ft OUui VL bfiACt, It Removed an Objectionable Chaperon. By STACY E. BAKER. JOpjrrlght, 1910, by American Press* Asso ciation.) There were three girls of them—Beth, ho was past twenty; Norn, nineteen, >d Belle, the "baby," Just turned rhteen. .t was a happy and well organized mily in Bpite of the fact that it was itherless and that Father Kepner. •ho was a 'raveling salesman, was way a great deal of the time. Marie Lester was a cousin of the epners. She, too, was motherless as ,-ell as fatherless, and it occurred to he elder Kepner that a home with his aughters and their privileges would >e eagerly accepted by her ID lieu of he position for which the girl's letters udicated that she was searching. He ent for her. "But we don't want that old maid," bjected Belle, pouting prettily. "We .o very well alone." "It is the gossip of the neighbors ..it 1 am thinking of. de:irle," ev aincd her father. "Llgin isn't so Sfwll "CrRI.S DON'T BECOMI. ML." rge a town that a family can be •erlooked, and you girls, with your faus, will be sure to be talked about you are not properly chaperoned." The Kepner trio were handsome '•ls. They were popular. The best •ung men in the town were glad to numbered among their friends, and e Kepner house was generally the 'nter Mecca of the young people. Beth was a stately brunette, tall, m and as perfectly confident as he me an older sister. Cora was a blond, yellow haired, intily feminine. Helle was a nonedscript. It was she 10 raised the most strenuous objec ns to the inportatlon of Cousin Ma , but in the end the father won his nt. Jl' cousin was, according to family ords, thirty-two years of age. A 'ate sobersides was expected to rna lalize. Imagine the surprise of the iting trin. then, when a dapper nsel. modish of dress nud stii!- 'y hands.>m<\ approached them as were waiting at the station for new social charge d'affaires and •oduced herself as the looked fr ttive. en the superior Beth was tricked an expletive of amazemeut. SVhy, I—I" she began. Exactly," laughed t'ousin Marie in rell modulated and pleasant con to. "Toil expected tie Lester o!.J .d to arrive resplendent in rerls >w curls, wearing an ancient bell ped gown of the vintage of 'S2. but ortunately 1 couldn't tit Into the eme." he Kepner trio decided that they lid like this cousin, ney didn't, his is why: >th. Nora and Belle were all blessed a "steady company," youths of ns and promise, with constant s of fidelity ever hovering on their radually the enamored ones began won by the bright ways of the .t experienced maiden, to the cha ied discomfiture of the sisters •e. arie Lester was handsome. Better. knew how to dress, and it was n brought home to the girls that if was unmarried it was solely be ?e she chose to remain so. She wed a most remarkable faculty in \ging men to her diminutive feet. Hh's young man was a particularly .•eptible youth, and he succumbed .. The great brown eyes of the comer seemed to exert a potent in nee over him, and the soft touch ler han lon his brought the bright to his cheeks. th noted this with amusement at , and then—was it jealousy? lortly afterward Nora's tender in cast longing eyes In the dlrec of the chaperon whenever she was ent. le faithlessness of the lovers of her •rs amused the spritely Belle until uddenly dawned upon her that her i particular young man waß tre dousjg- enamored, was then that a council of war called. unethlng must be done," despair began Nora. "We can't stand uch longer. Why, the girl has sin a daze. They seem to have n that we exist" >esn't say much for the con ot men," cynically added Beth, s the 'unknown quantity,* " as telie in the extreme wisdom of ith, "a city girl, you know. If us live to her ripe old age I ay we shall know as much as sters laughed. Belle's asser .•ays amused them, are we going to do about it?" jra. nnPTAn ar«n at l-Koi- mnmonf •.hree'tnraned s.v. % I "I have a scheme .osed Belle I after a tense secont ught. "It j may work out all r Jth of you girls know that M proud; also that she has a ml complexion, and she always • & powder puff handy at all times to make that doll face of hers look the part." "Don't be petty," cautioned Beth se- ! verely. "If you have a 'scheme,' as you call It, explain It to us." "I'll not," snapped Belle. "If I did you would object to it. I'll only Bay | this—if you see anything unusual to- , morrow night don't give the Joke away I by laughing. Just remain serenely in different, as if whatever happens were | nothing unusual at all. If you will j Just intimate some time previous to j this that 'Marie, poor dear. In a little— j er—peculiar at times' it will help a lot." j Beth and Nora smiled at the brave attempt of the youngest to adjust j things, but mutually agreed to give LIT j free rein. The next night, as usual, Marie did i more than her share of entertaining, and the visitors seemed content to have it so. The evening bade fair to adhere to its usual routine. The girl from Chicago had u habit of i excusing herself frequently for a few , moments at a time. Tonight was no J exception to the rule. On several dif- j ferent occasions the gallants were left to the tender care of the girls whom ] they were supposed to have come to 1 see, and the three sisters forgivingly strove to entertain them during the : absence of the main attraction. Young Jones, the lad formerly an- j swering to the beck and call of Belle. ! was the chaperon's favorite of the 1 evening. Only when the woman left 1 the room did his thoughts seem to ceu- j ter on the younger of the sisters, but 1 at such times the flush on his beard- ' less checks and the manifest uneasi- i ness of him as IK> glanced guiltily at | the girl proved that be was not yet j past redemption. "Ah. you rogue, 1 believe you have i been flirting during my absence!" The chaperon, returned, found her j Interesting youth almost retained by j the time improving Belle. Jones started guiltily, cast an ap- > pealing eye at bis rightful owner and , again turned, magnetized, to the allur- , ing voice. "Oh, Miss Marie"— he started, then ! gulped a couple of times and stared at 1 the boy knowing Marie with great, round eyes. Smith and Brown, observant oii"S, eclipsed for the evening, also stared. Fortunately for the success of Belle's plan, none of the three was possessed ; of a high sense of humor. Marie seemed puzzled for a moment by the dazed glance of the trio, i >i;t i finally as the girls kept up a distract- ■ ing conversation, favoring their rein- tive with only a casual glance, she 1 concluded that this was only a burst of ( visual homage on the part of the j enamored ones. Gradually, however, the girl from Chicago grew embarrassed before the lout like glances of these country town • admirers, and a cautious hand investi- j gated stealthily every curl nud strar. 1 i of the bronze red hair mass that was j her chief glory. Nothing surprising , was revealed to her sensitive fingers, j She breathed easier. Smothering what uneasiness re mained, Marie carried on a brilliant conversation, but the brilliancy was confined to her end of it From a conversational standpoint the gay Lotharios were equal to nothing. With a relieved sigh the chaperon returned with her relatives to the parlor aft r bidding the young men good night. "t ! h. Marie," babbled Belle ns she j tun:iti quickly to the older girl, "what | a • lever and most original idea: 1 1 cou.d hardly keep my face straight." 11 irie stared, puzzled. "'<> Init do you mean?" she asked. "Y"'i looked so absurd, so ridi u- j lev ' giggled Nora, "and the buys v.i ■ «■«—er- pirfi ti;- thunderstruck.! It wus such an unusual joke." "! thought I wi.ui.: die at the ex-' presslon on Joe's face." contributed | Beth, with a reminiscent laugh. She I glanced admiringly at her relative. "I—l don't understand." stammered Marie. With a great deal of malicious j pleasure the trio noticed the girl's ' embarrassment. "Why, your 'black face' act." explain- j ed Belle innocently. The girl from Chicago rubbed in- j vestlgative fingers over her face and I brought them away—black! With a I little-shriek she picked up her skirts j and fled. "Flow did you do It?" whispered | Beth and Nora in unison. "It was easy. I simply substituted j lampblack for her powder, broke the i gas mantle and hid every match in ' the house. The next morning the chaperon was j conspicuously absent. A note left behind rend: Suddenly called to Chicago. Won't re- j turn MARIE, i It v as thus that the trio came again i Into Its own. and. being wise young ladies, no explanation of Marie Lester's peculiar action was given the repent ant lovers. Hit Him Coming and Going. An attorney went to a livery stable I and hired it team tor two or three hours and at the end of that time, in n stme of nhsentmlndeduess. left the team at another livery stable, where It remained eight days. At stable No 1 there was no worry about the team They knew the attorney was pert'ei ; y good for the pay. They knew th-it '.f he kept the team a month r!>> m:i j would be paid jiromptiy on i tiou. They presumed that he knew what he was about and concluded it was his business and not thei*-. At stable No. 2 there was equal freedom from anxiety. The attorney fame there, left the tvam and went awav saying nothing. They put the horse Into a stall and "chalked It down" or, the office slate, knowing him to be a business man who paid cash Discov ery came at last, and the lawyer was presented with two bills, one for eight days' hire and the other for eight days' keep. He paid both bills promptly, but It cured him of being absentmind ed for nearly a whole month. Keijisiars Millionth ot a Second. To test the speed of projectiles driv en by modern high power explosives, British scientists have perfected o cbronoseope which measures time to the millionth of a second I UH. JrTEwcR IN TOUR OF TRIUMPH ! Thousands Greet Republican Nominee For Governor. | MEETS ISSUES SQUARELY Frank and Manly Statement* Com mand the Respect and Confldeno* o the People. i As John Kinley Tener, nominee for governor ot the Republican party, con tinues on his tour of Pennsylvania, meeting the people face to face, grasp ing them by the hand and looking! every man squarely in the eye and not afraid to meet any Issue or ques- | tion that may be raised, he is growing In popularity In every direction. The i more the voters see of him the battel I they like him. and upon every hand be 1 Is being commended for the frankness I and candor with which ho is discuss- i ; ing the needs of the commonwealth, I the puliciei of the Republican party and his personal aims and ambitions | to Insure an administration that will command the confidence and the ad miration of all of the citizens of the ! state. Mr Tener and his colleagues on the I Republican ticket. John M Reynolds, Heury Horn k and Charles,*!'' Wright, nominees ii r lieutenant j retary of internal aflairs and staie , treasurer respectively, are enthusiastic over the receptions that have been ac j corded them in every county they have visited. Their meetings in the anthra cite coal regions were especially well attended and afforded Mr. Tener aa opportunity to demonstrate his keen interest in the wage-earners. His ex i perier.ces as a lad employed In a steel ! mill in the great Pittsburg region may ! in a measure explain his keen inter est in the tollers of the state In commenting upon Pennsylvania conditions, Mr. Tener a few days ago said: Protecting Wage-Earners. "The Re; übllcan party of Pennsyl vania t.as to its credit a long history i of legislation for the benefit of tue people and the honor of the conimoa wealth. "Their laws have been enacted f«r , the protection of the working people, j most of which were placed upon tie statute books at the request and with the advice of the organized workmen. Of this record we are Justly proud, and we point to our action in the past as a guarantee of our intentions tn the future. We recognize the fact that . the developiaent of our industries ht.s brought with It new problems, near I ; da; users, ar.d altogether complex con ditions that demand and deserve con sideration and treatment bv the Is.* making and law Hdministrutiug powt.s of our commonwealth. For Safety Appliances. "Among the many subjects affecting the wage-earners which It will be our duty to consider in the future none is more important than the enactment of laws for the protection of the life, health and safety of the meu and wo men who are engaged in Industrial pursuits The first requisite of a pro gressive community must be the safety and security of these people who are I least able to protect themselv-: • -id j the prevention of Industrial act | Is a proble.n that must appeal to all patriotic citiitns of the commonwealth. ! "In connection with this question, mine and factory tuspoition has been developed steadily lu the state of Pennsylvania, and many laws ha.e been enacted requiring employers to safeguard • \.r lives and the health of the wage-earners. Further legislation upon this subject will be enacted Juit ■ as fast as experience points out tL<» j necessity theretor Responsibllty of Employer. I "Closely related to the subject of Industrial accidents and their preven tion is the question of compensating workmen for losses by such accidents. : The Republican party of Pennsylva nia Is responsible for the enactment of an employers' liability law, the pro-; visions of which afford to workmen , the opportunity of securing damages ' tn many where they would not nave the right to sue under the laws of many states. "However It Is a regretable fact 1 that under any system r.t liability tne • workmen must engage in long and ; costly litigation, aiin that the waste of mcney by workmen and employers in prosecuting and defending suits of this charat te- would go n !cn(; way If paid : immediately tc the injured workman, i tc rtiievc film in his distress. | Pennsylvania Should Lead. "We believe that the commonwealth ! ot Pennsylvania, the greatest of all In dustrial states should he among the j first tc putin operation advanced Is#-1 lslation ID respect to this subjeot, aid | as a measure to that end It will be | our purpose to recommend the ap- j pclntment o' a commission of rept-t --sectatlve workmen and employeis, | wheae duty it shall bo to investigate every phase of the question and rec ommend to the legislature a bill In accordance with ;he result of their In vestigation." Training For a Crash. "That man is always anxious to get into the spot light." said the observant citizen. "Yes," replied Senator Sorghum, "but he doesn't discriminate. One of these days he's going to stand iti frout of a locomotive headlight and not realize his mistake till he is run over."- Wash ington Star. Labouchere's Sarcasm. Of Gladstone Henry Laboiuhere once remarked, "I do uot object to Mr. Gladstone occasionally having an ace up Ills sleeve, but 1 do wish lie would not always say that Providence put it LAWYERS LOST. The Parties to the Suit Won Out of Court. By HARRISON WETMORE. [Copyright, 1310. by American Press Asso ciation.] When John Jones met a widow bear- Inn the sume name at a summer re sort he was tlreil of wldowerhood or rather of his peculiar brand of bache lorhood. for he had never seen his wife since the performance of the cere mony that had bound them together. He was now forty and desired a home. The widow was attractive and. though nearly the same age as himself, had i retained a fair proportion of comell j ness. She, too, was desirous to wed. | There was something about Jones that j appealed to her, and she was inclined j to marry him. but she had reached an age where a woman has an eye to j j business in making a match, and she J I desired to know something of Mr. j Jones' affairs before accepting him. ' He told her that his first wife's par- j ents had died and left her a handsome j ' estate. He, as her husband, was en- I | titled—there being no children—to all j j her property. lie was about to lay j [ claim to it. ' Mrs. Jones listened to this statement of his affairs, took plenty • ' time to I I think the matter over ai d I ■, yii ld ! Ed to his persuasions and i < : 1 to j marry him. He attempt!'.! t > mnd her as to what, if anything, slie could i contribute to their maintenance, hut received no satisfaction. He had 1 noticed that she was a very reticent woman, and as he had sutiicient in j come to support her, irrespective of j the claim he had spoken of, he did not ! press her for information. Mr. Jones and the lady ho was to marry lived in different cities. They were married quietly at the place | where they met and went to live at the husband's home. They seemed to be admirably suited to each other and were very happy. Mrs. Jones did not give evidence of possessing any proj>- erty, but one day in a burst of con- I tidence that was unusual to her she | told her husband that she, too, had I a legal claim which she was prosecut- j ! ing and had every reason to suppose | i that she would be rich. Jones tried to j j induce her to tell him all about it. but ■ she declined, saying that should she | do so it would bring up the matter of her former marriage, a subject she did j not wish to discuss. Jones had very good reason for not ] attempting to bring out any peculiar I features connected with his wife's first J ; marriage, for there were secrets con cerning ills own that it would be von- j unpleasant to speak of. Hut her ex- ' cuse for withholding her confidence filled him with a dread lest there might have been something connected with his wife's love affair that it would 1 | pain him to know. And so he became | i a prey to some vague suspicion. Sup- j i _5Pi 4M i unWrn /\\ VL / Mi *i\ m W ;-jyy i i "YOU SEEM TO HAVI'. SOUETBINO ON YOtJB 11 I.N II." ! pose for instance that a cloud rested j j on the legality of his wife's first mar- ! | riage. Suppose she had been trap;>ed | ! Into a mock ceremony. There was no reason for him to suspect these things I He simply conjured them up in his ! | own fancy. People with guilty consciences are i the quickest to torture themselves into a suspicion as to the record of one j I upon whom their happiness is depend- i i ent. Jones had married the second time without feeling perfectly sure I that he was a widower. He had not j | been living with his tirst wife at the i j time he had heard of her death, and j j he had never been perfectly sure that | | the woman who had died was his wife. | j He should have Informed the second i | Mrs. Jones of this uncertainty, but j had feared that if lie did so he would j lose her. He preferrid to take the I very slight chance that existed of the; first Mrs. Jones turning up to claim J him and render his second marriage j null and void. One night while asleep, his wife be- j lng awake. Jones ta'ked. conveying J suspicions that there was something j wrong about his first marriage. Since j he had created for himself certain sus- j plcions about the legality of his wife's first marriage each was now affected j i In the same manner toward the other 1 This gradually began to produce an ' j uncomfortable feeling between them. | | On one occasion Mrs. Jones said to her j husband: "What Is the matter, dear? You seem to have something on your mind." "I have remarked the same con ! cerning yourself," he replied, j "I assure you 1 have nothing to j trouble me." "Nor I." This was, to say the least, prevari cation on Jones' part, for, in addition to his suspicions concerning his wife's former marriage, something had turn ed up to indicate that there was a pos sibility of his own former partner b«s iug aiivti. I One day Mr. Jones totalis wife that ■ he was obliged togo on a business | trip. lie kissed her goodby with more ' than usual feeling, so much so, indeed, that she clung to him. saying: "There is surely some trouble on your mind. Won't you tell me what it is?" He made no reply for a few momeuts except to fold her tightly in his arms; then he said: "When 1 return I will tell you all." The morning of his return Mrs Jones received a letter the envelope of which bore the stamp of Porter, Glbbs & Charleton, attorneys. Tearing It open, she read it hurriedly, then sank in an easy chair In a dead faint. A maid who was with her at the time restored her and supported her to her bedroom. The mistress as soon as she was alone took the letter she had re ceived and locked it In a rosewood cabinet In which she kept her corre spondence. Half an hour later she called a carriage and left the house. When Jones returned, passing through the hall he caught sight of his face in a mirror. Struck with his pal j lor and his haggard appearance, he I went Into his library, where he made ! an attempt to nerve himself to meet j his wife. The maid who had taken care of her entered soon after. | "Where is Mrs. Jones?" he asked. | "She told me to say to you that she | had been called away till the day after I tomorrow." ! Jones didn't know whether to feel ! relieved or to consider himself plunged j into a new complication. "You needn't unpack that," he said to the maid, who took up his suit case "I'm going away again tonight." "What shall I say to Mrs. Jones when she returns?" "What shall you say? Why. that I'll return in a few days." The uncertainty Mr. Jones had felt as to his first wife's not being dead was converted into a strong probabil ity. Nearly twenty years before he had wooed Alice Hinckley, but since he had but a few hundred dollars with which to support a wife her parents had objected to the match. The young couple resolved to be married and go to South America. The ceremony was performed clandestinely, it the bride returned from the church o her home. It had been agreed that /fcey were to | goon board a ship separately and in ! disguise, for they were suspected by ! the girl's parents, and to meet after I the vessel had got well out to sea I Jones performed his part of the ar j rangement, but his wife was delayed j j and did not reach the dock until after j I the departure of the ship. She hid | herself and took the nest vessel, which | I sailed a few days later. These two failed to meet. Jones not j j finding his bride aboard presumed thai j I her courage had failed at the last j j moment. She, too proud to return to i her father, supported herself by teach- | | ing in Hio de Janeiro. Jones wrote t | j her at her father's home, but received j I no reply, lie drifted to London and i I thence to Australia. Nearly twentj | years later he saw a notice of the | death of Alice Hinckley at the ci'y j j where he had married his wife. K' turning to America, lie learned that his wife's father and mother had died and left their property to their daughter, who had disappeared many years be fore and had never since been heard from. In case she did not claim the property within a given limit of time jit would goto charity. Jones then I putin a claim for it as Alice Hinckley's husband. | Now, what was troubling Jones was | j that a woman purporting to be Alice i Hinckley had recently appeared and I claimed the estate. If she were the real Alice Hinckley the second mar riage was illegal. Jones through the lawyers had made | I an appointment to meet the woman j '.who claimed to be his wife, then In* i Had gone home to await the date ot j I the meeting two days hence. ); • inn j ing for the Interview, he repaired i i | the rendezvous and was ushered inr<> j j a private otlice. What was his astonishment to se ! there, pale and agitated, the second ' ! Mrs. Jones! ' The two stared ut each other for ; ! few minutes as though they ci tild : believe their eyes, then rushed i" i 1 each other's arms j There was an explanation involving : I events covering a period of tweiii\ I j years. Doth husband and wife claim ! ed the same property, and each had j heard that the other had turned i: > i but neither knew that tfee. claim,::]! j was a former consort. The lawyers j were as much astonished as the par j ties themselves, and the parties them selves were lost In wonder. There was nothing for the couple ; to do but go home. P.otb regretted I that there was no honeymoon for them, j for they had never had one of the twoj i to which they were entitled Mr. and Mrs. Jones did not enter I | upon a lawsuit for the estate: corse ! fluently they got it all instead of turn lng the most of it over to the lawyers. The pair have never ceased to believe i j that theirs was not a case of colncl- j deuce, but that Providence brought I them together. Origin of Confetti. ; The history of confetti is rather curi- | | ous. Several years ago a large print-1 J ing works In Paris was turning outim- j I mense quantities of calendars, through i which a small round hole had been j ' punched to receive an eyelet for hold ing the sheets together. A heap of the ' 1 little circular scraps of paper cut out i by the punch accumulated ou a table, I i and one of the machine men amused i ; himself by scattering a handful of j | them over a working girl's hair. She j i immediately snatched up a handful j and threw them in his face. Other j ; girls followed her example, and tho ! first confetti battle began. The head of the establishment came in when it i i was at its height, and, being what the ! ! Americans call a "smart man,"he at once realized that there was "money in it." He ordered special machinery, placed large quantities of the new ar ticle on the market, made a fortune j and created a new industry. She Learns, Too. There had been a family row. | "Well," remarked the alleged head | of the house, "a man learus a few things when he gets married. Yes, sir, a man lives and learns." "That may be." retorted the feminine half of the sketch, "but the school of experience doesn't bar co eds."—Wash ington Herald. HOTEL ELDRIGE. It Was a Private House Mis taken For a Hotel. By GERALD JENNINGS. tCopyright, 1910, by American Press Asso ciation.] Fordham drove his automobile into a cottage settlement by the sea and, slowing up beside a fisherman peddling the product of his nets, asked to bo directed to the best house In the place. The fisherman, who was not over burdened with brains, failing to under stand that the autoist was looking for a hotel, directed him to the finest sum mer cottage. "What's the name?" asked the traveler. "Eldrige." "Thank you very much." The automobile was started again, chug-clijgged to an eminence where the house in question stood and stopped at the front porch. A man in a white flannel suit sat on n wicker chair fan ning himself. "Got a garage?" asked Fordham. I "Yes, one in the rear," replied the I man, looking hard at the questioner. I "Well, send a man to take my ma chine in." The man stared at Fordham with an "WHAT BOUT OP HOTEL DO YOU CALL TUIS?" | expression bordering between surprise | J and amusement. Then he said: I "Our auto man is out just uow, sir. i ! I would take it in for you, but I don't ! j know anything about autos." j "All right; I'll do it myself." Fordham steered his machine into the garage. When he returned the man whom he supposed to be the land lord had disappeared. Fordham stalk ed Into the house. "Toney," he remarked to himself. "Coziest hotel I've been in in a mouth of Sundays. Good enough for a private j house." | The owner. Edward Eldrige. was up | «=* n lrs. where the members of a house I party he was entertaining were getting I ready for dinner. He was passing the J word that there was a man below who | hail mistaken the house for a hotel and j proposed that they have some fun out I of It. Most of them were dressed for ! i dinner, and a consultation took place j ;in the upper ball. Louise Vincent, j i who was always ready for mischief, j i Insisted on dressing herself as a maid | i and waiting on the stranger at dinner. | j Soon after this one by one the guests I ; went downstairs, all in dinner dress. I One of them. Iten Howland. was token | "flat aback" by finding in Fordham an acquaintance. "Ilello. Howland!" exclaimed the lat ter. "You here?" "Glad to see you old man!" replied 1 Howland, steadying himself after his ! surprise. "Swell place this," rejoined Ford ham. "I see every one is in dinner | dress. Luckily I've got a suit in my j traveling wardrobe. I'll get it out" j At that moment Eldrige entered the j room. "Landlord," said Howland, "this is imy friend Mr. Fordham. Mr. Ford- I ham is a bang up good fellow, and 1 | wish you to treat him well. He has i enough to pay for what he gets and > wants the best." The landlord bowed, _ washing, his j hands in imaginary water, and asked | the new guest if there was any especial , dish he would like for dinner. Ford ham said he wished for plenty of shell j fish while he remained and would like i to be shown to his room at once. ; When Fordham came down to dinner ! he was surprised to see the landlord j sitting at the head of the table in even ing dress. Being seated himself by | Howland, he whispered: | "I see you have the landlord with | you." I "That's the latest wrinkle in these 1 Biuall swell hotels." | "You don't mean it. I've never seen it before." There was plenty of chat among the guests of the house, and Fordham was ' introduced to them all. Every one I seemed to be on as good terms with | the host as with the rest of the party. | but he noticed that Eldrige. as the j guests called him, might have passed i anywhere for a gentleman. Fordham j called to the waitress who seemed to have his wants in charge and. sllp -1 ping a tip into her hand, asked her t« j bring him a wine card. The landlord, j hearing the order, remarked: j "We don't have wine cards at tha | Eldrige House, Mr. Fordham. We can j give you champagne, claret and sau terne." : "I would like a quart of cham ! pagne," replied Fordham. ! In a few minutes the waitress j brought the wine, and Mr. Fordham, | being very much pleased with thecom j pany, told her to till the glass of every | guest and that of the landlord. When I all were primed Eldrige raised his j glass to his lips nnd, bowiug to Ford "Welcome to Hotel Eldrige. May you remain long. I'll see that you get the best of everything." When the first bottle of wine bad been emptied the maid brought an other. Fordham hadn't ordered It.and when the landlord pledged him again, saying that he thought he would like it Fordham fancied there had been some mistake. However, money being no object to him, ho ordered still an other bottle. What astonished hltn was that none of the other guests followed his example. Finally the host ordered a bottle, saying: "Mr. Fordham. you're the only guest I have who knows how to spend his money like a gentleman. This is on the house." Fordham, who expected to hear the thrust resented, was surprised at a burst of laughter. Eldrige scowled, and the others checked their mirth. Fordham. thinking that there was some joke of which he was ignorant connected with the what It was. He was told that the Hotel Eldrige was a temperance house and that he had broken the rule in oWer lng the wine. This satisfied hitn. After dinner a small motorboat was brought up to a pier, and the guests of the hotel invited Fordham to have a ride with them. The landlord catne aboard, but after his presence at the dinner this did not surprise Fordham. When the maid who had waited on hltn got aboard he supposed she was togo to serve refreshments. But the landlord introduced him to her, say ing, "You are expected, Mr. Fordham, to devote yourself to Miss Vincent for the evening." The maid, unabashed, took a seat beside Fordham. who looked at every member of the party successively, es pecially the ladies, to know if there would be anything amiss in his enter taining a maid. But they were all chat ting with Miss Vincent familiarly, some of them calliuc her "Lou." and since Fordhatn had had an eye on her during the dinner lie was uot slow in availing himself of the privilege that had been extended to him. "For heaven's sake. Howland." said Fordham after the party had gone ashore and were separating for the night, "what sort of hotel do you call this anyway? "I'll tell you Eldrige is a man with a whim. He is nbove the station of a landlord. Indeed, lie's very scholarly. He has a theory that one person is as good as another, that he doesn't de mean himself by keeping a hotel and that his servants are entitled to hob nob with his guests so long as they behave themselves. You being the last arrival, the maid was assigned to you for the boat ride." Fordham remained at the Hotel Eldrige several days, during which the conspirators kept him in ignorance of the fact that he was in a private house. Miss Vincent, who thought nothing of bringing two or three men to her feet during a season, made it lier special object to snare him. The others were watching the process of his enthrall ment, and one evening when the fruit was ripe for plucking she wept that she was only a poor servant girl while he was a fine gentleman. Fordham swore he would have her if she were a scullion. Now. it happened the next morning that Fordham was summoned home. With regret he called for his bill, at the same time ordering his auto to be brought around to the front door. The landlord told him that he would bring his bill into the drawing room, where the other guests were waiting to bid him adieu. Fordham was saying good bys when Eldrige brought In the bill. The former looked at the footing In astonishment. It was SIO,OOO. Then | he glanced at the items: To three bottles of champagne at i SiOOO each 10.000 ! To Kissing maid four times at SI,OOO each 4.000 Total lIo.OOU When the house party saw the ex pression on Fordliam's face their pent up mirth broke Its bounds Fordham looked at them with such a puzzled, woebegone expression that Mr. El drige stepped forward and explained that, taking advantage of his mistak ing a private summer cottage for a hotel, they had perpetrated a joke upon him. Fordham took out a pocket check book and wrote a check for the amount of the bill, saying at the same tlm» that the landlord might apply It to charity If he did not wish to accept it- But. Eldrige tore it_u;>. X.U.eu_ Ford ham declared that be would forgive them on one .condition—that the entire party agree to visit hitn in his own cottage. There was no want of alacrity in ac cepting the invitation. Fordham had fulfilled Howland's promise that he was a bang up good fellow and had stood the joke that had been perpe trated upon bim good naturedly. So 'ho next week the guests of Hotel El drige reassembled at Hotel Fordham. Fordham says that the joke, after all, was on Eldrige. who wanted Miss Vincent. At the close of the second house party Fordham carried her off himself IDQ M! A H.ellabl« TO SHOP Tor all kind of Tin Roofing, Spoutlne nnd Ceneral Job Work. Stoves, Heaters, Ranges, Furnaces, oto. PRICES TEE LOWEST! QUJLITf TEE BEST.' JOHN HIXSOfI SO. 11# E, FRONT ST.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers