The Washington herald., 1913-11-16

carefully attempted to conceal.
"Oh, lots of themP' she gayly re-
turned. ....
He laughed and closed his eyes for
second.
"rhad queer experience this morn
ing with young Smith, up, in our sub
urb," he said.
pole Smith," she inquired.
Pole" he repeated.
"Yes; Napoleon, you know. We
called him Pole because he was such
gangling, spindle-legged youngster
! when we organized the Briarscot Ten
mis- Club. Since he's grown handsome
he doesn't like the name very much,
so we call it to him all the time"
"You know him pretty well, then?'
"Why, he fairly haunts our front
porchl Haven't you seen him there2"
mo"
Eyes, you have, l know; but you're
fine, trustful, daddy, and you never
put a microscope on the young men ]
bring around"
what sort of fellow is this Pole
Smith," he asked
"Why, daddy, he's a regular, sure
for-truly, cross-my-heart, hope-to-my-
die fellow"
He looked at her in affectionate won
der
"If you had all those words in your
system, l am glad you got them out,
said he BY the way, l formed about
the same impression of your Pole
Smith that you've given me. He's good
to look at, and I've been remembering
that wonderful grin of his all morning.
It's like drink of good wine"
Hes a perfectly grand grinner; he
invented it, 1 think" agreed Marjorie,
and they went to lunch.
That evening, just before closing
time, Hammond looked suddenly up
from his memoranda and snapped:
"Blufing, did you see about securing
that adjoining tract of land for the
extension of the Eureka Works?"
"Why-no," faltered Mr.. Blufhng, Il
haven't seen to it yet"
: You haven'tP roared Hammond,
"Blufing, 1 am going to pain you. Go
do business with the cashier, and don't
: bother to come back and shake hands.
! Good-by."
That evening, after having accepted
the angry resignation of the girl with
the straw-colored hair, the captain
took a train fifteen minutes earlier
than his accustomed one, and stopped
at the gray cottage of the Smiths on
his way up to his own big stone resi-
dence at the end of the boulevard. In
answer to mis- ring very pretty brown
haired girl came to the door, and Capt.
Hammond, whose heart was growing
younger through the days experience,
fairly beamed upon her.
my goodness me! And you're one
of the grown-up Smith children, too,
aren't you?" he said, as one awaken
ing to a startling discovery.
Eyes, Capt Hammond she replied,
dimpling. 'Tm June"
where's your brother?"
~Oh, he's up at your house playing
tennis, l think. We were just going
up to join them,' and she looked back
over her shoulder and smiled, as a
chubby young fellow of about twenty
two strolled out hatless and saluted the
captain with a flourish of his hand.
Hello, Petersr' said the captain
you're a great one. 1 never see you
twice with the same girl"
"HushI" said Billy Peters in a care
full burlesque of confidential under
tone. q don't dare encourage any of
them too much" And he gave fine
imitation of man yawning.
Some of these days, my \boy,"
warned the captain, laughing, you're
going to be SO hard hit that It will
make man of you. By the way, June,
Pm suddenly so interested in all you
young people that forgot my errand.
l understand that your brother is look
ing for a position"
"Oh, noP' she said, beaming with
sisterly pride, ''he found one this morn
ing"
Then the captain, who usually tried
to be most circumspect in the COM
pany of ladies, forgot himself.
"Hellr' he said.
Napoleon Smith had secuted" in
perhaps a dozen places before good
Samaritan led him to the Offices of
Forsythe & Spencer. They called
themselves promoters, did Forsythe &
Spencer, although they chiefly promot-
ed real estate deals and would follow
dollar through Hades, or until they
had annexed it. Forsythe's hair, face,
mustache, and beard were the color OF
a dish of ice cream, and he looked up
at one through shrewd old eyes which
bored down through the soul to the
pockets. He looked down through the
soul of Napoleop Smith, but could not
see into the pockets, for grin blocked
the way.
"Yes, Mr.. Smith, he quavered in his
high-pitched and nasal voice, Eve do
need a man, but I'm afraid from what
you tell me that you haven't had
enough business experience"
Young Smith did little soul read
inc of his OWL