The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-07-13

had nothing on their hands but time
and money formed an acquaintance
with the Marriott girls and endeavol.
ed to keep up with the procession, but
the pace was too hot and they soon
dropped back. BY the middle of July
the Marriotts were back in London
again, painting for breath.
"Well, daughts, what's next?" re-
marked the father. They were in the
parlor of their small suite at the Sa-
voy. He spread a bundle of Cooks
tour pamphlets on the table and, push
ing up his sleeves added: "You see
there's no deception. Please select any
card you choose from the deck"
"I'm game" laughed Edith. She
closed her eyes, ruffled the pamphlets
and laid the tip of her finger on n
of them. Fate, luck, destiny, chance.
accident, fortune, say what you will
the lives of the three were completely
changed by the touch Of that dainty
finger-tip. Clotho, Lachesis, and
Atropos surely guided the digit.
"Wot luckn' drawled Helen, ad.
justing an imaginary monocle and
giving a very fair imitation Of a stage
Englishman as seen on Broadway.
1--WE have here" observed Marriott.
carefully drawing the pamphlet from
beneath his daughters finger, "a trip
to India and Australia rather ex.
tended voyage, l should say Well, 80
be it."
He grabbed his hat and went out.
The girls looked at each other and
laughed. Helen said:
you'd better let me do the picking
next time. Edith. l believe you
cheated" g.. asA.s1s'@s8 q. EsSs.
If l did I'm a mighty poor hand .:
it, replied her sister. but what's
the difference, honey? The voyage
will give us all a good rest unless dad
wears himself out playing shuttle
board and things"
Bridge and poker, more likely for
dad. But don't forget he promised to
take US tt one Of those Lunnon music
'alls tonight, so we better be getting
ready for dinner"
Reducing a long voyage to a line or
two of type it may be said that the
Marriotts, father and daughters, found
themselves in due course OF time In
Melbourne, where Clotho, Lachesis
and Atropos, who had been watching
them from the far off Olympian
heights, swoped down upon the head
of the family and tied him head and
foot in a manner wholly unexpected
by his daughters and doubtless to his
W great establishment.
The events leading up to this incl
dent were these. r-
A mar named Sam B. Hoffman, who
for several years had been living hand
to mouth on the ragged edge Of the
theatrical business in Chicago. U. 8.
A., stumbled, most fortunate on a
musical production that proved a ire
mendOus winner. .4unss~&np. sFf~
Not only did it enjoy a run of elev-
en- straight months on Broadway, to-
the vast enrichment of Mr.. Holman,
but that gentleman following the us.
ual custom of pressing a good thing
organized and sent out no less than
six road companies. Mr.. Hofman's
halter profited not a little by Mr.. IIoe.
mans lucky turn of affairs, as the size
of the producers head kept on even
terms with the rapidly increasing size
of his bank roll.
At the end Of two years having
raked the country north and south,
east and west, Mr.. Hoffman found his
production no longer profitable. He
was casting about for another ten.
strike, when he received a very flat
tering offer from the %antipodes,
whence the fame Of his production
had spread, to take a company out
there for a brief season. ~-n'a'rs...sTyzAn~r
The offer tickled his vanity; the
opportunity to make the name of Sam
B. Hoffman worldwide, the prestige
it would give him, were irresistible.
The result was Mr.. Hoffman hastily
gathered a company, %freshened up a
set of scenery, packed his furlined
overcoat, put on his silk hat. drew on
his yellow gloves, grasped his little
cane, and personally conducted his
troupe to Australia.
There had been a slight obstacle TO
overcome before Mr.. Hofman's plans
for departure were complete. He had
been unable at first to secure a prima-
donna to his liking. He could not in
duce anyone of several celebrated
song birds to become a member of his
Australian company.
Australia was altogether too far
from Broadway to suit these tickle
footlight favorites. Finally he induced
a certain Miss Elise Elverson, a young
woman he had never seen to under
take the tour. '~-.~~ai
Miss Elverson he knew by her pho
tographs to be a very beautiful young
person. Six months previously she
had Joined the chorus of his No. s
company. She quickly became under
study to the prima-donna, and when
that unfortunate principal fell ill one