The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-12-16

with pleasure, Dan. Are YOU diu-
Inc with any one %tonight?" uilla:d
was lonesome.
"NCS. 4 little bridge till H."
You're hopeless. | can SEQ YOU In
limbo, matching coffin plates with
CGdron. I'll hunt You up at H."
"Ilcard the talk"
"About what:'
"Why, some one in the club has bccr
usin" the agony column. The !. lis
are being cuyed Numerically. and
you'll come i'm for il presently. It's a
case Of wine on the man who did IT."
Hillard felt OF his collar and drew
down his cuffs. Probably some joke"
be ventured tentatively.
"lf il isn't the man who would stoop
to such tommyrot and tack the name
of his club to 1t must be an ass"
"No doubt about that. Odd that this
is the first time | hive heard about H."
Bur silently Hillard was swearing ut
his folly.
~ may depend upon you tonight.
then" said Merrihew.
~ shall be pleased to meet Miss XII
liCrew." which was n white one. Hill
lard would have paid c~urt TO n laun-
dress rather than offended Merrihew.
And promptly Mt II he vent up to
the card room and dragged Merrihew
away. Merrihew gave up his chair
reluctantly. He WAS winning. The
amateur gambler never wants to stop.
On the way TO the Killigrew apart
ment Merrihew's moods varied. At
one moment he was on the heights. ut
the next in the depths. He simply
could not live without Kitty. Per-
haps IL this trip abroad turned out
badly she might change her mind.
Seven thousand could be made to mus
ter. Twice Hillard came very lea
making his friend a confdant Of his
own affair. but he realized that. while
Merrihew was to be trusted In all
things. 1t was not yet time.
He found a pleasing and diverting
company. There was Mere Killigrew.
a quaint little old lady who deplorcd
her daughters occupation, but admit
ted that without her success heaven
only knew how they would have got
along. There was the genial Thomas
O'Mally, a low comedian of genuine
ability. whom Hillard knew casually:
Smith. a light comedian, and Worth, a
moderately successful baritone. to
whom Hillard took one Of those in
slant and unaccountable dislikes.
These three and Kitty were going
abroad.
Kitty fancied Hillard from the start,
and he on his side found her well edu-
Gated. witty and unaffected. She was
Mcrrihew's face beamcd upon them
both in a kind Of benediction. He had
known all along that once Jack saw
Kitty he would become a good ally in
fighting down her objections.
Think Of singing in Italy, cried
Kitty. isn't II just wonderful?"
"And has Merrihew told you to get a
return ticket before you saiI" with
half a jest.
Don't you think 1t will be success
fulT" a shade OF disappointment.
"There will be thousands of lonesome
Americans over there. Out of patriot
ism. if for nothing else. they ought to
come to Sc" us.
They certainly ought to. But I'm
an old kill joy
mo, no; 20 on and tell me all your
doubts. You have been ovc there 81
many times"
well. suppoSing your tourists are
tired after having walked all day
through the churches and galleries.
they may want TO go to bed early.
But you never can tell till you try.
You may become the rage on the con
tinent. Yet you 90 into the enemy'S
country. 1t isn't the same as going to
London. among tolerant cousins. In