Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-12-08
ROMANCE OF
A STATUETTE
Trials and Reward of a Shifty
Financier.

Algernon Withers was in a quandary.
The birthday Of a lady to whom he
wished to become engaged was at
hand. and he had not the wherewithal
to buy q present. Algernon was one
Of those fellows who are always seek
ing to gain time. In other words. he
was what is called financially "shin-
Ter" Having a note to pay In the
bank today, he would draw with three
days grace on Milwaukee. The draft
he would meet with another on St.
Paul. BY the time he had chased his
Indebtedness around a circle by way
Of San Francisco. New Orleans and
Charleston 1t was quite possible that
some real funds tied up somewhere
would be released and he would make
bona fide payment At present every
cent he had In the world was deposited
with his brokers as a margin on Ger
tain stocks he had bought. The market
had gone down a few points. but a
boom was confidently looked for. and
he was holding on with tight grip.
Passing china shop. he resolved to
look In. buy present for the lady.
Miss Gaudalet. give a draft in pay
ment and chase it over the continent
till the expected boom had come and
he should have plenty Of money. En-
tering the shop. he heard the proprietor
scolding a luckless porter who was
sweeping up the fragments of a china
statuette.
Pardon me-" said the dealer. MY
porter has just broken q five hundred
dollar piece Of china"
An idea seized upon Algernon.
"What will you take for the frag.
ments?" he asked.
Nothing. You are welcome to them.
"Will you send them?"
Certainly"
Algernon wrote ELISE Gaudalet, -
Central Park West" on q piece Of pa
per and gave 1t to the dealer. asking
him to have every scrap boxed and
sent to the address.
do you hear?" said the dealer to
the porter. do as the gentleman
says. Don't leave out a single piece +"
Algernon left the store In a comfort
able frame of mind THE box will he
opened tomorrow. will keep away
for week. at the end Of which time I
Will eall and learn that my gift has
been broken In transit. BY that time
we shall have a better market. and I
can get money from my broker with
which to send another statuette."
But unfortunately the coal miners of
the country took 1t into their heads to
strike. and the market instead Of go.
ing higher went lower. A week pass.
ed. and Algernon found himself under
the necessity Of duplicating the bro
ken present. being ut the same time in
desperate financial straits. Entering
his club one afternoon. he took bis
mail from his box and observed Miss
Gaudalet's familiar handwriting on
one Of the letters. Tearing or the en-.
velope. he read:
My Dear Mr.. Withers-Why have you
not before this given me an opportunity
to thank you for your beautiful present.
1t IL the handsomest gift I received. Dc
come and see II on its pedestal The man
who brought II was very careless and
dropped the box In the hall. but fortunate
" found every part perfect Sincerely.
ELISE OAUDALET.
To say that Mr.. Withers was aston.
shed by no means expresses bis sen.
sations. Had a volcano opened In the
center OF the club swimming tank be
could not have been more thunder.
struck. Calling a cab. he rode to =
Central Park West and called for Miss
Gaudalet. He was ushered into the
drawing room, and there In bay win.
dow on marble pedestal was the stat.
uette. In few minutes Miss Gaudalei
came in and poured forth her thanks.
Isn't 1t beautifulr' she exclaimed.
I'm glad you fancy it," stammered
Withers.
"And to think" she said, changing
her tone to one Of complaint. that you
should have kept away all this timer
Algernon looked into her eyes and
saw. or thought he saw. tean- he
turned and took her hand.
Have you really missed met"
An hour later be left the house en-.
gagged. He concluded that the stupid
porter had delivered the perfect stat.
uette BY mistake, and as be had not
ordered 1t he could expect ample time
to pay for 1t. During the next few
days he expected with each mail to
receive a notification Of the error, but
none came. Then stocks advanced,
and he sold out with a handsome prof.
It and sent q check for the statuette.
II was returned with a note stating
that there had been NO mistake.
Something had gone wrong. Alger-
non puzzled his brain for awhile, then
concluded to sound his 6ancee With q
view to an explanation.
Elise" be said one evening, there
Is mystery about the statuette sent
you for your last birthday"
what Is it,"
why. you said the porter dropped
1t in the hall-and-are you sure II
wasn't brokenY
Elise burst into laugh and. throw.
Ing her arms about her lover. she said
You stupid! Did you suppose
would have been deceived even II your
instructions had been obeyed? Don't I
know your methodsY
'What do you mean?"
"When the box was opened found
every piece carefully wrapped BY 1t.
self In tissue paper. went to the
store and ordered a duplicate"
"Will you let me give you a check r
mOaned Algernon.
Certainly. 1t is your present, and
you may pay for It I knew that all
you needed was time"