The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-03-01

on MS feet WHen Sne feacueu tnf
dining room.
"Family and friends!' he began.
"Best of families. best of friendsl
| stand before you tonight at the ripe
age of four and forty. have not
only an announcement to make-7-I
have also a confession. have con-
cealed my name from even my wife.
You have hitherto known me as plain
Hilton Handy"
"Not exactly plain" his wife
laughed. ~ could never have mar
ried plain mani"
"Best of wivesl" he murmured.
have deceived you. Almost half q
century ago my mother was drown
ing in one of our picturesque rivers.
A handsome stranger sprang IN and
rescued her. Later they were mar
ried, and her first son she called By
the name Of that superb stream. MY
true name is HousatOnic Hilton Han
by. At school was known as Tonic.
| At college they called the Tony. When
| married dropped the name be-
cause my wife was from Cleveland
and would not have understood To-
night I resume it publicly. There
are reasons. I am now lord Of the
manor | have territorial obligations.
Boys and girls. have been hard
worker, and have prospered. Eff
teen years ago, when ] was young
in the wooden business. took. In
payment of a bad debt. sixty acres
of land near Los Angeles"
"And you've struck oil thereT"
asked Celia, his eldest. daughter.
"No-this is true story. have
subdivided what was formerly q
rocky, g0at-infested hill. II Is now
Wildwood. famous ms the queen OF
hillside residential parks"
"Dream onl" said Junior. Hanby's
son. who was a Yale sophomore, and
therefore given to doubling the en-
thusiasms OF his elders.
| "NO dream. my worthless lad. cut
factl have the money. Half OF
it have spent this afternoon. Know.
beloved ones. that | have realized the
ambitions of lifetime About a
hundred miles away. near the peace
full village of Pine Plains, HOusa7
tonic II. Handy owns iordly estatet
In this historic home. this feudal
fastness, he will dispense hospitality
of the sort his position entails. On
his private golf course his friends
will pry gobs of turf from their beds
as they now do weekly at Wykagyl
and Garden City. On his tennis
courts. grass and concrete. his chill
dren will play under his able tute-
lage. until they go in triumph to For
est Hills. There Sir Housatonic has
a lake, wherein bass and trout await
the anglers fly. There his children
will find a swimming pOOl-nOt vet
built. however-which will make the
best that Pasadena and Hollywood
have to offer look like frog p0nds.%
"Oh. dadl" Celia cried. us this
real. or do we wake up nOw2"
In answer he passed Uhotogfaphs
around The Gray hesssq- Sszas q
not a mere hope.
''Wonderfuli" said Mrs. Bishop. one
Of Dinas close friends. But the
help problem in thirty-room house
is appalling. You won't get any one
to stay"
"Maryl" Handy called out. The
girl was arranging glasses In the
anteroom. you heard what I've
been saying?"
Mary flushed a little.
~ couldn't help it. SIR. she apollo
gized.
Go and ask the others Il they'll
come to the Gray house."
They'll come" said Mary eagerly.
ASK them," Mrs. Bishop com
manded. New York help simply
hates the country. We tried it out.
and we know"
Mary came back.
They're crazy to go. SIR"
Il don't know how you do it," said
Mrs. Bishop.
Its easy" said Handy. ave treat
EN- as if they were human.
Handy started as a strange but
somehow familiar voice broke in.
"They gave a feast the night be-
fore Waterloo" shouted the voice.
from the distant balcony.
Its that Mucaer." Mary said
1.-The idea !"
"Smucker," Handy corrected.
had forgotten all about him. Tell
him I'll be, there in moment"
Hes got his nervel" said Junior.
Besides, the people who gave the
feast before Waterloo won the bat
tie. Dad. hate that mani wish
you'd fire him. Whenever ! go to
the Office. he tries to head me of
from seeing you"
"He wishes to save me money
said Handy. rising.
Mary descended wrathfulIy on
Smoker. He was conscious that his
intellectual superiority was lost on
her. In the slangy. expressive phrase
of her class, she gave Smucker her
opinion of him.
ITO BE CONTlNUED.l