The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-22
Chapter K.

l Now you've done it!" he groaned,
 as he stood pounding his fist on Elsie's door. She appeared with her mouth | filled with hairpins. That awful wo-
 man has telegraphed to the New York | papers that my wife has joined the | ant1-suffrage cause"
 Well. she took me over," Elsie
 mumbled through the hairpins. 'I just said yes to everything she said. | didn't know what she was talking | about and I only wanted to get
 away!" Suddenly she again broke | into a spasm of weeping. | And this is my wedding day!" he l cried in despair, fleeing before the l deluge and taking refuge in his own l room. In the meantime it had oc- cured to Miss Patchen that the street l lamp under her window would cer-
 tainly annoy her after she retired, so
 she hurried out with her suitcase and | requested her niece to exchange rooms with her. No sooner was this accom-
 plished when Rivers strode up to the
 desk and apologetically asked the 1 clerk for the number of Carolines s | room. He must square himself, he | felt. And he had worked out another | shrewd and adroit scheme.
 She's in nine," the clerk told him
 snappishly.
 Are you sure?"
 Certainly I am sure." Rivers drew note from his pocket
 ana softly read it aloud to himself to
 see whether it sounded convincing | enough. Dearest it began,
 though I know you won't believe
 pc, love you'." He paused. looking l startled at his own audacity. "'And
 I will do anything under the sun to
 make you my wife. I know what the | world will say and what you will | think. But don't for I really love you
 and you only. If there is one spark
 of love in your heart for me-. wear. bunch of violets at breakfast in the | morning" Satisfied that it ought to 1 melt her, he rushed up the stairs and | thrust the note under the door of 1 number nine, now occupied by Miss Patchen. Then hastily coming down he stopped suddenly as he was about to pass the desk.
 "Oh, nearly forgot!'' he said, ad-
 dressing the clerk. Send bunch l of violets up to Miss Powers room l in the morning
 You can't get violets in this town" growled the clerk.
 Wire to New York for them!'' or- dered Rivers briefly. "Is there 1 train from New York in the morn l ing?"
 There's the newspaper and the | milk trafn.''
 See that they come on that at any price. And if they're not here, I'll see that you lose this job. What time ! is breakfast?' he snapped, lightning | cigarette.
 "Eight-thirty!"
 Call me at twelve" said Rivers
 and vanished to mediate in his room. The cOnspiratOr had no sooner dis appeared when Miss Patchen's door opened and that elderly spinster ap- 1 peared on the balcony in a great state of agitation clutching Rivers note in her hand.
 k -l s- suhdued tone, "I want you to send 1 around to the florists the first thing ) in the morning and get bunch of violets for me-"
 l ''Violets!" he gasped, growing
 alarmed.
 at seven o'clock!' she added sternly. l The clerk tried to plead with her. It was impossible to get violets in that l town. But violets she must have, no l matter where he got them. He hint
 ed that he could wire to New York. | She had no interest in what he did l'so long as he succeeded.
 ''Its violets for mine all right" he muttered. Will you watch the desk
 while go over and send a wire?" he asked. Miss Patchen smilfngly as- sented and came down the steps slow
 ly humming the refrain of that senti- mental ballad, Every Morn I Bring l.
 balcony dreamily, her mind lost in contemplation of the manly image I she had succeeded in hypnotiing that afternoon. The grate fire in theaopen hearth cast strange, weird shadows across the old hall and the world had
 suddenly become very sweet, very still, l very peaceful for Miss Patchen. Suddenly she heard the batter of slippered feet on the balcony and she glanced up just in time to sect Kettle thrust a note under Elsie's door. In a moment Elsie opened her door and | picked up the note. Strange. Miss Patchen thought to herself. Husband and wife in separate rooms and com
 nunicating on their wedding day only I by correspondence. She began to
 scent a mystery and possibly a scan dal.
 l On the balcony Elsie stood reading
 the note softly to herself. Let's tele-
 graph your husband and my wife thai
 we are here and safe'," was what she
 had read. Turning into her room 8
 moment later she emerged with an
 other note which she slyly showed un.
 closing her door hurriedly.- Miss
 Patchen moved out where she could get better view of this extraordinary
 conspiracy brewing right over hel
 head.
 Kettles door again opened. and | plChlIS up IlSIc hOtS A0 Icdu WILL ! some satisfaction: Great! How die you ever thing of it ?''' Again Kettles } door was softly closed and Miss Patch } en sat down very quietly to await de.
 velopment. She did not have long te
 wait In moment both doors open ed simultaneously and Elsie and Ret. l tie emerged, each carrying note and as each prowled along the balcony | toward the others room, glancins down into the lounge to see whether l there was any spectator to theil ; amazing activities, suddenly they i bumped into one another with mu } tual outcry of fright and each drop , ped his note, the two conspirators fec to their rooms.
 : Miss Patchen watched the two note! , flutter down from the balcony .anC I come to anchor right at her. very feet She stopped and picked them ginger ly from the floor.
 'I don't know how I can get alons : without my Percy all night" she read } opening the first missive. 'It seem ) impossible to have to wait until morn ing to see him again. Miss Patche1 glanced up from the note, a look O puzzled amazement on her face. The1 , she unfalded the second communica ;. tion and read slowly and impressive
 ly. "It has been one big mistak, , from the beginning. It is a terrible ? mess. How will we ever get out O. it!''
 } She stood puzzling over the my stery when the clerk came rushing