The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-21

with cold and excitement combined. related the story of the night
 .swe were just starting off for the boathouse up the river, according to plans, Max and Rudolph and I with the two boats, when the countess came down in a macintosh and pair of gum boots and insisted upon going along with LIS. She said it wasn't fair to make you do all the work and all that sort of thing. While we were ar guing with her-and it was getting So late that I feared we wouldn't be in time to meet you've heard some one shouting on the opposite side of the river. The voick sounded something like Britton's, and the countess insist ed that there had been an accident and that you were hurt, MT. Smart, and nothing would do but we must send Max and Rudolph over to see what the trouble was. It was raining cats and dogs, and I realized that it would be impossible for you to get a boatman on that side at that hour of the night -it was nearly 1-so sent the two Schmicks across. I've never seen a night as dark as it was. The two lit tie lanterns bobbing in the boat could hardly be seen through the torrents of vain, and it was next to impossible to see the lights on the opposite landing stage-just a dull. misty glow.
 t'To make the story short, Mrs. Titus and her sons were oyer there, with absolutely no means of crossing the river. It took two trips over to fetch the whole party across. Raining pitch forks all the time, you understand Mrs. Titus was foaming at the mouth because you don't own yacht or at least a launch with canopy top or a limousine body or something of the sort.
 q didn't have much of chance to converse with her. The countess tried to get her upstairs in the east wing, but she wouldn't climb another step. I forgot to mention that the windlass was out of order spd she had to climb the hill in mud si& inches deep. The Schmicks carried her the last half of the distance. She insisted on sleeping in the hall or the study-anyWhere but upstairs. I assumed the responsibility of putting her in your bed, sir. It was either that orr
 broke in sarcastically, You couldn't have put her into your bed, suppose"
 sNot very handily, MT. Smart he said in an injured voice. ''One of her sons occupied my bed Of course it was all right, because I didn't intend to go to bed, as it happened. The old CT son went upstairs with the countess. She gave up her bed to him, and then she and I sat up all night in the study waiting for a telephone message from you. The younger son explained good many things to us that his mother absolutely refused to discuss, she was so mad when she got here. It seems she took it into her head at the last minute to charter a special train, but forgot to notify us of the switch in the plans. She travelled by the reg ular train from Paris to some place along the line, where she got out and waited for the special which was fol- . lowing along behind, straight from Paris too. A lwoeful waste of money, it seemed to me. Her idea was to throw a couple of plain clothes men off the track, and, by George, sir, she sue ceeded. They thought she was chang ing from a train to some place in Switzerland and went off to watch the other station, Then she sneaked aboard the special. which was charter ed clear through to Vienna. See how clever she is? If they followed on the next train or te1egraphed it would nat urally be to Vienna. She got off at this place, and-wel, we have her with us, sir, as snug as bug in a rug.
 "What is she like Fred?' l inquired I confess that hung on his reply.
 "I have never seen a wet hen, but 1 should say on a guess that she's good bit like one. Perhaps when she's thor oughIy dried out she may not be so bad, but''-he drew long, deep breath-ssbut upon my word of honor she was the limit last night. Of course one couldn't expect her to be exactly gracious, with her hair plastered over her face and her hat spoiled and her clothes soaked, but there was really no excuse for some of the things she said to me- I shall overlook them for your sake and for the countess" He was painfully red in the face.
 s"The conditions, Fred,'' said, ''were scarcely conducive to polite persiflage." <"
 ''But, hang it all, I was as wet as she was," he exploded so violently that 1 knew his soul must have been tried to the utmost.
 t'We must try to make the best of it, , said. 'It will not be for long, The thought of it somehow sent my heart back to its lowest level