Evening star., 1924-03-23

alert. 1t was one of the things on
which Mr.. Daniel Brewster, the pro-
prietcr, insisted. And as he was al
ways wandering about the lobby OF
the hotel keeping a personal eye on
affairs, it was never safe to relax.
II want to see the manager"
rs there anything l could do, sir?"
Archie looked at him doubtfully.
We'll, as a matter of fact, old man.
] want to kick up fearful row, and
II seems hardly fair to lug you into it.
The blghter whose head I want on
charger is the manager"
At this point, a massive gray-haired
man, who had been standing close by,
Joined in the conversation.
L am the manager. What is your
complaint" he inquired frigidly.
Archie attached himself to the top
button of Mr.. Brewster's coat. and
was Immediately dislodged by an
irritable jerk of the others body.
Il took a room here last night"
said Archie, reaching absently for the
button again, "a dashed expensive
room. And there was beastly tap
outside somewhere that went drip
drip-drip all night and kept me
awake. And / put my boots outside
my door when 1 went to bed, and
TINS morning they hadn't been
touched. give you my solemn word
not touched"
Naturally" said Mr.. Brewster. MY
employees are honest"
But l wanted them cleaned, dash
it,"
There is a shoe-shining parlor in
shoes left outside bedroom doors are
not cleaned"
Then think the Cosmopolis is
bally rotten hotel"'
Mr.. Brewster's compact frame uuiv-
cred. The unforgivable insult had
been offered. He stiffened
In that case" he said, II must
ask you to give up your room"
I'm going to give it up, I
wouldn't stay in the bally place
another minute"
Mr.. Brewster walked away, and
Archie charged, snorting, round to
the cashiers window to demand his
bill. 1t had been his intention in any
case, though, for dramatic purposes,
he concealed it from his adversary,
to leave the hotel that morning. An
exchange of kilograms had resulted
in an invitation from his brothers
friend, Mrs. Van Tuyl, to her house
party at Miami, and Archie proposed
to go there at once.
We'll" mused Archie, on his way to
tho station, ''one things certain:
I'll never set foot in that bally place
again.
But nothing in this world is certain.
1t was about two weeks later that
a telegram arrived for Mr.. Daniel
Brewster. Not that this was unusual,
for he was man who received many
kilograms But this one was rather
interesting. 1t ran:
Returning New York today with
darling Archie. Lots of love from
US both. LUCILLE.
MIR. BREWSTER was puzzled. not
1fA to say startled. When you send
your only daughter away to Miami
minus any entanglements, and she
mentions in telegram that she has
acquired a darling Archie who sends
you lots of love, you are naturally
startled. He recollected now that a
letter had arrived from Lucille a day
or two before, and he had put it away
unopened till he should have leisure
TO read it. He now hurried to his
suite and made a dive for the letter.
1t was a long letter. Boiling it
down, it announced that Lucille had
met the most angelic man. an Eng
lishman, and they were both SO much
in love with each other that they had
simply been compelled to slip off and
get married at once. Otherwise, they
would have kept him posted about
things earlier. And, anyway, darling
Archie had wanted a quiet wedding,
because he said a fellow looked such
a chump getting married. As he must
learn love Archie. because Archie
was all set to love him very much.
Mr.. Brewster sat abruptly down
and breathed heavily through his
nose.
At about the same time, in a draw
ing room on the express from Miami.
Archie Moffam sat contemplating his
bride. His brain had been in some
thing of a whirl these last days, but
one thought had always emerged
clearly from the welter-the thought
that this was too good to be true.
Honestly, old bean--I mean, dear
old thing-I mean, darling" said
Archie, Il can't believe it"'
WHAT"
What I mean is, I can't under
stand why you should have married
me-
Lucille's eyes opened. She squeez-
ed his hand.
'why, you're the most wonderful
thing in the world, precious! Surely
you know that?"
Absolutely escaped my notice. Are
you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, you wonder
child, Nobody could see you without
loving your
Archie heaved an ecstatic sigh
Then thought crossed his mind.
"I say. I wonder if your father
will think that"
"Of course he will"
We've rather sprung this, as it
were, on the old lad said Archie
obviously. What sort of man is your
father?'
Fathers a darling, too
''Rummy thing he should own that
1 hotel" said Archie. 81 had a fright
full row with a blighter Of a manager
there just before I left for Miami.
Your father ought to sack that chap.
He was blot on the landscape."