The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-01-22
] N THE GR0TT0.

lcoDsr.sh. iss. BY Associated Lit.r.r,

then. II was at summer resort
Things always take place quite sud
denly at those places or not at all
They observed each other ut 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 yeranda listening to the
music and looking out on the moonlIt
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 case Of love at first sight,
neither Of the principals told all they
knew at the first second or third
meeting. They spoke Of uncles. cous.
tns 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 safety vault. Oh. no. The
the least. 1t was the romantic alto
gether.
The young man was in time intro
duced to the chaperon. I'm time" In
this casemeant within three days aft
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 a
widow, and, while not severe, she was
a woman of the world.
Two weeks passed like day. They
always pass swiftly mt the summer re-
sort If they didn't The landlords
couldn't present their bills so often.
During the second week II 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
eDed to use n club 10 halt proceedings,
however. Even the chaperon seemed
to favor II. Therefore things were
going like June day when Fate made
up her mind to take a hand in. There
were grottoes in the hotel grounds
half a dozen of them. Some were
double grottoes. like two family houses.
and others only single. If 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. II all the single ones were
found occupied the double ones came
into play. They were divided by a
stone wall. but they were intended to
convey sound instead of deadening 1t.
On this certain evening. when the
moon was round and full and white
and soft and when the hotel band was
trying to waken love in other hearts,
our couple were a minute late In leav-
ing the dining room and had TO rent
half Of double grotto. The other side
was not yet 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 1924 when the
other side of the house was occupied
by a man and a woman. In a very
businesslike voice the man started off
by saying:
80 you are sure it's the same pair?"
ooh. i cannot be mistaken" replied
the woman.
"You saw them at Atlantic City in
April:"
"Yes."
''And then ut a hotel In New York;"
''As | told you. and | know that they
Jumped their board bill in both places
l know that the supposed aunt borrow
ed money of two or three guests at the
hotel in Atlantic City and went away
leaving them unpaid. have the
strongest suspicious that the girl Is a
divorced wife and is being used as a
stool pigeon to pluck such fools as the |
one who Is sweet on her now. The |
aunt's room Is next to mine. and last /
night heard her saying something
about striking some one for thor- i
sand dollars. She must have referred
TO him. Yes, I'm sure they are cou-
Pile Of sharpers."
And what aboiit the fellowT
"What l know | got from Betty. and
she got 1t from another lady's maid.
Some one has found out that he is liv.
ing on the charity Of an uncle and
hasn't got hundred dollars to his
lame. though he Is putting mp the big.
Vest kind Of front"
"well, it's not our affair" said the
nan.
But II Is In a way. Such deadbeats
,ught to be exposed. The women will
10 doubt jump their board bill here"
-well, let 'em jump. The landlord
must look ont for himself. And Id be
areful to say nothing to other guests.
,ome ON, lct's'take stroll"
While the above conversation had
,een going on. and 1t was not Mt all
lurried. two frozen human beings sat
n the other side Of the wall and heard
very word. They breathed. but they
'reathed softly. They had hold Of
ands. but they didn't squeeze. Neither
moved finger nor toe. They were as
eopIe dead to the world. The other
Ialf Of the srotto had been vacated
On minutes or more before Miss Min
a as16douIv rovfvod and atood mn