The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-06-06

||TORCHY"

Miss Marjorie Ellins, I has to
post myself near the T. section,
and inside of fifteen minutes
she's all through havin' her suit
case and steamer trunk paved
over. and leavin' the hold bag
gage to be claimed later, we
streams out to where had a
cab waitin'.
rs it all aboard. Miss Mar
Jorie?" says l.
Not yet." says she. you see,
I've asked Wee to come home with
me for dinner-the girl l met on
the steamer. You don't mind
waiting. do your"
Did 1? Say, nobody would sus-
pect 1t, | guess. by the grin / had
on when she and Aunty and the
four-eyed party comes trainin'
out.
Say. Miss Marjorie, says I,
lis that Count Schutzenbund?
"Sehlegelhessen," says Morjor-
lie, and he's a perfect"
Yes, I've heard he was" says
|. Little antique, though, amt
he?"
why. he isn't forty!" says
Marjorie. And he's Just too"
There wasn't any time for any
more bouquets. though; for the
trio was too close. Must have
been some of a surprise for Wee
to see me waitin' there, and for a
bit she don't seem to make out
just who it is. That only lasts
second, though. Then them gray
M hAru Aoht nm and than,
thin lips curls into a smile, and
quick way of hers.
why, it's Torchy, isn't it?"
says she, half laughin'.
"Uh-huh." says /, lettin' the
grin spread wider. Cant shake
the name or the hair"
Never try" says she. Look,
Aunty, here's Torchy!"
"Torehy?" says the wide old
girl, inspeetin' me doubtful
through her lorgnette. why,
Verona, ! don't remember-"
"oh. yes. you do, Aunty," says
Miss Wee. Anyway, I've told
you about him. and It's so jolly
to have some one to meet us.
Thank you. Torchy. Now let's see.
Marjorie, how do we divide up?
Aunty goes to her hotel--and-
and where do you go, Count?"
Me, | am-what you call =
perplex," says the Count, and he
sure looked 1t. But where the
young ladies go. there / will fol-
low. Heinz"
Follow the young ladies', would
he? Say, there was only three
inside seats to my taxi, and Il
hadn't planned on ridin' with tho
driver.
'Lemme fix that for you,
Count" says /. Hey, Cabbyl"
and l whistles up a second taxi.
What's the number, ma'am?" I
asks of Aunty. ''Oh, Perzazzer|
hotel. Not that. Mr.. Shutter?
Here you are, Count, right in
herei" and l shoves him along
side of Aunty, shuts the door, and
gives him the startin' signal.
Maybe It was a nervy thing,
shuntin' the Count off like that,
and Marjorie seems sort of disap-
pointed, and dazed to find he
amt comm with us, but by the
twinkle in Miss Wees eyes II
guessed I hadn't overplayed my
part.
Anyway, we had a nice chatty
ride on the way up, with Mar
jorie doin' most of the chattin'
Looked like that was going to be
about as far as I'd figure, too, for
there want a chance of my get
tin a word in edgewise; but
when we fetched up in front of
the EIlins house Miss Wee breaks
in with delay orders.
mo, Marjorie" says she; you
first. Run in and see il it's all
right; and IL there isn't a dinner
party On, or a housefuf of
guests, III come. No, l shall wait
until you do"
Course, she didn't plan IL that
way; but IL gives me about six
minutes that was all to the good.
you didn't mind me side
trackin' the Count, eh2" says /.
1T was lovely-and perfectly
absurd" says Wee. You know
he bores Aunty to death, and
Aunty bores him. He had planned
on meeting Marjorie's mother,
too"
Then I mussed things up,