The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-06-26


",vns IA. ne oalieu, m reaponse
20 a sudden thunder on the door
The door opened and short, en-
ergetlc old man. purpleyisaged and
hawk eyed. came I'm. Why the devil
don't you Join the Trappist monks,
Abbott? II wasn't tough should
have died OF apoplexy on the second
landing.
Good morning, Colonel" Abbott
laughed and rolled out the patent roclr
er for his guest What's on your
mind this morning? can give you
one without ice"
I'm take It neat, my boy. I'm not
thirsty. I'm faint. These Italian arehi-
tects: they call three ladders flights
OF stairs! 60. Hal That's Irish whis'
ky, and jolly fne. Want you to come
over and take tea this afternoon. I'm
going up presently 10 see the Harri-
gans. Thought I'd go around and do
the thing informally. Taken a fancy
to the old chap. He's a little bit OF
all right, I'm no older than he Is, but
look at the difference! Whisky and
soda, that's the racket. Not by the
tubful; just an ordinary half dozen a
day. and a dem climate thrown in"
Difference In training"
Rot! It's the sized hat man
wears. I'd give fifty guineas TO see
the old fellow In action. But, ! say;
recall the argument we had before you
went to Paris?"
Yes"
well. win. Saw him bang across
the street this morning"
Abbott muttered something.
What was that?"
Nothing"
Sounded like dem t. to me-"
Maybe 1t did"
Heard about him in Paris?'
NO"
"The old boy had transferred his
regiment to a lonesome post in the
North to cool his blood The young
ster took the next train TO Paris. He
was there incognito for two weeks be-
fore they found him and bundled him
back. OF course, every one knows that
he is but a crazy lad who's had too
much freedom" The colonel emptied
his glass Il feel dem sorry for Nora.
She's the right sort. But a woman
cant take a man by the scruff of his
neck and chuck him"
But / can" declared Abbott saw
agely.
Tut, tut! He'd eat you alive. Be
sides, you will find him too clever to
give you an opening. But he'll bear
watching. He's capable of putting her
on a train and running away with her.
Between you and me. | don't blame
him. What's the matter with sticking
the Barone on him? He's the best
man in southern Italy with foils and
broadswords. Sic 'em. Towser; sic
'emi" The old fire-eater chuckled.
The subject was extremely distaste-
full to the artist The colonel. a rough
soldier, whose diplomacy had never
risen above the heights of clubbing
recalcitrant hillman into submis
ElDl, Ddlulg lultllGu AlldI AC uhANA-
stood the artists interest in the rose
of the Harrigan family. He would
have liked to talk more in regard to
the interloper. but it would have been
sheer folly. The colonel, in his blum
dering way, would have brought up
the subject again at tea-time and put
everybody on edge He had, unfor.
tunately for his friends, a reputation
other than that of a soldier; he posed
as a peacemaker. He saw trouble
where none existed, and the way he
patched up imaginary quarrels would
have strained the patience of Job. Still,
every one loved him, though they lived
in mortal fear of him. SO Abbott came
about quickly and sailed against the
wind.
by the way" he said, 81 wish you
would let me sketch that servant OF
yours. He's got a profile like me-
dallion. Where did you pick him up?"
In the Hills. He's a Sikh, and a