The Prescott daily news., 1911-04-17
MacNISH'S
 SPLURGE

same instant. All of them were surg ing out of the theater at eleven o'clock and all of them appeared to resent the downpoGr as personal in- suit
 "So 1t is," agreed MacNish. He glanced at Miss Alcott's white plumes and perishable wrap. If you don't mind standing here in the entrance" he said, "Pll make dash for the corner and telephone for taxi
 "Oh, but it will make your cold worse," said Miss Alcott. Its not safe in this rainl"
 "Nonsense!' wheezed MacNish and vanished.
 Over the crush of people presently f1oated the calls of stray cabmen who hailed the rain as godsend When MacNish got back five minutes later he was fuming
 They haven't anything in the barns" he said, but they promise to send something in ten minutes"
 There are all sorts of cabs wait ing here," suggested Miss Alcott.
 I'll tell you," said MacNish. We can get over to a cafe in less than ten minutes and I'll phone them then to cancel my taxi order"
 Consequently they scrambled into a horse drawn rig and sought cafe.
 You pick out something good from the menu" said MacNish, "and I'll telephone"
 Miss Alcott changed her mind from oysters to lobster Newburg and then to rarebit and back to oysters la roquefort before MacNish returned. There was precipitation on his brow.
 Did you get them ?" inquired Miss Alcott.
 Get them!" echoed MacNish q did after nearly smashing the tele- phone. They were busy. They're al- ways busy They informed me in a cold, severe tone of voice that the taxi that I had ordered is standing over in front of the theater waiting for me and they've nothing to send after it to tell it to come back"
 "Whatll you do?" asked Miss Alcott in dismay.
 Let it wait" said MacNish sadly.
 Meanwhile it is going click, click" reminded the young woman with a feminine horror of extrava- gance
 Let's talk about something pleas ant" begged MacNish Maybe the meter will break or the chauffeur have apopleXy or something."
 The chauffeur may have apoplexy," remarked Miss Alcott but you are going to have pneumonia if you keep on barking"
 T might just as well die of pneu- monia,' said MacNish, "as of shock ever the taxi bill!' It rained outside and they ate their supper and still it rained. It did more, 1t poured cats and dogs. We can never get to the station," said MacNish 'Pl go phone for taxi to take us out home" They wanted to know" he reported on his return, If we'd really wait here until they sent it. I wouldn't have the suspicious nature of that or der clerk for anything. told them nothing could pry us from this spot under the circumstances unless some body came along with steam launch or a rowboat"
 They waited. MacNish smoked whole cigar and Miss Alcott had an- other fruit lemonade. Three times the waiter sent out to scout reported that there was no taxi for MacNish. There were motors outside to hire, but MacNish had promised to wait, so they waited.
 After a half hour he had another session with the telephone, When he came back his mouth was in straight line and one shoulder was higher than the other. He looked ready to fight at the drop of the hat.
 T had quite conversation with our friend the order clerk at the ljv- cry" he said Each of us told the other politely that he regretted to say he was a liar and then we put frills on to the sentiment He vowed he'd sent the taxi ages ago and I swore it wasn't here. Of course it's some where going click, click but that doesn't help us. So ordered him to send on another. They make me tired!"
 Its perfectly dreadful!" sym pathized Miss Alcott Mother will be so worried!"
 After awhile their taxi arrived and they got in The chauffeur leaned around and spoke The other car wae hera after All he murpnured