The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-03-24
Mr.. Webster" he admitted.

mo Offense, Mr. Webster, no offense.
l can let you have g stateroom-"
THAT'S trading talk. I'll take it."
The conductor gave him his receipt
and led him back to the stateroom in
the observation car. At the door Web
ster handed him five-dOllar bill. "For
you. son." he said ge:ttly, "just to take
the sting out Of what I'm about to tell
you. Now that l possess your receipt
and know that ten men and hoy can
not take it away from me, I'm going to
tell you who Sweeney is"
"WhO is he?" the conductor uneried.
Already he suspected he had been out
generated.
Sweeney" said Mr.. Webster, "is the
chief clerk In one of Chicago's most
preteItlous hotels and a young man
who can find all the tangles of a sit.
uation without working 1t out In loga-
rithms. l wired him the details Of my
predicament; he heard the Macedonian
cry and kicked In. Neat, is it not?"
The conductor grinned. 81 hate to
take your money" he declared.
Don't. Just at present I'm very
flush. Yes, sir, I'm as prosperous rs a
yearlng burro up to his ears i'm alfalfa
and the only use have ever found for
money is to make other people happy
with it, thereby getting some enjoy
mcnt out of it myself When I'm broke
I'll make some more"
And Mr. Webster retired to his hard.
won sanctuary, where he removed as
mel .,1 -n1t
could carded his long hair AID whiSli.
ers. mnncured his finger nails with Il
jacE-knife, changed his shirt, provided
i've minutes of industry for George.
with lis whiSkbrOom and brush. and
set himself patiently to await Tie first
call to dinner
Presently a pink-jowled we'll
curried, tiashlly dressed big man, Of
about Wcbster's age, passed i'm the cor.
rldnr, going toward the head of the
train. An instant later a womans
voice said very distinctly:
Il do not know you. sir; do no,
wish to know you, and 1t is loathSome
OF You to persist in addressing me. If
you DO not stop your annoying attea-
uonS. | shall call the conductor"
An! Beauty in Distress" John
Stuart Webster sOliloQuized. "I look
so much like an Angora goat might
rs well butt In" He stepped to The
door OF his staterOom. A girl stood in
tEe veStibule, confronting the man who
mad just passed Webster's door. Web.
ster bowed.
Madame, or mademoiSclle, as the
case may be-" he said, unlike this
other male biped, my sole purpose in
prcsuming to address you is to suggest
that there is not the slightest necessity
Tor taking this matter up with the con-
ductor. ! am here and very much at
your service"
The girl turned-and John Stuart
WcbsterS Eeart Topped twice i'm rapid
succession, like trout newly grassed.
She was as lovely as royal flush.
Her starry glance began ut his miners
boots, Travelled up his old soiled. whip.
cord trousers, over his light blue cham.
bray shirt and found the man behind
the whiskers. She favored him with n
quick, curious scrutiny and grave.
sweet smile. "TEank you so much. sir"
she answered. and passed down the
corridor TO the observation car.
"Wcll, Oidtimer," Webster greeted
the fellow who had been annoying her,
"how about you? What do you think
we ought to do about this little af.
fair?"
"The sensible thing would be to do
nothing. You might start something
you couldn't flush"
'"That's dare" Webster declared
brightly. land wasn't il the immortal
Huckleberry Finn who remarked that
anybody that'd take II dare would suck
eggs and steal shcep?" He was silent
few seconds appraiSing his man. "a
suppose you commenced operations by
moving into her section and asking II
she would like to have the window
open and enjoy the fresh air. She re-
buncd you. but being II persistent
devil, you followed hrr into the OBJ.
servation car. and In all probability
you Ogled her AT lunch ION and ruined
her appetite. AID just now. when you
met ne ~ This vc~'i',uir YOU doubt.
less jostl"d h"i .l her pardon
ana without Introduced
..n II ncr IL have dinner with you as
evening"
"Wellf" the fellow echoed belligcr-
emily.
IT'S nll bad form. You shouldn't
try TO rnkc mash on a lady. don't
know who she is of course. but she's
not common AID for the sake of the
mother that bore me always respect
and protect good woman and whale
h out of those that do lOt."
He reached inside his stateroom and
pressed the bell. Tie porter arrived on
the run.
George" said Mr.. Webster. "in a
few minutes we're due at Smithville.
if my memory serves me Alright, we
stop five minutes for water and or
ders."
"Yassah."
"Remain right here and let me off as
soon us the train comes to q stop"
When the train slid to q grinding
halt and the porter opened the car
door, Webster pointed. "Out I" he said.