnker."
We'll" she said, 1T certainly shows
that you have Imagination. 1t gives
the Smiths a chance for n little rest,
anyhow"
They landed at Coney and were dash
ed on the crest of a great human wave
Of mad pleasure seekers into the walks
and avenues Of fairyland gone into
vaudeville.
With a curious eye, critical mind
and fairly withheld judgment Bllnker
considered the temples, pagodas and
/ kiOckc of DODulorizad 6alipbtS HOI