The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-01

@Sis--------
GIN RETREAT WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DE-
vINEY
drew down the princely salary of So
week. | was saving to go into bust
ness for myself. There was a pie
and coffee stand around the corner
from our office, and / had my eye on
that. / thought it would be fine
thing TO sell pie and coffee and be my
own boss. SO | got the fellows price
for the outfit. He wanted SO, and it
seemed to me as though he'd asked
for enough to pay off the national debt.
But saved the seventy-five and a few
dollars more for a sinking fund.
"Then l resigned. l rather expected
the firm to go under when they got
that blow. They didn't, though.
when [ went around TO the pie and
coffee man with my seventyfive he
laughed and told me to brush by. His
sales had jumped ten pies a day, and
he had put his price up to an even
hundred. For about five minutes
things looked to me as the wash does
when they get too much bluing in the
tub. Then / braced up and squan-
dered 30 cents on the first real feed I'd
had for year.
J After that it was sunrise again.
drifted into a place where they were
selling dollar options on July wheat,
and the first thing l knew | was plung
ing like a porpoise. Inside of two
hours / had almost $500 in my peck
ct, and l knew how RothSchild feels.
l went back to the stand, shook my
roll at the pie butcher and did lot of
other fool things, all meant TO show
the folks that l was ii.
"Next day 1 hunted up = regular
broker and began to speculate, nice
and proper, on margins. / hadn't
been at that more than week before
l hit the market right, and I've been
hitting it ever since, except when it's
hit me. Oh, yes, it hits back now and
then. just to show me-
He ended his story abruptly.
whats that, Eppings? Did you
say supper? Good. Come on. folks;
let's see what the cook has found in
the icebox."
Probably the Wilburs and the Mil
ler-Tremways had never been sum-
moned to dine in just that fashion be-
fore. Perhaps the novelty pleased
them, for they were in high good hui
NOR They told each other that Mr..
Devine was delightfully."- original.
In spite of Eppings' fears it was a
very good supper. but Mr.. Devine took
no note of it. He was thinking about
the countess.
1t was toward the close Of the af-
fair that the bishop took Mr.. Devine
one side and asked, do you know
what has become of the Hewingtons"
"Surew said the Cherub. They're
all upstairs in retreat
''In retreat! What do you mean,
Devine"
ITS because of me, you know.
They don't approve of me. Mr.. Hew-
ington's writing a book about my
wicked ways-gets his material from
the newspapers. It'll be thick book,
/ guess"
"Now, if that isn't just like De Cour-
ceyr' exclaimed the bishop. Splendid
fellow, though. in his way"
$50 I've heard"
'If you don't mind, Devine, I'll run
up and see him for a few minutes be-
fore | co.
"Oh. help yourself. They're some
where on the top floor behind a barri-
cade."
I'll bring him out of that" said the
bishop. But he had not reckoned on
the full strength of Mr.. Hewington's
"Its not on my account, my dear
bishop" said Mr. Hewington, "but I
must guard my daughter from such as
ISOLATION"
Nonsense, De Courcey! Devine
lacks polish, perhaps. but at heart he
is an honest chap. Come down and
meet him and bring Adele"
mo. no; l couldn't think of it," firm
ly responded Mr.. Hewington. I'VE
shall remain here until he goes away"
SO the bishop went back alone.
When it was over, when the last of
them had gone. Mr.. Cherub Devine,
cropping about for some fitting term to
express the situation, remarked enig-
That's what l call playing a four