Evening star., 1924-10-05


ellie, his sister, and at
archie Mcffam, her husband. Lucille
was leaning forward with an eager
and Interested face: Archie was lean
ing back with his fingertips together
and his eyes closed. This was not the
first time his brother-in-law had
touched on the subject of the girl
he had become engaged to marry
during his trip to England. Indeed,
brother Bill had touched on very
little else in the course of the past
week, and Archie, though of a SYM
pathetic nature, was beginning to
feel that he had heard all he wanted
toshear about Mabel Winchester. Lu-
Cille. on the other hand. who was
now getting her first instalment of
it, was absorbed. She was devoted to
Bill and his recital had thrilled her.
Like" said Bill. ''Lke-'
Stars" suggested Lucille.
. stars" said Bill gratefully. "Ex-
actly the word, And her hair is
lovely brown, like leaves in the Au
tumn. In fact" concluded Bill, slip
ping down from the heights with
something of a jerk, shes corker.
Isn't she, Archie?"
Archie opened his eyes.
Quite right old top" he said. ut
was the only thing to do"
What was you talking about" de-
rnanded Bill coldly. He had been suS-
pcious all along of Arches state
ment that he could listen better with
his eyes shut.
"Eh?" Oh. sorry! Thinking of some
thing else
You were asleep"
NO, no; positively and distinctly
not. FriGhtfully Interested and rapt
and all that-only. l didn't quite get
what you said
Il said Mabel was Il corker.
"Oh, absolutely. in every respect:
There" Bill turned to Lucille
triumphantly: You hear that? And
Archie has only seen her photograph"
I'm afraid" said Lucille, that
father will be the one you'll find 1t
hard to convince"
Yes" said her brother gloomily.
Your Mabel sounds perfectly
charming, hut-well, you know what
father is. 1t is pity she sings in
the chorus.
she hasn't much of voice."
argued Bill in exte nuation.
"All the same
A RICHIE. the conversation having
"A reached "A topic on which he con-
sidered himself one of the greatest
living authorities-to wit, the un-
lovable disposition of his father-in-
law, addressed the meeting as one
who has a right to be heard.
Il wouldn't for the world say any
thing deroEatory. as il were. of your
Jolly old pater, but there's no getting
away from the fact that he's by way
of being one of the leading man
eating fishes. | mean to say. he's
pretty tough nut. And what makes
it worse than it might be is that.
ever since Lucille brought me in and
1aiI hn hp' he
to you to restore the good old
family prestige, if you know what
! mean. He thinks Lucille let the
proud name of Brewster down a bit,
don't you know"
Don't be silly" said Lucille. You
know quite we'll that you're a perfect
little angel and that any one would be
lucky to get you for sonin-law."
'Ah. but does he? Has that
thought ever entered the parental
bean? No. fear memo. Very
well, then. laddie; it comes to this:
that he's looking to you to marry
some one pretty Special
Il wish" said Bill, annoyed, you
wouldn't talk as though Mabel were
the ordinary kind of chorus girl.
She's only on the stage because her
mothers hard up and she wants to
educate her little brothr."
Il say" said Archie. concerned.
"Take my tip old top. In chatting
the matter over with the pater, don't
dwell too much on that aspect of the
affair I've been watching him close
ly, and it's about all he can stick
having to support me. If you ring
in mother and little brother on
him, he'll crack under the strain"
We'll. I've got to do something
about it. Mabel will be over here in
a week"
Great Scott! You never told us
that"
yes. She's going to be in the
new Ellington show. And naturally
she Will expect to meet my family"
Did you explain father to herr"
asked Lucille.
Well, 1 just said she mustn't mind
him, as his bark was worse than his
bite"
Well" said Archie thoughtfully,
"he hasn't bitten me yet; so you may
be right. But you've got to admit
that he's a bit of a barker"
Lucille considered.
Really. Bill, | think your best
plan would be to go straight to
father and tell him the whole thing.
You don't want him to hear about it
in round about way
The trouble is that, whenever I'm
with father, / can't think of anything
to say. 1 sort of lose my nerve and
yammer."
Dashed awkward said Archie po-
litely. He sat up suddenly. Il say.
BY Jovei l know what you want, old
friend Just thought of it,"
That busy brain is never still"
explained Lucille.
Saw it in the paper this morning
An advertisement of a book, don't
you know"
i've no time for reading"
You've time for reading this one,
laddie, for you can't afford to miss it.
It's a what-d you call-it book. What
! mean to say is. if you read it and
take its tips to heart, it guarantees
to make you a convincing talker.
The advertisement says so. The
advertisements all about chap
pie whose name I forgot, whom
everybody loved because he talked
so well. And mark you. before he
got hold of this book-'The PERSON.
ality That Wins was the name Of
it, If 1 remember rightly-he was
known to all the lads in the Office
as Silent Samuel or something. Or
it may have been Tongue-tied
ed, by good luck, to blow in the
necessary for the good old p. that
W's, and now, whenever they want
some one to go and talk Rockefeller
or some one into lending them mill
lion or so, they send for Samuel.
Only, now they call him Sammy the
Spell binder, and fawn upon him
pretty copiously and all that"
What perfect NONSENSE" said Lu-
cille.
Il don't know" said Bill. plainly
impressed. There might be some
thing in it."
-Absolutely!' said Archie. II re-