The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-18

N
 an awfully good hearted woman-his 1 wife-and she had just given three or l four hundred dollars of his money to
 a beggar who had aroused her sym
 pathy on discovering that he had no I wife and children to look after him.
 It looked thin to Rivers but somehow
 1t his duty to help him out of such a
 painful predicament on his wedding
 day:
 don't you?"
 Yes" admitted the shrinking Ket- | tie.
 Well. I'll get it for you. Have you
 got a check book?" Rivers asked non- 1 chalantly. fsfts
 ."But they won't cash check on
 board for you unless they know syou and they don't know me from Adam '' Kettle ventured.
 Nor me, but watch me- warned
 Rivers as he turned to accost the l pdrser just hurrfng down the deck. When addressed as Captain" the lesser official stopped, beaming ami
 ably. Rivers observed that diplomacy
 carry the day. He pretended great
 surprise when the purser assured him that he had made a mistake. Well. what is the presidents name 1 of this steamship company? he asked craftily. t
 James Cullen" the other replied. 'I thought it was Jim Cullen, Rivers l cried great surprise as taken aback You remember Jim, don't You?, he added briskly turning to Kettle to make the bluff good. Kettle stared at him blankly- and shook his head, whereupon Rivers gave him such a severe kick on the sly that the shrink ing little man gave great start or pain which he covered quickly by a little laugh. You met him at my house at dinner last month";, contin- -ued the. ..brazen Rivers.
 "Oh yes, so I did" murmured ket- tie far-away voice. Learning that Jim Cullen was not on board and pretending great dis appointment and reminding Kettle that 'Jim'' would be glad to fix that little check if he were there. Rivers turned to astonished and impressed purser to explain that poor Kettle had forgotten his money and wanted to cash. check on board, and he knew if he could only get hold of Cullen it would be arranged at once. "Of course you couldn't think or such a thing as cashing a check for a hundred? he suddenly asked, starins the purser in the eye without so much as a suspicion of smile.j "Oh know just what you were going to say rules" he interrupted as the purser opened his mouth to explain. Then turning to Kettle he added cannily; You see the rules on these lines are very strict. But then, some pursers have more authority than others, he added, turning that the purser could get the full benefit of the final diplo- matic observation.
 q guess | can. fix it up for you," the purser murmured, taken in com pletely.
 he has a chance to change his mind" he whispered aside to Kettle hurriedly The latter wrote check for hun dred. and handing it to Rivers who endorsed it promptly and handed It "Au right. sir, I'll send the money right up," the official promised as he hurried away.
 Thank you very much, Er-Captaln -I mean Purser-beat you to it that time," he muttered under his breath gleefuly as the Puresr disappeared Kettle was pleased with the strate- gem. but he admitted that he never would have had nerve enough to car- ry it through himself. Tt is always the simple things that go better than anything else," Rivers explained" If you have to tell a lie, always tell a poor one then people will be thinking that you are telling the t, truth. ,,6, aos,1G Tof
 
 certainly think of something better than that Don't you seer" Kettle saw. After all, those four years of college had done some good. Then to Kettles supreme consterna- tion, Rivers asked to meet his wife. ,'I see you are going in the same direction as we are" Elsie began af- ter a great effort to be quite natural.
 "Yes, seeing we're all in the same boat we might as we'll" ventured the | s-- ID Aff <ad away and giggled until his sides shook. Where do you get of v, he added, greatly interested. Elsie Dar- ling and Kettle looked at one another helplessly again. Finally the latter was seized with a brilliant inspiration, the best he had had that day.
 "Oh, we're-we're not telling" he blurted suddenly as his words died away lost in another spasm of laugh ter.
 Rivers was sympathetic. He slap ped Kettle on the back with such genial violence that he nearly knock ed him over the railing into the wa ter.
 "I wish you wouldn't be so rough Kettle protested, quite Hurried and fusily rearranging his necktie and the hang of his coat. Rivers had become so sympathetic that he decided to tell them all about his own case. It in- volved Caroline Powers-whom he as- sured them he was going to marry, although Miss Powers knew nothing about it yet. She was dandy girl, according to Rivers, and had oceans of money. He had none himself and it was too good a chance to let slip. Elsie was a trifle shocked but hoped he would win. clever and resource full man like Rivers always deserved to win.
 "Oh, yes, here is my money!" sud- denly broke in Kettle as fhe steward appeared with hundred dollars spread out on small tray.
 You mean-our money" corrected Rivers smilingly, as he took a five dollar bill off the tray and handed it to the steward.
 Thank you very much for arrans-