The Republican journal., 1914-06-11
A Game Of Chance.
BY DIR. W. H. MINsLoW.
CHAPTER XIX.


CONFERENCE AND CONSPIRACY.
.Cood morning, Mr.. Bemis. ! am
Glad to see YOU walking to the bank THIS
fine day. DR.. Chapman says, walking
;s the best exercise for elderly persons.
Golf cures it's thousands annually, ana
Won know there is plenty of leg and arm
exertion in that delightful game salo
Cutnet, merrilylgreeting the banker. VINO
was slipping along the pave Win tne
BRIGHTNESS and energy OF man OF forty
years. v ,,+
early, too; haven't been out all nignt'
hope?" n+ 70 he in the market
at the opening of quotations: muse
make a few thousands more IN view OF
my prospective alliance, SIR: ~. -. o.
.sBe careful you don't lose; the Market
ia stiffening and your side Is not as popu-
lar as it was.
.sNever fear, sir; am playing soft and
nate now. having invested the most of
~ capital in gilt-esd,geed secur't'es'
(which are -!
"Paragon. Pump, Peoples, Pacific and
Pennsy." :.
s'Rather select, although Paragon IS
too perfect and Pump has too mucn
water. No mines?"
s'No: golf holes are all the holes IN the
ground / wish. Investments IN cellars
are not as certain as in the superstruc-
tures."
"a wise head on young shoulders
Have Alice and you decided ABOUT your
marriage yeti"
That's something want to talk over
with vou The darling doesn't want an
up-to-date wedding, with flowers, rlo,
bons, bridesmaids, ushers, best man anu
the same old organ march. folloWed py
rice. old shoes and a hunt for hiding
place. She wishes to elope.
..Elope? Heavens! Scandalize the lam
ily and cheat me out of the show!
''She saws. YOU did, and her salnted
mother always joked about 1t.
s.The little mink! She knows too much
of family history. 1t is true, however;
| did run away with Helena. God bless
her!-It was to escape some unpleasant
family opposition. There is nothing SINH,
lar in YOUR case. l do not approve OF
church weddings, with all the tiummery
and the hired, old, wrinkled hot-house
plants. covered with millions of microbes,
which have done service day after day at
all grades of weddings and at lots OF con-
tagious funerals. Our home, adorned by
vines and flowers, and bell OF Wnite
roses for YOU two to cudde under, while
the minister mumbles through the sacred
service. would be satisfactory and de-
ightful."
Excellent, but she's pretty set about
it. We have had several arguments and
spats over the question.
"Well, she is my all; it's her an AR,
mostly-and yours, What do you tnlnk
about it?'
"Wendell and Mary are to have pri-
vate parsonage marriage next week, be-
cause of her mourning, you know. l
have thought we might motor over to
Ferpcliff. where there Is pretty church
and a good hotel, and remain incog, for
week or more, and then return for
CONGRATULATIONS and reception. l did
not tell Alice. 1t must be real elope-
ment: pursuit; angry relatives; disguised
friends; gossiping neighbors; reportorlal
activity; big scare-heads in the news
PAPERS, and her Pa astonished and
angry" :. .
Huh ! That's the program, IS 1T )!
The ungrateful midget Fool her old
father, hey We are warned and ready.
She shall have her way. You shall elope
and make a sensation. Make your plans
for Thursday of week after next. l
will. in the meantime, proceed to get
angry. -.
'.Ferncliff will do, but insist on Alice
wearing beautiful bridal dress, splendid
hat and all her Jewels You will have
MANY witnesses in the little church
there. because wedding in a small place
always attracts all of the villagers. 1t
Will never do for Bemis' daughter to APP
pear cheap in place where our bank has
many good customers. Keep mum about
me"
CAN right, sir; l will respect your
wishes, and report progress soon.
Cutnet spent the evening with Alice
planning their great event for the next
Thursday week after the Wendell nup
1ials, and the lady had an exciting ten
days to prepare for going away from
home She was somewhat surprised at
Cutnet's easy acqulescence IN the adven-
ture, and at his insistance on bridal array
for a visit to little village sixty miles
away in the mountains; but she was will
ing to agree with him about costume be-
cause he had been good in letting her
have her own way. She was to be
bride, the heroine of an elopement, and
her name would be in all the papers :!
Oh, the glory ana the VANITY VI IL uoW
many fine young ladies crave the same
sensation with less desirable partners
than Cutnet.
Jack Bemis asked many impertinent
questions, Alice thought, about the date
of the wedding, how the house was to be
decorated, and who was to be invited,
for which he received cold stares and
evasive answers, putting the marriage
off to an indefinite future day.
Bemis, ST., smiled at the chatting and
discussion at the dinner table between
the young people, and told Alice she
should have everything as she wished,
because she was SO good to her papa,
which speech caused momentary twinge
plotting.