Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-07-04

Auu JubL lOShcuB lOO, hS6pilB uSF
company. Really, don't think l ever
laughed so much since some chap
plunked down on the hard crown of
my new tile last winter. At least !
wanted to laugh-in church, you
know, and it's so awful how you feel
there when something-oh, you knowl
And If you could have seen that poor
fellows face!
BY Jove, how glad I was for her
jolly sense of humor that could see
the point Of things so quickly, and
think them clever. Always had 80
dashed little patience with stupid peo-
pie, don't you know. And just here
another little thing came to me and 1
let her have it,
"Oh, say!"-I leaned nearer,
chuckling-''your father pretends to
ming girl-fancy!" And my face
stretched itself in such a jolly grin
that l could hardly hold my glass.
She bent toward me, smiling ador.
ably. You mean this-er-'Miss
Kirkland?'"
l nodded chortlingly
She peered at me through her long
what-you-call-'em s-oh, such a way!
But you don't think so, do your"
How sweetly, how fetchingly she said
it.
"Me?" l gasped. BY Jove, in my
horror, lost my grip upon my jolly
grammar. "Oh, say now! l think
the frump-this Miss Kirkland, you
KNOWS fright-regular freak, dash
it! l told the Judge sol"
"You-you-"
gustedly, making the ugliest grimace
I possibly could. why, dash it, If
were a woman and had face like
hers, never would have left China,
or England-or wherever her jolly
home was-no, sir!"
She caught her breath with a little
gasp-then she was off again! This
time she rested her arms upon the
rail behind and buried her head in
them, her lovely shoulders juggling up
and down, her sobbing laughter seRd-
ing her off at last into a spell of cough
ing.
OH" she breathed, lifting at last
her g!oriously blushing face and dab
bling at 1t with her ridiculous little
handkerchief, "oh, you'll kill me-
know you will"
l certainly had stirred her up, and'I
was delighted. 1t was funny to think
of any one calling the trump beautiful
1T must seem funnier still to her, OF
course-to Frances, l mean. Why,
dash it, she seemed to find a funny
side to it that didn't, don't you
know!
Tell me, now"-she clasped her
ly-"tell me all that she said about
me-everything!
And did-every word, by Jove!
And no one could look into that
sweet, ingenious face as I proceeded,
and doubt that the ISLANDERS were new
to her. Never a jolly one touched
her--only you could see their absur-
dity amused her. Several times I had
to pause as she bent under a gale OF
laughter.
Only once was she brought up.
shocked.
-oh!" she uttered family. as came
to the intimAtion about her being hall
fellow-welEmet with the footmen and
her drinking and carousing with them
and other men-servants until three In
the morning. l realized that 1t wasn't
the matter Of the drinking that
gasps as I came to this-knew that
didn't bother her, don't you know, for
knew she did drink-could drink, I
mean to say; for l had not forgotten.
the two full whisky glasses OF high
proof Scotch she had tossed of that
night In my rooms. Why, no, dash It,
she was able to drini-it went In the
family! l could never forget with
what pride she had told me OF putting
her brother Jack under the table two
nights running. That was all right
1t was the other part OF the frumps
scandal that brought her up, stand
ing. 80 to speak.
For now she really looked embar-
raised, despite another lapse to laugh
ter. Her face and neck were dyed a
lovely crimson.
"Oh, dear!" she said finally; and
she wiped her eyes. What you must
think OF me!"-and she looked away,
a pretty frown contracting her face;
then the jolly dimple deepened once
again and she choked into her hand
Eerchief. "oh, dear!" she repeated.
biting her lip to hold her quiverins
mouth corners. "Oh, it's q shame" 7