Putnam patriot., 1915-06-04

Goodnight. son. Don't let the Bisons bite you. I'll be up at seven"
 But it was just e:so a. m. when Emma McChesney turned the little bend in the stairway that led to the office. The scrub-woman was still in possession. The eigar-counter girl had not yet made her appearance. There was about the place general air of the night before. All but the night clerk He was as spruce and trim, and alert and smooth-shaven as only a night clerk can be after a nights vigil
 Morning" Emma McChesney called to him. She wore blue serge. and a smart fall hat. The late autumn morning was not crisper and sunnier than she
 "Good-morning. Mrs. McChesney," returned Mir. Sims. sonorously. Have a good nights sleep2 l hope the kitchen noise didn't wake you"
 Emma McChesney paused with her hand on the door. Kitchen Oh. no. I could sleep through a vaudeville china-juggliag act But-what an ex- traordinarily unpleasant looking man that housekeeper's husband must have been"
 That November morning boasted all those qualities which Novemher-morn- ing writers are so prone to bestow upon the month. But the words wine, and sparkle, and sting. and glow, and snap do not seem to cover it. Emma McChesney stood on the bottom step, looking up and down Main street and breathing in great draughts of that unadiectivable air. Her complexion stood the test of the merciless astrin- gent morning and came up trium- phantly and healthily firm and pink and smooth. The town was still asleep. She started to walk briskly down the bare and ugly Main street of the little town. In her big, generous heart. and her keen. alert mind there were many sensations and myriad thoughts, but varied and diverse as they were they all led back to the boy up there in the stuffy, over-crowded hotel room-the boy who was learning his lesson
 Half an hour later she reentered the hotel, her cheeks glowing Jock was not yet down So she ordered and ate her wise and cautious break fast of fruit and cereal and toast and coffee. skimming over her morn ing paper as she ate At 7:30 she TIL hand. The Bisons were already astir, She seated herself in a deep chair in a quiet corner her eyes glaneing up over the top of her paper toward the stairway. At eight o'clock Jock Me Chesney came down.
 There was nothing of jauntiness about him. His eyelids were red His face had the doughy look of one whose sleep has been brief and feverish. As he came toward his mother you no- ticed a stain on his coat, and a sun burst of wrinkles across one leg of his modish brown trousers.
 "Goodmorning, soni" said Emma McChesney Was it as bad as that?"
 Jock McChesney's long fingers curled into fist
 Say" he began, his tone venom ous, "do you know what those-those -those-''
 Say it." commanded Emma Me Chesney. I'm only your mother. If you keep that in your system your breakfast will curdle Ill your stom- ach."
 roo4- NFof4hae,o1, eo;5 {+ I lnovs ,,o phrase better fitted to describe his tone than that old favorite of the erotic novelties. It was vibrant with passion. It breathed bitterness. 1t sizzled with savagery. It-oh, alliter- ation is useless
 We'll said Emma McChesney, en- couragngly, "go on
 "Well!" gulped Jock McChesney, and glared those two double-bedded, bloomin', blasted Bisons came in at twelve, and the single one about fif- teen minutes later. They didn't sur prise me. There was herd of about ninety-three of 'em in the hall. all saying goodnight to each other, and planning where they'd meet in the S,p probable weather conditions. For that matter, there were droves of 'em pounding up and down the halls all night. l never saw such restless cat tie. If you'll tell me what makes more noise in the middle of the night than the metal disk of hotel key bang ing and changing up against door. I'd like to know what it is. My three Bisons were all dolled up with fool ribbons and badges and striped paper canes. When they switched on the light I gave a crack imitation of tired working man trying to get lit- tie sleep. l breathed regularly and heavily, with an occasional moaning snore. But if those two hippopotamus Bisons had been alone on their native plains they couldn't have cared less. They believed, and paved the earth, and threw their shoes around, and yawned, and stretched and discussed their plans for the next day, and re- viewed all their doings of that day. Then one of them said something about turning in, and I was so happy I forgot to snore. Just then another key changed at the door, in walked fat man in brown derby, and the stuff was of"
 That" said Emma McChesney, would be Ed Meyers of the Strauss Sans-silk Skirt company"
 None other than our hero" Jocks tone had an added acidity Ut took thnsa fnur ahnuf tWn minutes to get