Evening star., 1921-06-19
FADE. OUT
Another Pug. Fairchi1d Story
By Mildred Cram.
Illustrated by F. c. Yohn.

minute. he said. abruptly to the point.
Why don't you take Rita away"
| Egypt - -Italy-Jamaica- MUIR
INJURED Rita's father in a sepulchral
| voice.
Nonsense! Take her to Tahiti or
British Guiana or the Belgian kongo.
The most uncomfortable place you can
think of. 1 know better dose than
It's hot and dusty and as unfashion-
able as a Gilbert and Sullivan operat-
! ia. There's only one hotel in the place
! fifty cents day tout compris-you
i know what that means! There you
I will encounter primitive morality un-
adorned-no jazz. unless 1t be the ma
| sal caterwauling of some amorous
Latin singing . Sole Mio'-to the
| moon! Go! Stay a year. Rita will
| turn romantic in self-defense. She
! tocrat who is descended from some
Neapolitan f1shmonger-andl live hap
PLY, ever after. 1t is on your own
head"
Are you serious?"
Mr.. Fairchild. block away. nodded
violently into the unseeing, black rub.
Der mouthpiece. Il know nothing OF
daughters. But. remember. 1 have a
son who took his Manhattan diploma
three years ago. I sent him to Magella
and he has learned many things
principally that a large slice Of the
world lies beyond Brooklyn to the
north, Jersey City to the south. Fort
Hancock to the east and Van Cort-
landt to the west! Pug has a whole
some respect for men who have never
have never heard OF Florenz Ziegfeld.
When he comes back he may even un-
derestimate US a trifie."
Rita won't Co." Mr.. Blanchard in
terrupted.
Then kidnap her A steamer sails
n
catch company boat there-the
Rough Rider. She's tub, l warn you.
II you want an excuse-why not rep
resent me at the official opening OF
the railway? Take frock coat and
top hat. Therell be some sort of a
service-fags. speeches. compliments.
Entente cordiale' The government is
slipping, and We are hanging on to
our property literally by our teeth.
It's up to you"
Mr.. Blanchard had a vision of him
self-millionaire and railway celebrity
debating the policy of a one-track
road in a sun-baked South American
republic. Inwardly he groaned. But
because he was thinking Of Rita's
Thanks. I'll go.
That night he dined at home. Rita
was not there, and the servant eX-
plained that she was dining with the
Fairbankses and later going on" to
the Gnu Chin Chow. Mr.. Blanchard
groaned and Ietreated to the library.
where he sat him Gown to wait. He
had two tickets for passage aboard a
fruit steamer sailing in the morning
for Rio; he took them out of his
pocket and Smoothed them on his
knee. and smoked three large black
cigars in slow succession. The serv-
ants went to bed. Outside in the FASH
ionable East Side street there was an
occasional silvery clink of passing
motors and the rarer clop OF car
riage. The little brass clock on the
library table kicked frivolously on to-
ward midnight. passed l. 2. J. Mr.
Blanchards head wobbled on his shoui.
ders, but he keut himself awake. And
at the front door opened. closed softly.
and Rita came in.
She was dressed in a glorified
coolies costume-hydrange gea-olue pan
falcons. purple coat, orange cap set
jauntily on her braided hair. She stood
in the doorway. blinking s!eepily.
sitting up? Father. what on earth
has happened?'
TT occurred to me-" Mr.. Blanchard
said that you and l were seeing too
little of each other. Today some one
as'-ed me whether your eyes were blue
o. brown-and ! had forgotten" Come
Rita crossed the room and sat on
the arm of his chair. II have gray
eyes" she said.
That's so. Gray. And what do you
see with them, my dear:'
You sound like the wolf in little
Red Riding Hood: r-see you. And
you're getting bald on the top Of your
dear old head"
I'm getting old"