Charlevoix county herald., 1913-12-13

81 throw myself on your mercy. /,
Enid Conover-"
ENID Conoverw snorted the Rail-
roader. "Why-"
eyes. Enid Conover. How / have
learned to love that nameW
"Have, hey? Then take my advice,
young woman, and stifle that same
wild alteration for my poetic cogno-
men, for you aren't going to have the
renting of it any longer'n can help"
Not"
"Oh, you'll get over it easy! Just
as you got over your love for that
high-sounding title, Enid Montmoren
cy. And just as, before that, when
you left your mothers Germantown
boarding house, you got over any pas
sion you may have had for your orig
inal name, Emma Higgs. You see l
know some little about you. i took
the trouble to have you looked up.
You and your family. You told Ger
aid your family's old. From all /
hear, / guess the main difference be-
tween you and that same family is
that ones older'n you make out and
the others younger. Take your choice
as to which is which. And now"
"You insult mew acclaimed the
girl, her eyes flashing, her figure
drawn to the full height of a really
excellent pose, her pompadous nest
ling protectingly above the arched
brow.
"No, don't. / couldn't Jerry, you
sit down there and behave yourself
or I'll spank you'd If you think Pm
wrong, maybe you'd like me to tell
my son the way you first happened to
go on the stage. No? / guess I've
got this thing framed up pretty near
straight. It's gradn-stand play, and
Papa is 1t, Ell? A masterstroke of
surprise for the old man, and final
tableau of the bunch of US clustering
about you and Gerald in the center of
the stage, while you fall on each
others necks and do unison excla-
nation of 'God-bless-the dear-old
Dad! How much will-he-leave-us
And-how-soon You waited in town
awhile. But Papa didn't relent and
send Hubby back to his lonely wife.
Then you sick Gerald on to acting like
human being, hoping to win Papa
over by being good boy. No go.
Then as last play you butt in here
on a sudden with all your lines
learned down pat, and do a grand
appeal. Well, Mrs. -Miss-Emma-
Riggs Enid Montmorency-C onover, it
doesn't work. That's all. If you've
got the sense ! think, you'll see the
shows frost, and you'll start back
for Broadway. Take my blessing, if
you want it, and take Jerry along for
good measure, if you like. It's all
you'll ever get from me, either of
you"
To Caleb Conover's unbounded hor-
ror and amaze. Enid, instead of
spurning him haughtily, burst into a
crescendo, throaty gurgle of contralto
weeping, and flung herself bodily
upon him; her long-gloved arms twin
ing about his neck, her pompadoured
head smuggling into his bosom.
ooh, Father! Fatherw came a muf-
fled, yet artistic wall from somewhere
in the region of his upper waistcoat
| buttons. "How can you? You've
broken Gerald's heart And now
you're breaking mine. Forgive us'
miss Lanierw Numbered Caleb,
struggling wildly escape the snake
! like closeness of the embrace, "for
heavens sake won't you come and
and unwind this person? She's spoil
ing my shirt-front. Lord, how l do
hate to be pawedp'
"Do not touch me! Do not dare to,
menialw commanded the bride relin-
gushing her hold, and glaring like a
wounded tigress at Anice, who had
made no move whatever in response
to Caleb's Mortified plea. The visitor
drew back from Caleb as though con-
tact with him besmirched her.
"Wellw she gasped, and now the
throaty contralto was merged into a
cultural snarl, ridiculously akin to an
angry cats. "Well! Of all the cheap
tightwads | ever struck! Think you
can backtrack me, do you? Well, you
lose! Pm married to him all right,
and I'm not giving him up in hurry.
You try to butt in, and you'll find
yourself in hundred thousand alien
alton suit! Oh, | know my rights,
and no up-country Rube's going to
skin me out of 'em. You old bunch
of grouchiness! And to think they
let you boss things in this jay town
of yours! Why, in New York you'd
never get nearer Broadway than
Tenth avenue, and you couldn't even
boss a red light precinct. My Gawd
I'll have to keep it dark about my
coming to a hole like this or my
friends'll think I've been playing a
ten-twenty-thirt' circuit. No civilized
person ever comes here, and now /
know why. They're afraid they'll be
mistook for friend of yours, most
likely. You red-headed old geezer,
you don't even know lady when you
see one. Keep our lantern jawed, pie
faced mutt of son. Pm going back
to where there's at least one perfect
gentleman who knows how to behave
when lady honors him by"
Enid" cried Gerald, who had sat
in dumb, nerveless confusion during
the recent exchange of courtesies
you don't mean? You mustn't go
back to him! You mustn't! Has he
met you again since l left Tell me
| said I'd kill him if he ever spoke to
you again, and, by God, 1 will! He
shan't-"
A timid, falsetto screech, like that
of very young leverett that is mad
vertently trodden beneath a farmers
foot in long grass, broke in on the
boys rawlings. Mrs. Caleb Conover
collapsed on the floor in a dead faint
Anice ran to the unconscious wo-