Evening star., 1920-07-04

l.
-Ye-e-es?" says I. glancin' at him
suspicious
You've guessed it.. Torchy." says he.
81 must leave them b you"
"Whaddye mean, them?" says l. Il
thought we was talking about Am
brose.''
''But Mrs. Wood is with him. he says.
In fact. they came up together. Same
boat They would, you know. Charm
ing young woman. At least, so 1 in
ferred from what Ambrose said. One
of those dark Spanish beauties such
as"
Check" says l. THAT lets me out.
All the Spanish 1 know is 'Muitum in
parvo and 1 forget just what that
means now. l couldn't talk to the lady
a-tall''
BUT Mr.. Robert insists 1 don't have
to be conversational with her. or with
Ambrose, either. All he wants me to
do is steer 'em to some nice, refined
welcome home feed that will make
'em forget that the Ellins family is
only represented by proxy, tow 'em to
some high-class entertainment, like
| 1.-THE Boudoir Girls and sort Of see
| that Ambrose lands back at his hotel
I without having got mixed up with any
of his old set.
"Ohw says 1. kind of a he-chaperon
act, eh?"
| That seems to be the general idea,
and as he promises to stop in at the
house and fix things up for me at home,
and pushes a roll of twenties at me to
spray around with as 1 see fit, of course
I has to take the job. l trails in with
Mr.. Robert whlle he apologies elaborate
| to Ambrose and explains how he's mad
to ask me to fill in.
| Perfectly all right, old man." says
Ambrose. 'In fact-wen, you get the
idea, eh? The little wife hasn't quite
got her bearings yet. Might feel better
about meeting her new relatives after
she's been around a bit. And Torchy
He tips me the wink as Mr. Robert
hurries off.
same old cut-up, eh. Amby?" says
who, me" says he No, no! Moth
ing like that. Old married man, steady
as a church. Uh-huh. Two years and
see the happy hacienda we call home
down there. Say, it's forty-eight long
miles out of Buenos Aires. Can you
picture that? Ell Placida's the name
of the cute little burg. 1t looks it
They don't make 'em any more placid
anywhere.
81 wonder you picked it then" says 1
II didn't exactly" says Ambrose
Eel Placida rather picked me. Funny
how things work out sometimes. Got
on the boat, Senior Alvarado. Showed
him how to play Garfield and Russian
bank and gave him the prescription
for mixing the Hartford singer. Be
fore we crossed the line he thought
II was an ace. Wanted to know what
I was going to do down in his great
Icountry. oh, anything that will keeI
me in, cigarettes, says !. You come
with me and learn the wool business,
says he. It's bet,' says I. So in
| or nf shainO nd n a n
land and nibbling the shrubbery for
lunch, as my dear brother and the Ell
linses had doped out, I lands easy or
my feet with a salary that starts
Only have to be in FL Placida to
draw my pay"
But you made good, did you?"
asks.
'I did as long as Senior Alvaradc
was around to- back me up" say.
Amby. 'sbut when he slides down tt
the city for a weeks business triI
and turns me over to that Scotch su
perintendent of his the going go
kind of rough. Mr.. McNutt sends me-
out with f1ivver to buy wool around
the country. Looked easy. Buying
things used to be my long suit.
bought a lot of wool But I expec
some of them low-browed ranchero:
ty. Anyway, McNutt threw fit wher
he looked over my bargains. He didn'
do a thing but fire me, right off the
reel. Honest, I'd never been fired 81
impetuous or SO enthusiastic. He in
vites me to get off the place. which
means hiking back to Buenos Aires
well, what can you do with q
Scotchman who's mad, clear to tn,
marrow? Especially a rough actol
like McNutt. I'd already done a mile
from the village when along come.
Chita in her roadster. You know ole
man Alvarado's only daughter. Som,
senorita Chita is. You should have
seen those black eyes of hers flash
when she heard how abrupt I'd beer
turned loose We shall go straight tt
papa says she. He will tell Senol
McNutt where he gets off! She meant
well. 'Chita But | had my doubts.
| knew that A1varado was pretty strong
for McNutt. I'd heard him say ther,
wasn't another man in the Argentine
who knew more about wool than Nc
Mutt, and if it came to a showdown as
to which Of US stayed on I wouldn't
have played myself for a look in.
$50 while 'Chita is stepping ON tn,
gas button and handing out a swell
line of sympathy begins to hint tina
!, there's one particular reason why
hated to leave Ell Placida. Oh, wee
played around some before that
Strictly off stage stuff. though; lit
tie mandolin practice in the moon
light, a few fox trot lessons, and 81
on. But before the old man I'd lie
on to be skirt shy. 1t went big will
him. I noticed. But there in the ca
decides that the only way to keel
in touch with the family check bool
is to make a quick bid for 'Chita 81
1 cut loose with the best Romeo line
l had in stock. Twice 'Chita nearl!
ditched us, but finally she pulls VI
alongside the road and gives he
whole attention to what l had to say