The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-09-04

When not amusing herself by wa;cl.
Ing Brooks misfortunes she was nap.
ping or reading ~ sending out FOR cool
drinks. With all the s~eidshness o.
a dutiful wife she was content 10 shift
responsibilities upon that ever onven
lent and uscfu! creature-a detached
sister.
Brock sent kilograms for her from
cities along the way-Ulm. Munich.
Salzburg and others-all meant FOR the
rea! Roxbury in London, but sent to
a fictitious being In Great Russell
upon by at least two Of the conspira-
tors. 1t mattered little that she re-
peated herself m~onotonously In regard
TO the state Of health of herself and
Tootles. Roxbury would doubtless ell
Joy the protracted happiness brought
on by these dispatches. even though
they got him out IF bed or missed him
altogether until they reached him In
a bunch the next day. He may also
have been gratified to hear from Nh
mic that Roxbury was perfectly love
ly. She said In the course Of Der
longest dispatch that she was SO glad
that the baby was getting ~ 'ike her
father more and moro AS the 'iay
wore on.
At n station Brock narrowly Vacap
ed missing the train. He swung him.
self aboard as the cars 20 rolling nut
Of the sheds. AS he sank, hot and eS.
hausted, into the seat opposite he wife
and her sister the former looked %
from her book, yawnipg 49, 70 'aist
ly, and asked:
"Are you enjoying your su.aDr0~a IL,
ROxbury?"
~"lmmenselyr' he exclaimed 80 not
until he had searched for ans cs~sht
Comics truant gaze. "ArcE> ~
he asked of Miss Fowler, hi c-e~
dancing. She smiled encouragtnGp
Il think you are such n nice ~. TO
have about" commented Mrs. Nm
croft, this time yawr!ng freen I'd
stretching her fine young arms Ii sSa
luxury Of home coutentmsrt.
Brock went to bed early In Venaa
that night, tired but happy, caring Tot
what the morrow brought forth 90
long as It continued - provide sAr7
with a sister-in-law and q wife sho
was devoted-to another man,
CHAPTER V.
The Cistsn. Cousins.
P@ end Of the week found
Brock quite thoroughly domes-
ticated-to use an expression
supplied by his new sister-in-
law. True, he had gone through some
trying ordeals and had lost not a little
Of his sense OF locality, but he was
rapidly recovering 1t as the pathway
became easier and less obscure. AT
first he was irritatingly remiss In an
swering to the name of Medcroft; but.
TO Justify the stupidity, it is only nee
cssary TO say that he had fallen into
a condition which scarcely permitted
him TO know his own name, much less
that of another. He was urder the
spell. Wherefore 1t did not matter Mt
all what name he went by. He would
nave dISNtleu us IcduiIy W ouc us ihe
other.
He blandly ignored kilograms and
letters addressed to ROXbury MedCroft.
and once he sat like a lump, with ev-
cry one staring at him, when the chair
man Of the architects convention ask
ed If Mr.. MedCroft had anything to
say on the subject under discussion.
He was forced. In ONE confusion. to
attribute his hecdlessness to a lifelong
defect In hearing. Thereafter 1t was
his punishment TO have his name and
fragments Of conversation hurled about
in tones so stentorian that he blushed
for very shame. In the Bristol, in the
Manufacturing. in the Lichtenstein gal
lery, IN the g~ardens-no matter where
no went-if he were to be accosted by
any Of the genial architects 1t was al
ways IN "A voice that attracted atten-
ton. lie could have heard them II
they had been q block away. 1t be-
came a habit with him to instinctively
lift his hand to his ear when one Of
them hove in sight. having seen him
first.
That's what | get for being a liar"
he lamented dolefully. Constance had
just whispered her condolences. do
you think they'll consider it odd that
O don't shout at me toO?"
"You might explain that You can tell
what | am saying by looking at my
lips she said. He was immensely re-
lieved.
Considerable difficulty had to be over
come at the Bristol in the matter Of
rooms. Without going into details
Brock resignedly took the only
left in the crowded hotel, a g by 10
cubby hole on the top floor overlooking
the airshaft. He had to go down n
flight for his morning tub. and be
er got 1t because he refused to stand
in line and await his turn. Mrs. Med
croft had the choicest room in the ho-
tel, looking down upon the beautiful
Karntner-R Ring. Constance proposed,
in the goodness Of her heart, to give
up to Brock her own room. adjoining
that Of her sister. provided Edith
would take her in to sleep with her.
Edith was perfectly willing. but inter
posed the sage conclusion that gossip
ping menials might not appreciate a
preference so unique.
Roxbury Medcroft's sky parlor ad-
Joined the elevator shaft. The head