Charlevoix county herald., 1914-08-15

WoOt 90 bC oPohC anu iihNy 90" q
fine chance for parting shot.
Hang it all, why do you suppose
we elected the richest man in Dingle-
wood president of the borough ?" he
cried above the chromatic kissing of
the air-brakes. PAY il out of your
own pocket, of course"
He jumped gaily down the car
steps into a dog-cart that was in
waiting, while Porteous' chauffeur
was almost obliged to assist his en-
ployer into his forty-horsepower ma
chine, so wrought up was he by his
wordy encounter.
III.
Finley's proposition was made
with no other purpose than to chaff
Porteous, but it had found serious
reception in that gentleman's mind.
As president of the borough, he re-
Elected, it would accord well with the
character of wealthy, public-spirit-
ed citizen to offer the reward in
question. Being man of quick de-
cision, he directed the chauffeur to
stop at the village job-printer's. 1t
was a rush order, and that very
evening posters appeared on the
main street, and on fences and trees
everywhere, offering five hundred
dollars in the name of the president
of the borough of Dinglewood for the
apprehension of the hold-up man.
Finley strolled over to the golf
club after dinner, and found small
knot of the members gathered
around one of the posters. discussing
the reward and praising old Por-
teous' generosity.
"Hellow he cried when he read it.
"The old boy came down with the
goods. Well, | am surprisedw
The group he addressed comprised
young Howard Bliss and George
Farwell, the president of the Dingie-
wood National Bank. Farwell was a
man of about forty, who, having
amassed a fortune in mining specu-
lation, had settled down in Dingle-
wood with his mother, and, chiefly
for the purpose of avoiding a pre-
maturely aged leisure, had assumed
the presidency of the local bank.
Bliss greeted Finley uproariously.
"Good old Finleyw he shouted.
"To you belongs the credit. heard
you kidding the old man in the car
this afternoon"
Finley shook his head in exag-
gerated solemnity.
"Look here, Howard" he said,
chats no way to talk about your
future father-in-law. Suppose Far
well here should give you away to
Ida! Everybody knows he'd like to
cut you out if he could"
Both Bliss and Farwell turned red
under their summer tan, and Finley
entered the clubhouse with fiend-
ish laugh.
1t was Finley's prime amusement
to say things calculated to annoy
and embarrass his friends. Withal,
he was a lively companion; and a
few minutes later he was joined by
Farwell and Bliss, accompanied by
waiter bearing a tray freighted with
liquid refreshments. The converse
tion soon became a trifle noisy, and
the crescendo of laughter testified TO
the rapid depletion of the clubs
stock of Scotch.
Bliss was bit of joker himself.
His humor, as opposed to Finley's,
took the concrete form of causing
physical discomfort to others; and
when he had emptied a good half of
a siphon down Farwell's neck, he
fairly rolled on the floor in a parox-
ysm of mirth. 1t depended on Fin
lev whether or not there should be a
rough-and- tumble around the veran-
da. Had he maintained a sober con-
demnation of Bliss fool joke, the
chances were good for an ugly scrap.
But his sense of the ludicrous as.
serted itself in a huge gutfaw, and
he slapped Farwell jocularly on the
back; so that there was nothing else
for the damp victim to do but con-
slider the alleged joke good one on
himself and join IN the laugh.
Presently the three rose to leave
for their homes.
ooh, by the way, | almost forgot"
said Finley at parting. lea at five
tomorrow under the trees. Mother
and the girls expect both of you. If
you have any funny lunches, Bliss,
please leave them in town. The
folks are nervous since the hold-up,
and one of your brand of jokes
might break 'em all up" He beck
oned both his friends to come nearer,
and distorted his face into an ex-
preston of mock Importance. Ida
will be therep he whispered. Then
he vaulted over the veranda rail, and
strobe across the lawl to his home
near by.
Farwell and Bliss walked silently
down to the village, where they part
ed with a curt good night.
AS usual, there was enough truth
in Finley's banter to driv. it well
home. Secretly, Porteous felt rather
fiattereG by Farwells attention to
Ida. The match would have been in
every way perfectly satisfactory;
for in it he saw not only the ANAL
gamation of two fortunes, but the
acquisition of a husband for Ida
who would have sense enough to con-
serve his father-in-law's estate in
stead of dissipating it. On the other
hand, while Bliss prospects were
fair, he had expensive habits, for the
indulgence of which he had made no
bones about seeking a wealthy wife.
He was very good-looking in blond,
unintellectual way, and to Ida he
represented all that there was of
masculine beauty and charm.
Ida herself inherited the small and
rather neutral features of her moth
er. Her eyes, however, reflected a
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