The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-04-10

men: of the car for Il smoke. Again
objected. for IL whisky breath is bat
WHISKY aud tobacco breath Is worse
But Il smoke after IA drink is especial,
enjoyable, so again yielded.
After orr smoke my companion pro
posed II gineof vingt ct I'm, to which
lssented. and the luck. being ON my
side. when the train rolled into thu
station where we were to alight ha(
taken $40 from my antagonist. HI
didn't complain. nor did he ask me Il
meet him again for his revenge, being
just rs CHEEKY ut the parting as he had
been at the meeting.
| found Mr. Springer's car at tn,
station and. getting In. was whisked Il
his home. When arrived was tolt
that lie was not ut home, but was ex
pected soon. l was shown to a room
where | made a toilet, taking care t.
use some aromatic tooth powder hat
with me to destroy the odor of whisky
and tobacco on my breath. also di
vested myself of my travelling suit
which was saturated with tobacco
smoke Having got as well rid as pos
sible of these teltales, went dowr
into the library, where l found al
evening paper
/ was engrossed in the paper when
hearing footstep. looked up. and
great was my astonishment. A mar
stood before me with a benign smile
on his face, and who should he be bu
the person who had sought my &C
quaintance on the train and whom
had relieved of $76. He offered hi.
hand and said:
I'm glad to see you, my dear boy
l can tell you at once that l heartily
approve of you. We can't trust one an
other in this world when we are warn
ed, so | concluded to take you un
awares."
"B-b-b-ut l thought you were
were a.
$50 am in business and among
women and children. but know wha,
young man is, for I've been one my
self. So | concluded to go back to the
days of my wild oats and see you as
you are, not as you would pretend tC
be. I'm very fond of my niece anG
ing, driveling fellow whs pretends t.
goodness while his inclinations are 9th
erwise. / have found you perfectly
honorable and you played fair game.
I'll say this, even If you did relieve me
of my money. Come in to dinner"
Mr.. Springer did not let me go fol
several days. He was not the man he
had been on the train. but was nc
prude. He was much engrOssed in
business. and this did not give hin
time for dissipation even If. he was
inclined that way, and he was not sc
inclined. | went back to Edith with
far better report Of my status with
her uncle than she had given me Of her
status with my aunt.
I found that Aunt Kate had been
called away for few days. and | was
obliged to go to Edith to be informed
as to the situation. She told me that
my aunt had written her brief note,
saying that on her return and mine
she would be pleased to see us at her
house to spend an evening. gave
Edith an account of my meeting with
her uncle. at which she was much sur.
prised.
"You men are very queer" she said.
A few days after my return l receiv.
ed a telephone message from Aunt
Kate that I was to fetch Edith to her
house for dinner and to spend the
evening. On the evening in question
I called for Edith. and she said that
she would try to undo the impression
she had made upon my aunt. l told
her that she would better act herself
and not try to appear to be any one
else. Aunt Kate was very shrewd and
not to be fooled.
We found our hostess got up in her
finest costume. extremely decollete and
with plenty Of adornment. She gave
Edith smack and warmly pressed
my hand. Curious to know why she
had been so different with Edith dur.
ing her call. I entered upon the sub
ject at once.
Edith told me she had shocked you
Aunt Kate" I said.
Shocked me! She was trying to fool
me. Do you suppose don't know a
woman Of the world? Why, my dear
You could never be bad even il you
tried ever so hard. Come in to din
uer''
What II relief. both to me and to
Edith. And how happy we were at
having so successfully passed the or
deal required. But we had done moth
ing to further the issue. Edith's uncle
and my aunt had taken pains to pre-.
vent our imposing OH them to see us
as we were and not as we would have
pretended.
Our dinner was n most enjoyable
one. but Edith and I agreed that II
would have been far more delightful II
we could have had her uncle with us.
My aunt, who had the faculty of
adapting herself to the person she was
with, behaved herself remarkably well
Indeed. so circuhspect was she that
Edith conceived the idea that we were
trying to impose upon her; that Aunt