Evening star., 1921-01-23

Mr.. GLENDENNING'S age had been
A'A carefully computed at not a day
over twenty-seven. He was admitted
ly handsome. He dressed with quiet
elegance and was particularly distin-
guished in white hannelso At q sum-
me- resort where young men were lit
tie known except at week ends it was
something to have so ,presentable a
specimen of the male genius constant
ly accessible. The previous summer
Mrs. Eanshawy who rather-ran things
= fn the colonyiIh8d Sny1ted1 2r. Glen
denning to . garden .paptX. 9nd he had
filled In at dinneE, at the Mertpns on
counting on had been delayed and had
telegraphed at the last moment. Mr..
Glendenning. in irreproachable even
ing dress, had adorned the Episcopal
seat acceptably-and was pronounced
q capital dinner man.. He told a story
from his casual references to foreign
parts that he had travelled widely and
to good purpose. -s,
It wasn't at all as though he were
. shopkeeper. He carefully avoided
accepting cash from the Harbor ladies.
shop: the apostrophe adequately con-
noted this. When a purchase Ito ap-
ply an incongruous term to the trans
action) was effected. he had a way of
dismissing the matter. Not till the
end Of the season would a bill be slip
ladylike Of bills. on blue note paper.
with '.Mr Glendenning's" embossed in
white at the top. Tourists ranging
the northern coasts were treated with
cold scorn by the proprietor. who suf-
fered young assistant. who initiated
- a. NIT rAl tr>
sell them anything they fancied and
accept cash for the purchases
It was at the beginning of last sea-
son t1sAt the Bob Overtons plotted and
planned for the destruction Of Mr..
Glendenning. Bob had been having
HArbor to indulge in a leisurely recu-
peration. Bob. like all the other male
regulars at the colony, resented Mr..
Glendenning's fascinations as exer-
cised upon helpless. confiding women.
''I met that cheerful ass G1enden-
ming on the dock this morning" Bob
remarked to his wife as they sat be-
fore their fireplace on an evening ear
ly in June. He'd just run up from
Chicago for a day." he 1isped to me,
ito have his shop painted: he'll be
back in couple Of weeks to stay.
BY Jove. something's got to be done
about that chap or the first thing we
know he'll be eloping with the daugh-
ter of some Of our friends. or more
likely one OF these married women
VINO are always buzzing around his
shop. OF all the effeminate. sissy fel-
lows I ever saw he is the most per-
sistent and pernicious. I'd forgotten
about him till saw him this morning
in the post office. He gave me the
most patronizing nod imaginable. and,
Of course. I had to shake hands with
him, I wouldn't give him the satis-
faction OF thinking me a snob,"
"You are not that. of course" said
Mrs. Overton defensively.
We'll. I want you to keep out of
his place! You remember one day last
summer looked all over the village
for you and found you in there
drinking tea! Tea with that impostor.
He's one of the smoothest scoundrels
] ever saw. All the rubbish in his
preposterous shop is "exciusive"-he
makes you women think that-and he
charges you about four prices for all
his stun and covers up the swindle
with that mournful air Of his. as
though 1t was breaking his heart to
let any of his stun go! I'm on the
may take it from me that he won't
get a card to the dances. It was Mrs
Fanshaw who perpetrated that iniQui-
ty last summer"
Mrs. Overton laughed at his vic.
lence.
IT didn't intend to tell you. but he's
going to have rival this summer"
What, Another of the same ilk'
3Sow. Bob. this Is strictly confiden
tial. You remember Mabel Campbell
who WAS in my class at Smith. Well
she has a sister, Josie. who finish ed
college last year and took a dash into
society and didn't like IL. Josie's a
spirited youngster. and has all the
new ideas about woman's economic
status and earning her own living anc
things like that"
Bangor or Boston-somewfer<
down therer' frowned Overxon, who
having been born in st. Louis, affected
dense ignorance of eastern geography
Hartford" his wife corrected. 9Th,
Campbells are worried to death about
Josie and her radical notions. So fal
as her economic status is concerned
that was fixed the day she was born
they're rich. you know. And they dom
want her starting tea shop in New
, York or Boston. or going into settle
Inent work or on the stage, or any o.
the things she's threatened. You re-
member Mabel? Well. Josie is as diff
ferent as possible; prettier. for on,
Ming, and more amusing"
sn0veecouldA2pder