The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-06-01
CHAPTER VII.
A Letter From Maud

Eva
" luncheon; Mr.. Blithers, dis
mayed, arrived at Blither-
wood q quarter of an hour later. lie
had had his way with Robin, who,
after all, was coming to dinner that
evening with Count Quinnox. The
prince, after a few words In private
with the count, changed his mind
and accepted Mr.. Blithers' invitation
with q liveliness that was mistaken
for eagerness by that gentleman,
who had made very short work of
subduing Mrs. King when she tried
to tell him that her own dinner party
would be ruined If the principal
guest defaulted. He was gloating
over his victory up to the instant he
reached his own lodge gates. There
dismay sat patiently waiting for him
In the shape OF a messenger from the
local telegraph Office in the village
below. He had seen Mr.. Blithers ap-
preaching in the distance. and with
an a%stuteness that argued well for
his future success in life, calmly sat
down to wait instead of pedaling his
decrepit bicycle up the long slope to
the villa.
He delivered q telegram and kindly
vouchsafed the information that 1t
was from New York.
MI. Blithers experienced q queer
sinking Of the heart as he gazed at
the envelope. Something warned him
that IL he opened II In the presence
Of the messenger he would say some
thing that a young boy ought not to
hear.
"It's from Maud" said the obliging
boy, beaming good nature. 1t cost
him a quarter, that bit Of gentility.
for Mr.. Blithers at nee said some
thing that a messenger boy ought to
hear and ordered Jackson to go
ahead. 1t was from Maud, and II said:
I shall stay In town a few days longer.
It Is delightfully."- cool here. Dear old
Miranda Is at the Ritz with me, and we
are having a fine spree. Don't worry
about money. l find / have a staggering
balance In the bank. The cashier showed
me where 1 had made a mistake In sub
traction OF an even ten thousand. l was
amazed to find what a big difference a
little figure makes. Have made no def
mite plans, but will write mother tonight.
Please give my love to the prince. Have
you seen today's Town Truth? Or, worse.
has he seen 1t? Your loving daughter.
MAUD.
A little later on, after he had cooled
off to a quite considerable extent, Mr..
Blithers lighted q cigar and sat down
in the hall outside his wife's bedcham-
Der door. She was having her beauty
nap. Not even he possessed the te-
merity to break in upon that. He sat
and listened for the first sound that
would indicate the appeasement Of
beauty, occasionally hitching his chair
a trifie nearer to the door in the agony
of Impotence. BY the time Jackson
returned from the village with word
that a copy of Town Truth vas not to
be had until the next day he was so
close to the door that IL any one had
happened to stick a hatpin through the
keyhole at precisely the right instant
1t would have punctured his left ear
with appalling results.
What are we going to do about IT."
he demanded three minutes after en-
tering the chamber. His wife was
PROSTATE on the luxurious couch from
which she had failed to arise when he
burst in upon her with the telegram In
his hand.
"Oh, the foolish child" she moaned.
eff she only knew how adorable he is
she wouldn't be acting in this perfect
ly absurd manner. Every girl who was
here last night is madly In love with
him. Why must Maud be so obsti-
mater"
MI. Blithers was very careful not n
mention his roadside experience with
the prince. and you may be sure that
he said nothing about his proposition
to the young man. He merely de.
clared, with a vast bitterness In his
soul, that the prince was coming to
dinner. But what the deuce was the
use?
"She ought to be soundly-spoken
to-" said he. breaking the sentence
with a hasty gulp. Nov. Lou. there's
just one thing to do. I must 60 to New
York on the midnight train and get
her. That woman was all right as a
tutor. but hanged II I like to see a
daughter Of mine traipsing around
New York with a schoolteacher.
She
You forget that she has retired on a
competence. She 10 not In active en-
ployment, VIII. You forget that she is
one Of the Van valkens."
There you 10. talking about good
old families again. Why Is II that 90
blamed many Of your me old blue
stockings are hunting jobs"-
snow. don't be vulgar. WILL" she
cut IN. maud n quite safe with MI
and you know II perfectly
wen. % don't talk like that. ! think
L would b ! fearful mistake for you
% 20 % New York. she would never
you and. what = more to the
pofnt ~ wouldn't budge : step II
10 trjaA q bully her into coming