The Raymer enterprise., 1918-12-26
Cap'n Warren's Wards
By Joseph c. Lincoln


"Yes. You're fond Of music; you
told me %. And Aida u beautiful
Come on. II will do Us both good"
Hum! Well, don't know"
II do. Get ready"
|. The captain looked at his callers
evening clothes.
"What do you mean BY gettin'
ready" he asked. you've got on
your reglmentals, open front and all.
Ny uniform is the huntin' case kind:
flts in better with church sociables and
South Denboro no'theasters. II I wore
one Of those vests like yours Abbled
make me put on red flannel lung pro
tector to keep from catchin' pneumonia
And she'd think twas sinful waste be.
sides. runnin' the risk OF sp'ilin' Q
clean billed shirt so quick. Won't !
look like an undertaken sittin' along.
side Of youT
"Not bit. II 1t will ease your mind
I'll change to business suit"
Il don't care. You know how feel
We had little talk about hats a spell
ago. you remember II you're willin'
to take me Just as l am, without .
plea as the hymn tune says. why.
callate Ill say yes and 60. Set down
and walt while l get on my cere.
mOnials."
The pair walked over to Broadway,
boarded q street car and alighted be-
fore the Metropolitan Opera House
Pearson's seats were good ones, well
down In the orchestra. Captain Elisha
turned and surveyed the great interior
and the brilliantly garbed audience.
Pearson bought copy Of the libretto,
and the captain followed the perform
ance with interest.
Say, Jim." be whispered, with a
broad grin, 'it's good thing this op-
era idea amt carried into real life. II
you had to sing every word you said
'twould be sort of distressin'. special.
" II you was In hurry. A fust rate
solo when you was orderin' the crew
to shorten sail would be a high old
birthstone anthem, I'll bet you"
The foyer had its usual animated
crowd. and among them Pearson rec
ognized a critic Of his acquaintance.
He offered to introduce the captain,
but the latter declined the honor, say
Ing that he "cal'lated" he wouldn't
shove his bows In this time. "You
heave ahead and see your friend, Jim,"
he added. 'Tll come to anchor by this
pillar and watch the feet go by. I'll
have to write Abbie about all this
She'll want to know how the female
craft was rigged"
Left alone. he leaned against the
pillar and watched the people pass and
repass Just behind him. Two young
men'paused Just behind him. He could
not help overhearing their conversa.
ton.
II presume you've heard the newsi"
asked one casually.
YES" replied the other, II have
that is. il you mean the news concern
Ing Nal Dunn. The mater learned II
this afternoon and sprang 1t at dinner.
No one was greatly surprised. Formal
announcement made and all that sort
Of thing. ! believe Mails to b con-
graduated"
"His mother Is, you mean. She man.
aged the campaign. The old lady Is
some strateglst, and I'd back her to win
under ordinary circumstances. But
understand these were not ordinary;
wise owl Of a guardian to be circum-
vented or something Of that sort"
"From what hear the Dunns haven't
won 20 much after all. There was
big shrinkage when papa died. so they
say. Instead Of three or four millions
It pannei out to he a good deal less
than one. l don't know much about II
because our family. and theirs have
drlfted apart since they moved"
"Humph! l imagine whatever the
panout II will be welcome. The Dunns
are dangerously close TO the ragged
edge; everybody has been on to that for
some time. And 1t takes a few ducats
to keep Nal going. He's no Uncle Rus
sell when 1t comes to putting BY for
the rainy day"
"Well. on the whole, I'm rather sorry
for-the other party. Nal Is q good
enough fellow and he certainly 10 Q
game sport, but
They moved on and Captain Elisha
heard no more. But what he had heard
was quite sufficient. He sat through
the remainder Of the opera In silence
and answered all his friends questions
and remarks curtly and absently.
As they stepped into the trolley Pear
son bought an evening paper, not the
Planet, but dlgnified sheet which
Stunned sensationalIsm and devoted
much space TO the dolngs OF the safe,
sane and ultra respectable element.
Perceiving that his companion for some
reason did not care to talk, he read as
the car moved downtown. Suddenly
Captain Elisha was awakened from his
reyerie by hearing his friend utter an
exclamation. Looking up. the captain
saw that he was leaning back In the
seat, the paper lying unheeded In his
lap.
whats the matterw asked the older
man anxiously.
Pearson started. glanced quickly at