The Democratic advocate., 1909-04-23

decided that he must be hurried down
in her automobile.
IT was a swift machine that had
been bought especially for her use by
her mother. Jim had steadfastly re-
fused to learn to drive it. But Grace
decided that it would not do to have
the chauffeur drive Jim on such an
errand, for fear of gossip among the
servants. She came to the brave de-
cision that she would drive the ma
chine herself.
It was q very worried and excited
man who ran to her at the gate of the
railroad station. 'Tell me what 1t
means, Gracev' cried he.
Grace Garrison had faced the sacrt
fee. but she was a woman. Her race
grew stern and cold She replied that
a crowded station was hardly the
Mace for such condolences and waited
silently till he was in the automobile.
Then, when they were whizzing on
their way to Long Island, she looked
fxedly at Jim and without a Word
handed to him the telegram from Far
rington.
Jim read it silently. His face de-
noted some distress, but it denoted
more bewilderment.
"T'm awfully sorry The Girl is dying,
he said. "It sort of breaks me up.
But if she had to die I wish that ]
had been left in peace till had nm
ished business in Kentucky. l was
Just closing very profitable little
transaction"
Grace looked at him in shocked
amazement. Jim stared at her and
opened his mouth to say something,
but thought better of it. Grace turned
her face away to hide her tears, which
she could not repress, try as sne
would. She did not trust herself to
speak except once or twice to ask the
direction from Jim. The last time she
fancied that she heard him chuckle,
but dismissed the idea as a morbid
fancy.
Harrington met them with cordial
handshake and a strange cheerfulness,
which was explained when he said
hurriedly to Jim that The Girl was
much better. Then he asked coldly II
they would not like to see her.
Jim replied in the affirmative with
out a moments hesitation, but Grace
held back. Then Jim chuckled. 1t was
an unmistakable out and out chuckle.
Bewildered, wondering, Grace fol
lowed the two men as Harrington lee
the way to the stables.
A rather feeble looking mare whin-
MED when she saw Jim and made q
weak effort to get upon her feet.
On the way back Jim said with a
happy smile: you'll have to read UP
on one subject, anyway, darling. Any
body who knows anything at all about
racing knows The Girl. She's the win
ner of the Shenandoah sweepstakes,
the Cumberland futurity and the Colo
cup, and she belongs to the racing
firm of yours truly, Garrison & Far
rington. Pm glad she is better; but,
sweetheart, even if she had died
would have considered her well paid
for by the knowledge I've won through
your misunderstanding about that tel
egram. Am l very stupid, darling, if
think that you love me, even though
don't know much of literature and art p
And Grace Garrison gave him a re-
ply that convinced him that he was
not stupid.
Preparing Robin Beefsteak.
On a certain occasion saw a sturdy
specimen of the robin tribe on the
lawn searching for provisions for his
family of cIamorous gormands. At
length, by tugging and perseverance,
he succeeded in extracting a lusty
angleworm from the tough sward and
was making the effort to fly to his
nest with the prey. But Mr.. Worm
rebelled. More than that, he writhed
and squirmed with the greatest en-
ergy, and the bird that had come to
market so bravely was in danger of
finding his provisions SO unruly that
he could not reach home with them.
But he was not to be defeated so
easily. Stepping to the board walk
near by, he deliberately began to pound
Mr.. Worm down upon the hard surface
with an emphasis that bade fair to
finish all protests and writhing. And
so it did A dozen pecks, and not only
was the little fellows beefsteak ready
for transportation, but it was ready
pounded for the broiler-or in this case
consumption without the aid Of broil-