The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-23
Chapter XI.

A wooden box filled with violets ar- rived on the milk train in the morn ing and the porter brought it and de- posted it on the desk. The clerk was arrived. There was more than the usual commotion in the Inn lounge that morning. for there stood a trunk in the middle of the floor labelled Kettle and it had to be gotten up- stairs somehow. The porter finally succeeded in dragging it to Elsie's door and in spite of her elaborate protests, showed it into her room. Then he crawled lazily down the steps turning over the dime she had given him with disgust.
 You ought to get twenty-five cents a bunch for them violets, he observed ito the clerk who had opened the box and stood craftily examining the con- tents .e.., "Fffteen dollars for five bunches." corrected the clerk glancing at the florists bill enclosed in the. box. He meant to charge them five dollars a bunch and that would; mean ten dol lars profit for himself. Not so bad, he thought for rIibe hotel clerk, con- sidering the fact that the ten dollars profit would go into his own pocket and not on the books.
 | Mrs. Cleveland was the first to ap- pear for breakfast that morning and he offered her a bunch, of violets at once. He had ordered two he ex- plained and they had sent him five and he hoped she would help him get rid of them. But the lady from Ohio any longer. Hinting shrewdly that the wealthy and fastidious Miss Patchen had ordered violets delivered to her that morning before breakfast, | the clerk insisted, when Mrs. Cleve- Hand finally changed her mind, took a
 
 quested them charged. He hoped to have better luck on the balcony, so up he leaped with the three remain ing punches. He delivered one to Caroline with Rivers compliments and the other to Miss Patchen. Charge them!'' she added, slamming her door Then he stepped cautiousl.' to Kettles room.
 "Being you was on yOur' honey moon," he began politely at Kettles door, 3I thought you would like to give your wife some violets this morn ing; so I ordered them special from New York for you.''
 Charge them!'' growled Kettle, slamming the door.
 Charge them.' echoed the clerk disgustedly as his dream of profit faded.
 Miss Patchen had already reached the
 
 clerk descended to the lounge agAn. Her irritation was marked when Mrs. Cleveland offered to join her for strol before breakfast. They had scarcely stepped out when Rivers came in by another door. The young man himself had been up all night and he had just had a bromo-seltzer to clear his befuddled, tired brain in anticipation of the coming events of the morning, when he hoped Caroline would succumb to the tender appeal he had sent her and appear wearing the answer he had requested. He settled into a sleepy-hollow chair be- fore the fire and started to read a morning paper.
 ''I wonder where the dinning-room is ?'' he presently heard a familiar, domineering voice demand, and he looked up to discover his old college friend Darling standing there with a handsome impressive woman beside him.
 Well, Darling of all people!' he calculated, springing up. What are you doing here? By love, you were married yesterday, weren't you? This is your wedding trip" And he rushed over to Georgiana and seized her genially by the hand. Mrs. Darling, how are you? I am pleased to meet you. I am an old friend of Percy's He and I were at college together" he hurried on bo yishly. "Well, cer- tain1y am glad to meet you. Who do you think is here on riS wedding