The Monticellonian., 1916-06-15
A GAME !. BLUFF
BY HOPE AiNSIiE.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Bruce Fleming idly scanned the
want column as he waited for his
Uncle Robert to finish debating SC
they could give Bruces new roadster
trial spin to the Country club As
he read an advertisement second
time, he sat for a moment with his
gray eyes looking thoughtfully ahead
Then he chuckled softly. and sang
She's the Lass for Me. Just as his
uncle came from a private office. CAP
and light overcoat in hand.
Who's the lass this time?" asked
his uncle
Miss Letitia b. Arlington of Add.
ingtonia," read Bruce. referring to the
advertisement. DO you happen to
know herr"
Yes, l do, but as she is old enough
to be your grandmother, l can't quite
see her as the lass for YOU
But I'm going to be her landscape
gardener, not her gallant lover, Uncle
Bob. Just hear her plea: Wanted,
landscape gardener to advise and in
struct, for reasonable compensation.
about municipal and private gardens
in conservative town of five thou.
sand But tell me how did you come
to know the lady?"
Used to hold court in Addingtonia
when l was on the judicial circuit. and
that woman owned half the town and
was close as the bark on a tree
We'll, II she is going in for mu
nicipal gardens at her own expense,
she must have had a change of heart
ventured Bruce.
She must have lost her mind
bluntly.
When Bruce left the house the next
day he remembered that it was Friday
and that the, regular directors meet.
ing had been postponed until Monday
That left nothing OF great importance
awaiting him at the office. and as he
slipped into his snug seat in his shiny
new roadster, he deliberately turned
his car from downtown direction
and shot out toward the wood beyond
the City park The farther he went
the more he thought he would like to
lolht TIC OO-nllIt luil W iiQlilSI oIiiEit
and make bluff at qualifying for a
landscape gardener for the ancient
lady. Consequently, a little after
noon. his shiny green roadster.
dimmed by the dust, slipped smoothly
along the shady streets of Addingtonia
and a street corner loafer readily an
swered his inquiry about the location
of Miss Addington's place.
In answer to his knock, the door
was opened by diminutive woman in
gown of vast dimensions, regular
hoop-skirt affair with founces and
Dolly Warden designs which became a
confused blur in the dim light of the
broad hall But the ineongruity of an
1860 ball gown worn as morning
house gown in 1916 made him recall
his uncle's suggestion that Miss Add
ington had probably lost her mind
She sat in a dark corner of the
drawing room and Bruce couldn't
whether she looked sane
In desperation, Bruce began to talk
of the garden plan he had evolved as
he came in. Miss Addington sat on
the edge of her chair and nodded af-
firmatively more than once, but did
not speak. He felt stifled thus shut
up in the darkened drawing room with
the mysterious woman, and suggested
that they inspect the grounds. The
lady rose in silence and rustled out in
to the hall where she snatehed up a
huge poke bonnet and quickly put it
on, pulling it so far down that when
walking beside her Bruce could not
see even the tip of her nose.
But the spell of the quaint old place
was on him, and he began really to en-
thuse about the possibilities of the
grounds. To his amazement, the lady
responded with like enthusiasm, and
in a voice of wondrous sweetness She
even withdrew her hands from the ca
pacious folds of her gown and flung
them wide. AS she did so, Bruces
eyes went wide with wonder. for the
hands were soft and plump and white
with pinkish, oval nails. The garden
scheme was forgotten and he answered
not a word to the lady's outburst of
enthusiasm.
Puzzled at his silence, the lady gave
the big bonnet a backward push, and
turned her face directly up toward his
The climax of his amazement came
when he saw within that old bonnet
lovely, girlish face. lighted with starry
brown eyes and framed with brown
hair.
"Of course, I'll have to explain now.
she said, with defiant toss of her head
and twinkle in her eyes You see, I
slipped on one of dear Aunt Letitias
gowns just for comparison with the
new styles. You clicked the old knock
er just as I passed the door, so
thought it would be fun TO go on and
make believe | was real antebellum
lady. But I've made a sad failure"
You succeeded admirably until you
let me see those hands" Bruce reas-
sured her.
Poor Aunt Letitia died three
months ago and left me this lovely old
place with the request that | give to
it and to the town some of the bright
ness she might have given them So,
my idea is to establish public and pri-
waite gardens as a means of associat-
ing new ideas with the name of Ee-
titia Arlington. AS soon as can get
into some other clothes we'll go over
to the public square
But, really" confessed Bruce. I'm
only a buffer myself, not a real land
scane gardener at all /" And he nro-