The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-05

n SN'T she worth waiting a year for
squabble will come to an end the min
ute old man Titus puts up the back million.
And the minute the Countess goes to him and
says she's willing for him to pay it, yon
take my word for it, hen settle like a
flash. 1t rests with her,
II dent quite get your meaning
She isn't going to let stingy little
million stand between her and happiness. ;"
'Confound you, do you mean to say she d
Ask her father TO pay over that million in
order to be free to marry l did not con
descend to finish the sentence,
why notG'' he demanded after a mo
ment. He owes it. doesn't hel'
gasped. But you wouldn't have him
pay over a million TO that damned brute Of
. Count"
He grinned ''you We changed your song
my friend. A few weeks ago you were say
ing he ought to pay it, that it would serve
him right, and
did | say thatl''
"You did. You even said it to the
Countess
But not with the view to making it
possible for her to hurry off and marry
again. Please understand that Fred
He ought TO pay what he owes. He
gave million to get one husband for her
He ought to give million to be rid of him,
90 that she could marry the next one with
out putting him to any expense whatsoever
RS only fair to her, l say And now I'll
tell you something else: The Countess, who
has stood out stubborniy against the pay
ment of this money, is now halfway inclined
10 advise the old gentleman to settle with
Tarnowsy"
''She isG' I cried in astonishment How
do you knowf'
Il told her I thought it was the cheapest
and quickest way ont of it, and she said:
I wonder.' -
Have you been discussing her most
sacred affairs with her, you blithering-''
No. sir, said he, with dignity ''Sha
has been discussing them with me
/ have recollection of what said as
stalked out of the room. He called out
after me, somewhat pleadingiy, I fhonght:
Ask Britton what he has to say abon.
it,
Things had come to a pretty passi Could
not gentleman be polite and agreeable to
young and charming lady whom circum
stances Lad thrown in his way without hav-
ing his motives misconstrued by lot OF
snooping, diotic menials whose only zest in
life sprung from a temperamental tendency
10 belittle the big things an denlarge upon
the small ones? What rotl What utter rot.
Ask Brittonl The more / though OF Poopen.
dykes injunction the more furious l grew
What insufferable insolence! Ask Britton
The idea Ask my valet Ask him what
Ask him politely If he could obhge me by
telling me whether | was in love / suppose
that is what Poopendyke meant.
1t was the silliest idea in the world. In
tho first place was not in love, and in the
second place whose business was it but
mine if / werel Certainly not Poopondyke' S /
and certainly not Britten's, certainly not
the Schmicks Absolute lack of any sense
Of proportion, that's what allied the whole
bally of them. What looked like love to them
-benigh,ed doltsl--was no more than a
rather resolute effort on my part to be kind |
to and patient with person who had in
vaded my home and set eyerybedy--inclnd |
ing myself-by the ears.
But, even so, what right had my secre
tary to constitute himself adviser and men.
tor to the charming nvsder2 What right
had he to suggest what she should do, or
what her father should do, or what any
body should dol He was getting to be dis
gustingly officious What he needed was q +
smart jaeking up, little plain talk from
me. Give privileged and admittedly faith
full secretary an inch and he II have you up Il
10 your ears in trouble before you know
what has happened. By the same token,
what right had she to engage herself in con.
fidential chats with But just then [
caught sight of Britton coming upstairs with
my neatly polished tan shoes in one hand
and pair OF number 8 " A tan pumps in
Lhe other. Not expecting to meet me in
cap when he came in from the court yard.
In some confusion, he tried to take it off,
first with one hand, then with the other,
what one might designate as ab.
sent treatment kicks on either jaw from
wo distinct sexes in the shape of shoes. He
to get all four of the minto one
hand, however, and then grabbed off his
zap.
Anything more, sir?' he asked, purely
rom habit.
/ was regarding the shoes with interest
Never have l know anything SO ludicrous
IS the contrast between my stupendous nun
Der tens and the dainty pumps that seemed
almost babysh beside them.
Then / did the very thing l had excor.
ated Poopendyke for even suggesting.
,sked Brttonl