The Alaska citizen., 1910-12-12
George Randolph Chester
 In Saturday Evening Post.
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 "Af,cr lunch" exclaimed the Sig norina with a most expressive plac- .nc of her hands over her belt. whereat both the Herr Professor and Der Crosse Tfnore both turned most wistfully to Bobby to see what effect this wcighfy plea might have upon him "Lunch!" she repeated If you would carry bow of stcamfng spaghetti into the Hotel I.arkon at this minute you'd start a rior. Why Mr Burnt, if you're going 10 do anything for us you've got to get into action. because we've been up since seven and we still want our breakfasts"
 "Rreakfast," exclaimed Bobby. looking hastily at his watch. IL was now 1t:3o. Come on; we'll go right over to the Larken. wherever that may be" and he exhibited as much sudden haste as if he had seen seventy people actually starving be- fore his eyes.
 Just as the quartette stepped out If the elevator. a short square-shoul- 1ered young man hustled up to Bob by with:
 Can I see you just a minute Bob by? Kid Jeffreys is coming around 70 my place this afternoon. and I'm figuring on getting up an exhibition night in a couple of weeks "Havert time just now, Biff." said Bobby. who was an equal partner with Riff in the Bates Athletic Hall; but jump into the machine with us md I'll do the 'chauf1ing' That will ! oil talk on the way to tho Hotel Larken. Do vou know where it is?"
 Me-" said Biff. If there is an inch of this old town I can't put my finger on in the dark. blindfold- l ei, I'll have it dug out and thrown 1 away
 ] A the curb. with keen enjoyment 1 9f the joke of it all. Bobby graVely ! introduced Mir. Bates, eX-Champion ! uiddle-weieht. to these imported art fStS. but. very much to his surprise, l Sfpporina CaraVaggiO and Professor 1 Bates struck up an instant and ami l mated conversation anent Bfff's we'll . known and iuStly-famOus victory over Spider Young. and so interested did l thev become in this conversation hat instead of Bifs sitting up in the 1 front seat. as Bobby had intended. . le manauvered the Herr Professor ! into that post of honor and climbed 1 into the tcnneau with Sienor Ricardo l md the Sionorina with whom he talk 1 ed most vOlublv all the way over. to he evidently vast annoyance of Der i Crosse Tenore.
 The confusion of tongue must have been a very tame and quiet affair IS compared to the pclvglot chatter 1 ing which burst upon Bobby's ears l when he entered the small lobby of he Hotel Larken. The male mem hers of the Neapoltan Grand Opera i C9mnany, almost to man, were smoking cigarettes. There were swarthv little men and swarthv big l men. there seoming to he no medium 1 sizes among them. while the women were the most woOden-featlred lot hat Bobby had ever encountered, and the entire crowd was swathed
 in gay but dingy clothing of the most nOndescriDt nature. Really, had Bobby not been assured that they were grand opera singers he . would have taken them for a lot If immigrants. for they had that same unhappy expression of worry. The principals could be told from he chorus and the members of the orchestra from the fact that they stood aloOf from the rest and from enc 1 another glOOmily nursing their griev- 1 qnces hat they. each one the most il- 'ustriOus member Cf the company l should be put to an inconvenience! It was a monstrous thing that they, 1 he pOSeessOrs of glorious voices 1 which the world should at once fall down and worship, should be actual ly hungry and out of money! It was, oh, unbelievable. atrocious, bar barOus, positively inhuman,
 With the entrance of the Signorina l CarayaggiO, bearing triumphantly with her the n0atly-dressed and al, together money-like Bobby Burnt one hundred and forty wistful eyes mostly black and dark brown, were ately focused in eager interest upon +ha possible savior. Behind the desk. Derpleyed and distracted, but still grimly firm, stood frowzy Widow Larken herself drawn and held to the post of duty by this vast and un-
 '. M dam Larken saved for all these alien warblers, not one morsel of food had she loogened from her capacious kitchen: and yet not one member of | the company had she permitted to stray outside her doors while Sig norina Caravaggio and Sgnor Ri rardo and the Herr Professor Fruh- lingsvoeel had gone out to secure an angel two stout porters being kept at the front door to turn back the restless. If provision could be made to pay the bills of this cara van the Widow Larken. who was shaped like pillow with a string tied around it, and wore a face like q huge, underdone apple dumpling, was too good a business woman to overlook that opportunity. Bobby took one sweeping glance at that ad- vanclng circle of one hundred and forty eyes and turned to the Widow Larken
 II will be responsible for the hotel bills of these people until further notice," said he.
 The Widow Larken looking intent. lv at Bobby's scarfpin, relented no whit in her uncompromising atti- tude.
 And who might you be-" she de. manded, with calm brow and cold determination.
 T l am Robert J. Burnit,'' Bobby. "I'll give you written order if you like-or a check
 The Widow Larken's uncompromis.