The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-09-12
CHANGED
THEIR
MATRIMONIAL
PROGRAM
90 bv d. j. Walsh.D

TItANK SOUTHWICK adored his
~ older brother, John. Everything
i about Frank was family remi-
niscent of John, even his clothes.
| That is why ii was so easy for the
younger brother to pick up the wrong
coat the morning they lay side by side
across the hall table-the morning that
| Frank had unbOsomed himself to John
about the girl, who, refusing to marry
him, had loosely promised to be his
maiden aunt instead.
"Oh, come on and have lunch with
me, kid, and forget it," pleaded John
prOteetively.
mo, I'm going to have a bite at the
| Prize Package, where she and | so
often eat together" he finished with
q sigh. Then, If she isn't there Pm
| going out and buy her some flowers"
Johns amused but sympathetic eyes
followed his brothers detected back as
| it drifted out of the door, Then he
! called taxi and was finally deposited
| before an office building whose tenth
tlooc boosted suite with "JOhn South
wick, Jr., advertising" chastely and
simply lettered on its outer door.
A little later John emerged from the
small wash room that adjoined his
| private office, his hair brushed to a
satin sheen. fresh collar replacing
the wilted one, being. in short, a per-
| feet picture of prosperous young
| business man about to seek his noon
day meal. He was about to don his
coat when he discovered to his dismay
that he had brought Franks; rather
| Frank, having left home first, had TAX
en- his. Being progressively hot. John
| had dispensed with his coat in the
taxi and as far as his office. Going
to the hfgh-class restaurant he fire.
quented in a coat three sizes too small
other matter.
Remembering Franks mention OF
the Prize Package. one of those auto
matte eating places where one drops
a coin that opens door and intro
duces one to ones meal, he resolved
TO try locating his brother therein
cidentally his own coat. No one in or
of the Prize Package would look ask.
ance at cOatless man on such hot
day and there were still taxis.
Frank SOuthwick was not among
those present when John reached the
| friendly portals of the restaurant, but
he chose to remain, since he must eat
somewhere and in the hope that Frank
might appear before he had finished.
He moved with the crowd toward
one of the slot places. instinctively
reaching for his glasses. No glasses
of counsel They were in the pocket
of the coat Frank probably was carry
ing about with him. He couldn't read
a thing without them. Finally, in de
spair. he chose slot at random and
inserted a coin. The mechanism
whirred softly and bowl of hot soup
| appeared. He saw the soup. His
fresh collar wilted at the sight of it.
Placing the bowl upon his tray he
tried another SLOT different kind
of soup but quite as steaming as the
first greeted him.
Dropping down at the nearest table
he tried first one soup and then the
other, muttering beneath his breath.
A chuckle from the other side of the
table caused him TO look up and into
| a pair of soft brown eyes brimmina
with merriment. John noted immedi
ately that the girl was the apotheOsis
of everything cool and lovely, but
while his brain was busy With that
delightful reflection his tongue was
declaiming gihly. as though he had
met her often. a panegyric on soup.
"You don't want that soup. do your"
the girl laughed. "Why in the world
don't you take it back and get your
self something iced? Your advertis
ing for. soup on blistering day like
this sounds like the great and only
John Southwick."
He confessed to forgetting his
glasses. allowed the girl to get him
some salad and ice cream, puzZling
all the while over her reference to
John SOuthwick. He was very sure
he never had seen her before. Final
| ~, admitting an interest in the man.
he asked her to describe him.
"Well." she said naively, 81 could
give you quite a comprehensive sum
mary of his virtues as I've heard them
rehearsed several times week for a
year or more by his younger brother
Frank. but if you want my personal
opinion" the girls tone took on sud
den crispness. "if nothing were an ad
| jective. John Southwick would be its
superlative degree"
"Oh. now, Miss-MiSs-"
"Stone-W innifred Stone"
John was not conscious of his own
laundering beginning. hut he was alb