Evening star., 1924-08-10

there. ! can't got above eleven hum
dred. That's all I've got"
II can't go above eleven hundred
myself"
There's just one thing. 1 wish
you'd let me be the one to hand the
thing to father. rye q special reasen
for wanting to make q hit with him"
Absolutely" said Archie, mag
unanimously. 'Tts ail the same to
me-"
That's awfully good Of you"
mot q bit, laddie; no. no--and far
from 1t. Only too glad"
Willie had returned from his ram.
bles among the oonnoisseurs. and
Ponso was back on the pedestal. The
presiding officer cleared his throat
and resumed his discourse.
NOW that you have ali seen this
superb figure, unique in the civilized
world, We will was offered one
thousand. One thousand-one-on e. one-one-
one. Eleven hundred7 Thank you.
sir. Eleven hundred 1 am offered"
You do the bidding" said Brother
Bill.
"RfghtsoF SAID AfChfe.
He waved q defiant hand.
Thirteen" said the man at the
back.
Fourteen, dash IT."
The auctioneer did everything but
sing. He radiated good will and bon :
homie.
Two thousand I am offered" he
xf TS Il
vance on two thousand? Come. gen.
tlemen. I don't want to give this su-
perb figure away. Twenty-one hun
dred. Twenty one: one ons-one. This
Is more the sort of thing have been
accustomed to. Twenty.two-t -two-two-
two.two. Three-three-three. Twenty
q dhree-three-three. Twenty-three hun
dred dollars I am offered"
!. He gazed expectantly at Archie. as
whom he calls upon to perform a
trick. But Archie had reached the
end Of his tether. The hand that had
twiddled SO often and 80 bravely lay
inert beside his trouser leg, twitch-
ing feebly Archie WAS through.
Reggie van Tuyl had dozed of
again. Archie tapped his brother-ih.
law on the shoulder.
May as well be popping-what%
They threaded their way sadly to-
gether through the crowd and made
for the street
Brother Bill attached himself to
cative.
"I didn't want to mention 1t in
front of Van Tuyl." he said, because
he's such talking machine. But
you're one Of the family and can
keep a secret"
Absolutely! Silent. tomb and what
not"
The reason i wanted that darned
thing was because I've just got en-
gagged to a girl over in England and
thought that if I could hand my
father that china-figure thing with
one hand and break the news with
the other it might help a bit. She.
the most wonderful girl"
"1'll bet she is"" said Archie, cor.
daily.
The trouble is she's in the chorus
of one Of the revues over there and
father is apt to kick. So 1 thought
Oh, well, it's no good worrying now
Come along and I'll tell you all about
her"
"Thatll be iollyw said Archie.
+ 4 y
A RICHIE reclaimed the family lew
elry from its temporary home
next morning. Then he sauntered
back to the Cosmopolis. On entering
the lobby he was surprised to see his
father-in-law. More surprising STILL
Mr.. Brewster seemed to be in jovial
mood and even tolerably pleased to
see his son-in-law.
'Hullo- ullo!'' said Archie. 'I thought
you were at Brookport."
Il came up this morning to meet a
friend of mine. Prof. Binstead.'
Don't think I know fim-what?"
VERY interesting man." said Mr..
Brewster, still with the same ureanny
amiability. Hes a dabb1er in a good
many things-scienee. phrenology
antiquea 1 asked him to bid for me
at a sale yesterday. There was a lit
tie china figure-"
Archie's jaw fell
China fgure?"
Yes. The companion to one you
may have noticed on my mantelpiece.
1 have been trying to get the pair OF
them for years. I should never have
heard Of this one If it had not been for
that valet of mine, Parker. Very good
of him to let me know Of 1t, consider.
ing had fired him. All, here is Bin
stead" He moved to greet the small
middle-aged man With the tortoise.
sh trimmed spectacles who was
busting across the lobby. well, Bin
stead-so you got it?"
yes"