Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-08-01


thought
Later, when the evening had shaded
OF and the ladies' had left us, we sat
In the smoking-room talking till late.
was astonished to find Foxy Grand
pa deVilish entertaining and clever
not bad sort at all. He seemed to
have no recollection of me at all. and
therefore no grudges. l had made I'D
my mind by this time I wasn't going
to marry the trump. no matter what
came or what Billings wanted, and
would~tell him so in the morning. But
whoever did marry her-and II looked
like 1t was going to be the professor
would have some sort OF compensa-
ton in Foxy Grandpa's entertaining
stories Of Eastern scandal.
Billings cub brother smoked in a
corner Of the room by himself and
drank innumerable slugs OF whisky
straight. Once I saw his father go
over to him and seem to demonstrate,
but without effect
Billings wanted his father to try my
special import Of cigarettes, so | sent
for jenkins, who had arrived, to bring
some down. And when he saw Foxy
Grandpa calmly sitting there by me.
pulling at straw, he almost lost his
balance. But I shook my head with
covert warning.
Ever see me before-eh?" asked,
the cub harshly, as he waved aside,
the cigarettes Jenkins extended: Last
Wednesday night-remember?"
Yes, sir" replied Jenkins. hesitat-l
ingly. Then he rolled an eye at me
and corrected himself hastily but firm
ly:
"No, sir; I don't recall ever seeing
you before, sir"
OF course, l knew he had not, but
the cub got up with sour laugh.
Then with a murmured gruff apology,
he withdrew, saying he had a head
ache and was going to bed And, By
Jove. what look he gave me from
the door!
Midnight" calculated some one at
length, just as the professor finished
jolly rum but interesting yarn Of
adventure in Tibet. We all rose and
was answering a challenge OF Bill
hngs' for Sunday morning game OF
Billiards, when all OF . sudden a.
scream rang out from somewhere
above. Then came a greater com.
motion-two voices raised In rapid
and excited colloquy. On top Of this
another scream, louder and more pierc.
n,o hal
One Of the maids" Billings haz-
arded. "a mouse"
That was Frances!" I answered
him excitedly. and we all piled out in
to the hall and peered down its long
vista.
Down one Of the dimly illumined
angles Of the great stairway a white
figure darted, then paused, abashed,
crouching back against the wall at
sight Of us advancing. Above her
sounded a mans voice, and even as
she screamed again, he overlook her,
clasping her arm.
"Frances-dear, dear Frances!" he
cried. Are you afraid Of me7"
And he threw his arms around her.
Come on back. dearest!" he pleaded.
you have been dreaming"
And under the light OF a great red
cluster OF grapes, pendent from the
mouth OF grinning Bacchus. recog.
nized with horror the yellow mat OF
hair and freckled face Of Billings cub
brother. On the instant, with a bull.
like roar, Billings sprang forward. but
I was quicker still. But feeter than
either OF US to reach the scene were
the two elderly men, together with
Miss Wartield, the housekeeper, and q
couple of maids. Frances darted like
q bird to Foxy Grandpa, and then
the figures of the women shut her
from view.
Billings and / had paused, halfway
to the landing. 1t looked as though
the elder Billings was amply capable
of handling the occasion now. He had
backed the youth against the wall be.
hind, and his language was of a kline
l hated to have my darling hear
Every time the other offered to ex
postulate, his father broke out again.
you are a disgrace to an honored
name!" he roared. And the only ex-
PLANTATION left for me to offer our
guests Is that you are drunk and don't
know where you are!"
"Oh, father!" faltered the boy. And
then he turned his black shrouded
figure to the pale marble against
which he leaned and seemed to me
his very heart would sob away.
Whats the matter, dad?" came a
voice from the head of the stairway.
What in thunder is all the row
about?"