The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-15

has set all the boys crazy. She's somebody all right"
 MT. Schnerber inclined his head in acknowledg- ncnt of h.s complete accord with the sentiment Then he began to reflect upon the object of hiss presence at Ocean Park-how he to separate Miss Melee from Marx and Blumensten's, and if possible, secure her services for The World Wide Store As he glanced toward her, hitherto reckoned obstacles before him. In the first place she had evidently achieved immense popu- larity from the moment she had crossed the piazza. Proof of this manifest in the attentions lavshed upon her during dinner and the floral offerings she by right of spontaneous conquest. How he to engage her attention where competition for her was more strenuous than with Marx and Bumenstein? This feeling was confirmed upon him later in the evening, when his best efforts to interest her, following upon introduction, were swept aside by the of admirers constantly in attendance. Moreover he fancied there was an un- usual shade of reserve, coldness, in her initial attitude toward him.
 "Mr Schmerber-Mr. Maurice Schmerber! Oh, yes" she nodded distantly, in response to his teous bow and opening diplomatic compliment "Of course have heard of you before, Mr. Schmerber." Thereupon She stroled away upon the arm ot prominent young dentist.
 Mr. Schmerber somewhat puzzled but not discouraged. His caber proof against many setbacks. Since he had come to Ocean Park with the business object of gaining intimacy with Miss Melee, he determined to achieve his purpose ky obtaining seat at her table. To that end with 4e persuasion which seldom fails, he enlisted the eSod will of the head waiter. Thus at lunch the ,sxt day the head waiter managed shuffle of the N.ests from which Mr., Schmerber emerged the 1s-a-vis of Miss Melee. But if he plumed himself S at nearer contact could not fail to attract her favorable notice dinner brought him the full know ! Idge of an illusion Possibly he had displaced one fore pleasing to Miss Melee, but in any never k>fo he lions to sdch barren result. If he offered her the tabasco she declined it emphatcally: of the side dishes which he recommended she took no share Whatever subject of conversation he introduced, whether it was critical analysis of the table linen CT the quality of the window curtains Miss McFce's responses were terse to the point of rebuf To Le sure her interest in those departments could not fave been otherwise than cursory; but when he thought he had secured her attention in elbow length gloves, she rose and begged to be excused
 For the first time in his successful business career Afr. Schmerber felt completely up against it. The situation was inexplcabe, for if there was one man in the house who understood how to handle dis N satisfied woman customer, he Schmerber, prided himself upon being that man-able to bow her to the door, happy in the possession of some article which ten minutes before she absolutely certain she did not want. Yet here was the woman above all others that the moment it was necessary for film to interest impervious to every humor with
 
 iests which were received by the old lady his right with laughter that threatened attack of apoplexy, Miss Melee merely smiled faintly as she raised her eyebrows; when he told thriller that made the rest of the table gasp, she for whose special benefit it retailed stared without change of expression over his head What her manner toward him signihed he was at a loss to compre- hend and no opportunity given him to dis cover. If lie proposed a game of tennis she was already engaged to Dr. Brown, the young dentist; if buggy ride, MT. Thomas Gin real estate) was beforehand with offer of sail on the ocean, For dances there always seemed to be long waiting list in which to inscrbe his name. Scheme plan and try as best he might, he could not establish more than the most formal relations with Miss McFee and the days slipped by without a chance to introduce the subject of Marx and Blumensten's u1apprecative estimate of her services, with the bid of The World Wide Store complement
 Into this baffling and humiliatng situation there stole a cor1apGcatng clement Subconscously at first but stimulated into full realization by the hdence of fellow guest, Mir. Schmerber began to experience quite another feeling than business interest in Miss Melee.
 q don't mind telling you" said Dr. Brown the prominent young dentist, because, you you never were in the running; but wouldn't be at all surprised if I out ahead of that chump Thomas with Belle McFee And she Is belle ripper, don't you make any mistake about it..
 The intense dislike which Mr. Schmerber sud- denly conceived for the prominent young dentist was his awakening Previously 1t might have suited his purpose for Brown anyone else to remove Miss Melee from the of her triunphs at Marx and Blumenseins, but the frank declaration that he such outsider as not to be consd- cred seriously in the contest stirred him to action by the new incentive of deepest human interest Backed by offerings of candy and flowers he re- doubled his attentions, but though he gratifed to observe signs of uctuation in the position of the dentist, his own remained, 1t were, at arms length Thus the period of his vacation drew to end, with progress made in the object which had brought him to- and that which had developed at, Ocean Park The mystery of Miss McFee's atti- tude towar. him remained unsolved when the op- portunity he urgently sought presented itself.
 Dinner was about to be served Friday ing when there came reports of revou- ton in the Paatios kitchen- The reports took