The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-05-04
Cupid and the
Gossip
BY H. IRVING KING

(Copyright)
M l 1STERY has a fascination for all
A'A normal people-male or female.
Some of the males of the species pre-
tend not to be intrigued" by mystery
but such people are promising candi-
dates for the Annanias club. Anyway,
Gilbert Mar in was mystery. He
had arrived in Forestdale, town of
about five thousand inhabitants-put
up at the best and only real hotel of
the town; had stayed there for three
weeks and had spoken to the hotel
clerk only when he registered, the
walters only when he ordered his
meals, and to the other guests of the
hotel not at all. All the luggage he
had brought with him was a suitcase
and small trunk-a steamer trunk
apparently.
His case was discussed in full as
sembly in the hotel lobby. Sam Jur-
gerson, the town gossip, decided that
the stranger was a crook. Sam was
always of suspicious nature.
Once he had met the minister of
the First Baptist church making his
rheumatic way home alone at eleven
O'Clock at night, having just come
from seeing one of his parishioners
who had become obsessed with the
idea that he was about to die and
would like to see the minister before
he did so. Sam saw the minister
hobbling home and asked him: "Elder.
what are you doing out here so late al
night?" and the minister replied
Gathering them in, gathering them
in," and passed on.
Sam was not much of sleuth by
nature, simply a gossip, but under
the stress of circumstances a man can
become almost anything-a bum or
hero-capture a machine gun nest
single handed or ask the casual pass.
erby for beef and mustard" There
are limitless possibilities to the pres
sure of circumstances"
Gilbert Kept pretty close to the no
tel, going out twice day for consti-
tutiOnal walks, but walking nowhere
In particular and speaking to no one
as Sam, who always trailed him on
these health exercises, found out. No
letters came for him and he sent none.
1t was springtime and the wealthy
people Of the town who had flown
away for the winter months were be
ginning to fly back again and open
the big houses on the hill. This was
Sans harvest time for he had for
years acted as a general handy man
about the estate of Col. Mathew Oak
ley. The colonel regarded Sam as a
character and used to like to hear
him reel off the town gossip While
affecting a stern and uncompromising
manner the colonel was, In reality
rather weak man and secretly fond of
gossip himself. Like all weak men, he
was obstinate and called his obstinacy
firmnesS.
The coloners only child his daugh-
ter Eleanor was something like her
father in this respect-slfe was obsti
and she wouldn't do It. Otherwise
she was as near perfect as they make
'em. And when 1t came to looks she
was a dream
well, Sam, what's the news?" asked
the colonel when his faithful hench-
man showed up at the Elms-the
name of the colonels place
"Oh, nothing very alarming" re-
piled Sam, except that there's fell
low stopping down at the hotel who
ls a mystery. Nobody knows what
he's here for. My idea Is that he's
the head of a smuggling gang. There
was a schooner caught down the bay
last week with two hundred myste.
rlous packages on board, and if this
Gilbert Martin amt
"What" cried the colonel, colbert
Martin? Eleanor, do you hear that?"
81 hear" replied Eleanor. Suppose
you dismiss Sam now and we will
er-cOnfer."
Father" said Eleanor when Sam
had disappeared, "what does this
mean? Did you arrange for Gilbert
Martin to be here when we returned?"
mo, I didn't" snapped the colonel.
IF he's here he's here on his own
hook. When we were in Rome this
winter / ordered you to marry Gil
bert-and you refused. That ended II
as far as | was concerned. You never
do anything l tell you to, anyway
Eleanor was meditative. 'Well,"
she said at length, colbert seemed to
be so sure that would say yes-and
then you went and actually ordered
me to marry him. And ! won't be
hossed about"
And here, greatly to the trepidation
of the colonel, she began to cry. For
Eleanor was woman and human
after all.
The colonel tidgeted. "What was
the last thing you said to him?" he
asked.
II said that when | wanted to see
him again | would let him know" re-
piled Eleanor drying her tears.
SWELL" said the colonel, "you see
he has got here before US and placed
himself right handy In case you should
want to see him again. Sam," he cried.
going to a window which opened on
the lawn where Sam was working at
cleaning up. "Come here; Miss Flea
nor wants to speak to you"
Sam came In, wondering.
"Sam." said Eleanor with great dig.
nifty, "you can tell Mr. Martin that
Colonel and Miss Oakley will expect
him to tea this afternoon"
"What the Smuggler I, cried Sam