The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-01-14

have felt before he had imbibed the
last few glasses Of champagne. He
had been drinking very busily since
the dreadful thought had been put into
execution. He had been certain he
would need some artificial courage.
1t gathered in his soul and helped
him fashion an extraordinary smile
and tremulous, but none the
less a smile.
Viola" hazaFded a reckless youth
acros the table, and Viola (who was
present in the makeup which she had
worn from the stage of a near theater
where she had, that evening, acted
powerfully the part of a wronged and
innocent m~aidenhood) hoped wildly fol
an instant. Perhaps Broadway, In his
cups. had decided on this most unusua'
way of asking her the fateful ques
ton! She had had high hopes of him
Perhaps"
NO." he answered thickly. Guess
again. Three guesses. It's going Il
take some brains, | tell you that! In
NSAaISh IA WHY thih6 IL w IL NuO
ever gresses right gets a cigar"
There was only n among the
ladies present who was not favored
by some speculative mind, and thai
one was the right one.
Guesser after guesser named some
of the young and vivid creatures oil
that almost wholly young and vivid
feminine company, none guessed the
only faded flower In the gay group
Broadway. never dreaming of the ag
ony which filled the faded flowers
much powdered bosom because Of the
omission of her name, feeling few emo
lions, really, other than the keen sen.
sation of relief from his financial wor
ries, stood smiling mewhat vaeantly
but, on the whole, without much pain
upon the puzzled party.
60 on, guess with your brains" he
genially suggested. IT'S mind, not
foot-work, that will win the prize.
But o. guessed.
Realizing that in this was something
like reflection on her fitness for the
covetable position of Censor to the
youth, Mrs. Gerard attracted every,
ones attention, presently, by a won
aerfully feigned embarrassment as she
rose and stood by Broadway's side.
The party gasped, but rose to the oc
casion Is soon as IL could get 1t.
breath again. II was incredible. anc
there were those among the guests
who were SC sure of this that they
believed a joke was hidden somewhere
In the episode, but the majority were
DO well trained to ~Broadway's genius
for producing mad extravaganza that
they simply charged this up as one Of
them.
A dancer who had been brought up
from the cabaret below after one
O'Clock and closing time had come.
sprang lightly to a table, and, to the
destruction Of the floral lobster and
some notably fine glassware, did a gay
pas-seul among the wrecks of sangui-
nary shells and emptied bottles. The
head waiter smiled, knowing that
whatever might be broken would be
charged up In the bill at double value
and paid for without question by the
sensational spendthrift, to whose own
wealth was now linked the extraordi-
nary fortune of the recent John Gerard
wholesale leather) who had made his
millions. married a very vital lady
of his W ripe years and then died Of
sheer antiquity, to leave her, trium-
plant in superior vitality, relict and
craving for that gaiety which life with
him had not provided.
broadway" breathed the ancient
lady with a skillful stimulation of en-
barrassment, you naughty, naughty
boy!"
Naughty, possibly; but how ex-
tremely lucky!" said the wholly un-
expected bridegroom-elect without q
CULVER, much to his own surprise and
self-congratulation.
AS II broke up the party rioted with
Joy, very largely alcoholic. Mrs. Ge-
rard's car. when II came up from its
hiding place around the corner, was
s~traightway encountered with the
flowers from ladies' corsages, table
bouquets and mems boutonnieres. One
enthusiast thrust In q potted palm,
and Mrs. Gerard screamed when she
sat on 1t. Another made a thoughtful
contribution of two lobster-claws
which. to his establishment, he had
found In his hands as he arrived upon
the sidewalk. A lady, being under the
Impression that the wedding had been
celebrated while she briefly mapped up
at the table, insisted upon throwing
one white satin slipper at her whom
she believed to be the bride, refusing
to accept the theory that Mrs. Gerard
was. as yet. only Broadway's fiancee.
But you can't walk without It," her
escort pleaded earnestly.
I'D limp a year for Broadway" she
insisted. missed Mrs. Gerard's couture
by a quarter of an inch and then burst
into tears.
-Four yellow government notes were
placed In circulation In police circles
before the long and rangy touring car
reached the granite archway which in
vited entrance ten stories underneath
the bachelor apartment in which Ran
kin waited for him. sleeping, but with
one q open for the riot which fire.
quently attended the homecoming Of
his mastor