The Nevada County picayune., 1918-04-18

stairs Bopp yelled down, 'Monty, Mrs. Green wants you to come upr' started, but Lucille stopped me.
 Ask her what she wants.''
 In minute 3opp hsc the answer.
 'She says she isn't going Ee sleep until she sees her beautffnl friend Monty. If he doesn't come up she'll come down."
 Lucille, bIushing, went up to explain to her mother thnt her request was impossible. From behind the closed door of Mrs. Greens room there issued sounds of an argument supplemented by weeping.
 Eventually Lucille came to the top of the stairs and called, Monty How different that name sounded when she used 1t. I bounded up the stairs. When I say 'bounded' I mean 1t. It was the first time that I had done anything like that in years.
 Lucille stood leaning over the banis- ter. perplexed and troubled, her face flushed and her hair becomingly dis arranged, as if she had been engaged in a physical contest of some sort. l stopped on the stairs below her. .arhe blessed danaosel leaned out
 From the gold bar of heaven." I quoted.
 Don't be silly she said in T tone of voice that told me she liked it. "1 have to ask you a dreadfully embar- rassing question" "Au right" I commanded. "Shoot."
 "would you mind very much kissing a lady who is not as young as she was once?"
 Would I mlnd7" said, taking her hands. 'I've been thinking of nothing else for two years"
 "I meant" disengaging her hands gently, would you mind kissing moth- CT good night7 She is acting very pc culiarly this evening, as you know. and she says she won't go to sleep until you kiss her" I was touched at the old lady's fond. ness for me. We went in She wa. lying tucked up in bed, with a night cap tied firmly under her chin.
 Lucille made me come to bed" Mrs Green volunteered, her bright eye snapping with wakefulness. Its al nonsense. Don wanna be in bed. wanna get up and go somewhere witt you and eat
 "There, there," said Lucille, "the doc tor says not to eat anything"
 Yes" snapped her mother. "and IT bet he had just had his dinner when he said it. know a place to eat over in town, beautiful Blainey-lots of fine steaks. chops and roas' beef. Guess I'll get up-"
 She started to throw back the cov- CTS. but Lucille forcibiy restrained her. I brought Mir. Blainey in to see you," she said
 The old lady eyed me with evident suspicion. "Is he going to kiss ne good night?' she demanded.
 assured her that l was there for no other purpose.
 "A right" she sighed; then I'll go to sleep"
 And she did, or at lsest we didn't hear another sound from her that evening.
 When we left the room and closed the door softly Lucille put her hand on my arm and said: Thanks, Monty. It was awfuily silly. but I didn't know how else to quiet her. You won't think anything of if. will youY'
 "Of course not It's all in the family GH ' Snb ix V hazarded, emboldened by the pres sure on my arm For the moment 1 could not have been any happier if had been fed
 After awhile the telephone man came downstairs in . suit of Bopps clothes light flannel trousers, outing shoes, fancy shirt, soft collar, tie and blue markedly well, and except for a yer. nacular line of conversation the man did not seem III suited to the clothes. At any rate, I liked him better than did Bopp.
 What to do with him seemed to be puzzling Lucille. It didn't seem right to ask him to so out in the kitchen and drink water all by himself. and there was no other place to put him unless he stayed In the living room with us. Before she could decide one way or the other he seated himself comfortably and proceeded to entertain us with considerable conversation about him. self.
 II ain't Rube." he volunteered. I've been near enough Fifth avenue to know good clothes when see 'em, and have to admit that Mir. Bopp is swell dresser. only work here In the summer time In the winter I stick around within sight of the statue of Liberty. I'm a wire tapper."
 "A wire tapperT' repeated Bopp. Isn't a wire tapper a sort of crook?"