The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-08-16
y W
: THE JAPANESE JUG =
BY SYLVIA TURNER.
pAnnnnhnHnns

people call wedding gifts | don't know
what to do, and it's blue and white.
Imagine that with Jacobean furniture
and dull olive decorations. think I'll
put it in the bathroom. 1t goes beau
tifully with the white thing"
"YOu poor fish"
Bernie"
Il mean goldfish, darling. Don't
you know the value of that thingT
The recent bridegroom stood before
the long, dark oak table beaming on
the object that had just emerged from
many wrappings. 1t was nearly two
feet high-a jug of blue and white
porcelain. About 1t colled In sinuous
| folds a most engaging dragon.
Uncle Barnaby has collected Chi
nese pOrcelains ever since 1 can re-
member" Informed the young hus-
band. 81 am sure it is worth its
weight in gold. Wen have to make
place for it somewhere"
"The dear old thing" Evelyn said,
happily. Let's invite him down for a
week. Perhaps he'd take fancy TO
you, and do something wonderful"
The following month Uncle Barnaby
arrived. He was a little, light-eyed,
alert man, with not very much to say,
but nothing escaped his ken. Almost
the first thing he spied was the porce-
lain jar on It's pedestal in the sunny
dining room. Evelyn had put tall
sprays of Towering almond in 1t and
japanese print on the wall behind it.
"Humph :" said the old gentleman.
Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"
"We prize it highly" Ben answered
reverently. And Eve added:
"Ive been up to the library and
read up all about japanese and Chi
nese porcelains."
you did, did you? Then you prob
ably found out that this is an imlta-
ton"
The silence In the dining room for a
moment was unbroken.
Yes" Uncle Barnaby went on,
pleasantly 81 flatter myself it's one of
the best limitations l have ever seen.
1
started dispOslng of my collection. |
don't suppose you heard, Ben, two of
the companies | had stock in went up
in smoke, so to speak. I've been rid
ing close to the wind for a good many
years. One reason why l came down
here was to look around quietly for a
tidy little job Of some sort"
The worst of it is" Ben told his
wife that night, you can't tell wheth-
er he's joking or in earnest"
'Well, I'll tell you" Evelyn was
braiding her long brown hair thought
fully, as she sat before the threefold
mirror of the dressing table. Lets
treat him Just as If we believed every
thing he said. There's one comfort. II
the old thing does get broken now, 1t
doesn't matter. I'm rather sorry I
Invited Miss Rutherford up for tea to
look at it,"
Don't tell her" advised Ben.
"Oh, but she'll know, she's a con-
noisseur on porcelains."
The following Saturday Ann Ruth
erford arrived. When Uncle Barnaby
saw her a look of utter amazement
spread over his face, while she gave
little exclamation of pleasure "Why.
Mr.. Wynne-Jones, to think Of seeing
you down here in New York Mt this
time of the year. You've come for the
Creighton auction haven't you? The
pieces are marvellous, hear"
After she had gone the old man
beamed happily at Evelyn.
Found me out, didn't you?" ne
asked. well. did come down for
that sale, and your jars a real one.
l just wanted to try you out, and l
tell you one thing, If you'll invite Ann
Rutherford down often and help me
make her Bennie's aunt I'll give you
some porcelains that will make that
look like a toothbrush mug. She's the
only person that l believe knows more
about pOrcelains than l do"
Evelyn went into the campaign
heart and soul. She willingly forgave
the old gentleman his kindly deception
in the spur of the chase. IT was such
fun chaperoning this pair of lovers,
she told Ben. From being a hermit,
Uncle Barnaby suddenly developed in
to a joyous spendthrft and Beau
Brummel, and at the end Of another
month, when they returned from a
motoring trip through the Catskills,
Evelyn sank into the willow chair In
her own room with little sigh of re-
lief.
Ben" she said thankfully, i've got
them married. Really married. You'll
never know what I've gone through.
I've trotted that couple to every pos
sible Cupid's trap l knew of. But
they're safely married now and on
their honeymoon. Uncle Barnaby's
given me d check. Never mind for
how much. It's enough, and you're
going to stop work for a month and
go camping with me up in the wilds.
l need rest cure"
Copyright, 1911 by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)