The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-12-08

home penniless, and he had gone on q
freighter as common hand the fol-
lowing day.
When he returned the baby had
been dead three months. The Cap
tain was dimly aware that Bob was
going to die.
Mary His voice quavered as he
put his arms about her "Tll find a
ship tomorrow = o God! / wish
had million dollars"
The wish had broken spontaneously
from his lips, but Immediately the
scene changed. The wish had refer
red to no period of his life; oonse-
quently the scene in which he found
himself was one which he was unable
to recognize.
He was seated In the library OF q
magnificent house in seaport town.
The door opened and he heard girlish
laughter In an adjacent room as the
butler respectfully placed a box Of
cigars before him and a tray contain.
ing a bottle of gin and settler water.
The man withdrew, catfooted. Cap
tain Paul heard the voice OF his
daughter Myra in the drawing.room.
YES" she was saying. "of course
papa makes me ashamed Of him. II
he hadn't made that fortune in the
China trade and got his head turned
he would have been very respectable
old man for his station. But he's
well, Mrs. Jones-Frothingham says he
is insufferable. And SO unpresent-
able"
1T must be great trial for you,
Myra," murmured his daughters
friend.
1T keeps my heart in my throat
every time anybody comes to dine"
cooed Myra HE eats his peas with
a knife! And he tucks his napkin into
his collar! Isn't it dreadful, dear!
And Of course the best people in Free
port are not coming to visit US when
he behaves like that. | wish he'd die
that's what l wish"
Her voice broke down and she be-
gan to sob. He's a disgrace and a
nuisance" she declared Il wish-I
wish-I wish he had never made that
million dollars"
you can't improve his manners,
dear?" asked Myra's friend.
Improve a ours manners!" shifted
Myra, dabbing at her eyes. "He
doesn't know what manners mean.
And the worst OF 1t, he doesn't know
he can't behave. Only the other day
he told Mr.. rockingham that
they'd 60 out together sometime on a
oh, l can't say the vulgar word,
Elsie"
"Tell me, l may have heard It,"
said Elise" "One can't help picking
up things, you know"
"a bat, Elise. He meant drunken
amusement of some kind, l know.
And he drinks gin instead OF whisky,
dearl He might as well be a temper
ance man, which is almost as vulgar"
The captain was at first petrified by
hearing his daughters words, but pres
emily his calm came back to him.
That was not Myra. His daughter
and he had always been the best of
friends and companions, in spite Of a
little thoughtlessness on her part to-
ward him.
"You can't make me believe that,
ma'am," he said to the fairy, who had
somehow remained in the vicinity, In !
visible though she was. THAT isn't
Myra. It's a dream you're giving
me-"
Choose your third wish, then" said
the fairy CURLY.
I'm moment, ma'am," answered
Captain Paul.
why not now?" asked the fairy.
because this is mighty good liquor,
ma'am," replied the captain. "and I
guess when you take this dream away
you'll take the drink away with IT,"
And, chuckling over the trick which
he had played the fairy, in return for
her own, the old man slipped his gin
highball thoughtfully, conscious Of q
tuning, baiied presence at his side.
Nov, ma'am," he said, when he had
finished, I'm going to make my third
wish. But I'm going to think hard
before l make 1t, seeing as it's my
last. I'm not going to get tucked
away In a hole for the rest of my
days. II was. to wish what's in
my mind-mind, I'm only saying it,
not wishing it'd wish to be young
man of twenty-five, handsome and bet
ter educated than any man I've ever
seen, with Mary at my side, just mar.
RED to me, and house and land and
/ yacht and an automobile, and moth
Ing to do, and a dozen buffers and
and Mr.. and Mrs. Jones'
rockingham competing for the honor
of filing my pipe with Latakia Grade
1, and fine cellar of old wine with
cobwebs on the bottles, and-and-
bnt I amt wishing those things, I'm
,nly thinking about 'em. Like as not
Il wished 'en you'd put the fly in
he ointment somewhere. So I'm 90.
ng to have q good think"