Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-01-30

Nebraska philosopher who rejoices in
the melodions name Of Dick"
.Jewett was playing me for all his
story was worth and enjoying himself
immensely.
For heavens sake. go on"
Mice girl, this Cecilia. You know
the Hollisters-oodles Of money in the
family. The chevalier's father scored
big in baby buggies-responsible for
the modern sleep inducing perambu-
lators; sold out to a trust. The IA
cher Of Virgins inamorata had started
in to be a marine painter. A founder
of this club. come to think of it, but
dropped out long ago. You have heard
OF him-Bassford Hollister. Funny
thing his having to give up art. Great
gifts for the marine, but never could
overcome tendency to seasickness.
Honest! Every time he painted a
wave it upset him horribly. The doc
tors couldn't help him. Next tried his
hand at the big gulches downtown.
There was a chance there to hit off
the metropolitan skyline and become
immortal by doing it first, but a new
trouble developed. Doing the high
buildings made him dizzy! Honest!
He was good, too. and would have
made a place. but he had to cut it out.
He was so torn up over his two failures
that he blew in his share of the per-
ambulator money in riotous living.
Lost his wife into the bargain and has
settled down to a peaceful life up in
Westchester county In n of these
cute little bungalows the real estate
operators build for you If you pay a
dollar down for a picture of an acre
lot"
And the daughter?"
well. Bassford Hollister has two
daughters. It's the older one that has
stolen Virgins heart away. She's
Cecilia, you know. Very literary and
that sort of thing. and pushed tea and
cookies at the Asolando when that
idiocy was opened. Virgins saw her
there last spring. Miss Hollister. the
aunt, whom I'm fond Of calling the
chevalier, picked up her nieces about
that time and hauled them off to Eu-
rope. and Virgins scampered after
them. | don't know what they did to
Wiggy, but you see how he acts. l
rather imagine that the chevalier didn't
smile on his suit. She's a holy terror.
that woman. with an international rep
utation for doing weird and most un-
accountable things. She draws a sort
of royalty on all the baby buggies in
creation. 1t amounts to a birth tax,
in contravention Of the free guarantees
Of the constitution. The people will
rise against it some day.
"She's plausible enough. but she's the
past mistress of Interior motive. She
got FORMER, the mural painter, up to
a place she used to have at Newport a
few years ago. ostensibly to do a frieze
or something, and she made him teach
her to fire a gun. You know FORMER,
with his artistic ideals! And he didn't
know any more about guns than a flea.
1t was droll, decidedly droll. But she
kept him there q month-wouldn't let
him off the reservation; but she paid
him his fee just the same, though he
never painted a stroke. When he got
back to town be was a wreck. 1t was
Just like being in Jail. l warn you to
let her alone If you should undertake
to tx her Hues she's likely to put you
to work digging potatoes. She's no end
Of a case"
"Well, Virgins is a good fellow, one
Of the very BEST" l remarked, as l alb
sorbed these revelations, land it isn't
the girls aunt he wants to marry"
There's no telling where this affair
may lead Virgins. There's something
queer in the wind, all right. The chew
alier has brother Bassford where he
can't whimper. rather fancy he feeds
from her hand. His girls haven't any
prospects except through the chevalier.
Nice girls, so I'm told. Miss Cecilia
HoIlister is living with her aunt"
And the other sister-where does
she come inY
mot important, i fancy. Rumor is
silent touching her. In fact I've new
er heard anything Of her. But this
Cecilia is no end handsome and proud.
Poor old Wiggy!"
uao aIroa1u aShanod Of mvSolf