The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1909-11-12
IN THE GR0TT0.
BY M, QUAD,

tbth' u hNS at a iNS'i L
Things always take place quite sud
denly nj those places or not ut all.
They observed each other at the din
ner table; they went out sailing in the
same boat in the afternoon: in the
evening they found themselves side by
side on the veranda listening to the
waters. Somehow they introduced
themselves to each other, and after
that Fate held them in the hollow of
her hand
Minnie Lee WAS there under the
chaperOnage of her aunt. Homer
Ware. being twenty.four years old.
was acting as his own guardian. While
this was Il case of love at first sight,
neither of the principals told all they
knew ut the first second or third
meeting They spoke of uncles, cous-
FMS and aunts; they referred to music
and the drama; they spoke of London,
Paris and other foreign capitals. 1t
would have been in bad taste for the
young woman to even hint that she
was an heiress or for the young man
to give list of the stocks and bonds
he had In a safety vault oh, no. The
sordid did not enter into the affair in
the least. 1t was the romantic alto
gether.
The young man was in time intro
duced to the chaperon. I'm time in
DIV nf
er the first meeting. You have got to
hustle things along at summer resort
or get left. The chaperon was wom-
an of forty. either an old maid or
widow. and. while not severe, she was
a woman of the world.
Two weeks passed like Il day. They
always pass swiftly at the summer re-
sort. If they didn't the landlords
couldn't present their bills SO often.
During the second week it became pat
ent TO many guests that the couple we
have under discussion were very much
In love and that an engagement was
topping on the brink. No one threat
ened to use n club TO halt proceedings,
however Even the chaperon seemed
to favor 1t. Therefore things were
going ike June day when Fate made
up her mind to take Il hand in. There
were grottoes in the hotel grounds
half Il dozen of them. Some were
double grottoeS, like two family houses.
and others only single. If a loving
couple made an early start from the
dinner table they might pre-empt one
of the single grottoes and hold it
against all Corners until an hour after
midnight If all the single ones were
found occupied the double ones came
into play They were divided by
stone wall but they were intended TO
convey sound instead of deadening IT,
On this certain evening. when the
moon was round and full and white
aud soft and when the hotel band WAS
trying to wakcn love In other hearts.
our couple were Il minute late in lcav.
Ing the dining room and had to rent
half of II double %rottu. Ihr other Sid"
WAS not vet occupied. and they had an
hour to themselves. over 5000 words
of love can be spoken in an hour. The
couple had got UP to S.324 when the
other side of the house WAS occupied
by Il man and woman. In II very
buSinrsSlke voice Tive man started oil
by saying:
$50 You are sure it's the same pair"
"Oh. | cannot be mistnken,' replied
the woman.
"You saw them ut Atlantic City in
Aprl:".
Yes"
And then at hotel in New York.
"As | told YOU and know that they
jumped their board bill in both places.
know that the supposed aunt borrow
ed money OF two or three guests ut the
hotel in Atlantic City and went away
leaving them uupaid. | have the
strongest suspicious that the girl is
divorced wife and is being used as
stool pigeon to pluck such fools as the
one who is sweet on her now. The
auut'S room is next TO mine. and last
night heard her saying something
about striking some one for thou
sand dollars. She must have referred
to him. Yes. I'm sure they are cou-
pie of sharperS
And what about the fellow
What know got from Betty. and
she got it from another ady's maid.
Some one has found ont that he is liv-
ing on the charity of an uncle and
hasn't got hundred dollars to his
name. though he is putting up the big
gest kind of II front"
We'll. it's not our affair" said the
| man
But it is in y way. such deadbeats
ought Ia br exposed. The women will
no doubt jump their board bill here
well, let EN- jump. The landlord
must look out for himself. And ia he
careful 10 say nothing to other guests.
| Come on. lej'S take II stroll
| While the above conversation had
been going on. and it WAS not ut all
| hurried two frozen human beings sat
on the other side of the wall and heard
every word. They breathed, but they
| breatbel softly. They had hold Of