The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-01-26

certainly are the prize ostrich"
For the succeeding two weeks
Hobbs devoted himself with the
greatest assiduity to the two young
women Mrs. Barlow looked on with
i'll concealed discomfort, while her
brother joyfully took drives and walks
and excursions of various kinds with
the two girls
Thus the days wore away more or
less pleasantly until the day before
Toms departure for town. Mrs. Bar
low hcG arranged q beach party and
about ten o'clock that morning, being
driven to desperation by the number
less accidents which invariably at
tend the preparations for such feStivl-
ties, she ferreted Tom out to inform
him unreservedly that she considered
him a hopeless idiot. Upon being told
why, Hobbs assured her that he had
proposed to both her other guests and
had been rejected by both.
81 told you l would be perfectly i'm
partial" he concluded.
The beach party was success in
so far as beach parties can be termed
successes when participated in by
those who have outgrown their keen
enjoyment of sand in sandwiches and
mosquitoes in coffee. However, as
they all sat around the fire after sup
per- there was distinct atmosphere
of hilarity. The middle aged coun-
tenances had begun to assume that
expression of pleased anticipation
which indicates that home and bed
are beginning to loom in sight. 1t
had become quite dark and the scene
was lit up only occasionally by a
faint glow from the dying fire.
Then Barlow, exhilarated by the
lively social converse and ginger ale,
suddenly drew out his match safe.
''I,never think it's real picnic I'M
less everybody holds hands. Now,
one, two, three, I'm going to find out
who's losing his opportunity"
AS the match f1ared up for an in
slant there were two distinct ladylike
giggles and what appeared to be a
genteel scuff1e in the place where
Hobbs sat between Miss Robbins and
Miss Trotter. Then the match went
out, but not before every one had got
full view of the two hands of Hobbs
as he raised them alOft. In his right
hand squirmed the left hand of Miss
Robbins; in his left were the dainty
digits of Miss Trotter.
Il always aim to be perfectly i'm
partial" said Hobbs
mo gentleman could have done
such thing" declared Mrs. Barlow
to her brother a few moments later,
as she stalked haughtily beside him
back to the house, followed at some
distance by her husband, fianked on
either side by a statuesque and coldly
silent figure. "If any one had told
me that brother OF mine could have
SO far forgotten himself I never would
have believed it.
I'm awfully sorry" murmured
Hobbs meekly, but I'm so spontane-
Gus, Polly dear. | really didn't know
I was going to do it until it was all
Z. i
just bubble over with spirits"
Child of fiddlesticksi" said Mrs.
Barlow. 'You need a straitjacket and
a keeper Please go on up to bed be-
fore the others get here and | shall
be very glad if you can make it con-
venient to leave before the rest of us
get up in the morning. I'll see that
breakfast is prepared for you. Other
wise, wash my hands of you"
Inasmuch as she had washed her
hands of him, the news of his engage
ment to the charming but impecuni-
Gus, daughter of his landlady-which
news he wrote to her few days after
his return to town-ought not to have
caused her ripple of unpleasant emo
ton Nevertheless it did.