Show f WAW f ft THE BOX OF TRICKS N by OWEN 0 OLIVER i W r y stay r nar f copyright it la Is not easy for me to ket get angry and my brothers wife la Is not easy to be angry with she looks like a grownup grown up baby and she to Is so innocent and surprised when I 1 point out ont her mistakes that I 1 generally end by fancying myself the offending party dob cob chuckle on these occasions he calls her the box of tricks there are limits however to roy MY amiability and possibly I 1 dont feet feel surel su reto to my slater sister ln in laws artfulness when I 1 found that she had bad inveigled me into a cruise in their yacht under entirely false pretenses pretense sr I 1 resolved that all her wiles should not save bave her from froia my severa displeasure when I 1 could catch her alone she el eluded u d e d m me e by attaching herself to her 0 other t h e r g guests i bests until we had passed the lighthouse then the yacht t became very lively and the other guests disappeared in rapid succession except a tall good looking young lady in vince nez she seized mrs airs dob bob by tho the arm and rushed ta her or out on de deck ek and old dob bob rubbed his handa bands gleefully the Thet box of 0 tricks la Is going to catch it this time he observed ashes going to catch it m 0 o second time I 1 stated and started in pursuit with a view to securing the next innings I 1 discovered the two ladles ladies standing in the tee lee of the sm smoking elting room they were arguing with such animation that they did not notice me its abominable the tall young lady protested perfectly atrocious I 1 my sister ln in law looked at her with simulated innocence it Is a little rough she said catching at the handrail and shaking her pretty head at the great green wa waves ves that greeted us at the harbor mouth oh hh she throw threw her hood over her head to fend off a shower of spray 1 I mean you said the tall young lady balancing herself like a sailor you know perfectly well that I 1 dont mind the weather 1 I think I 1 dot do my naughty sister enlaw ln law confessed 1 I tho the ship gave a lurch im sure I 1 do she made a dart tor for the hatchway and alsap feared white faced but smiling and unrepentant serves her right the tall young lady muttered but her tone was less unfriendly than her words I 1 and she laughed unwillingly then she turned ind and saw me she will not be able to introduce us for a little while I 1 observed so perhaps you will allow me I 1 have the misfortune to be her brother in law I 1 do not remember that I 1 had ever introduced myself to a lady b before e s out but I 1 felt that I 1 had a good excuse in the circumstances and the lady oh she said but surely you are not prof lorimer Lorl mer I 1 am not old tor for a professor and look younger than my age unless I 1 have lost my Ident identity ityl 1 I 1 Pec declared lared 1 T I gather that my bad little R dna oil too ika ke ay my notion n of an advocate of rights and female suffrage the subjects upon which our controversy had taken place you scarcely look the character I 1 confessed I 1 how like a man site she cried A woman who is not his humble slave must be a monster of course and wear dowdy frocks and short hair and square toed shoes I 1 she held out a tiny toot loot in a ridiculous pointed french shoe deun antly the yacht rolled heavily just then and her bal ance suffered fortunately I 1 caught her and deposited her on the seat scat she watched mer me struggling not to laugh at her that is like a man too she applauded me he triumph over the fallen I 1 concede that and also his physical superiority but mentally now you are twice lucys bucys size and yet you have let her kidnap you and you daren barent t even shake herl im not sure that I 1 wont I 1 said when ashes well enough to be shaken she sha told me that bob and she were going tor for a quiet little cruise and asked me to come and finish my book in peace on board the anchor was up when I 1 put my foot on deck and I 1 found that sho she had a regular party principally women exactly my case said miss rane faue only it seemed to me that they were principally benj men silo she knows that I 1 object to mon men and she knows that I 1 object to women at least I 1 dont exactly object to them they are an admirable it if illogical sex what I 1 really object to is lucya intention to marry me to 0 o one of them oh ht hi does she she bhe does really which one miss bliss fane inquired 1 I the least idea miss vane fane laughed merrily exactly my iny case professor she wants to marry me to some one an enemy presumably it if the wretch has onel one upon my word I 1 dont believe she has I 1 confessed no I 1 really dont believe she hastwell say eay to a friend who needs a little harsh haish discipline however I 1 do not no apprehend any danger you may be able to defend Y your self I 1 said but I 1 am not so secure women are attractive creatures A roan man Is n never ever sate safe unless he runs away I 1 there she cried triumphantly triumphantly and yet you claimed in your articles that men had more moral courage than coment women now I 1 am only a poor w weah oak woman but I 1 am not afraid that any man w will il marry me against my will B out u t arent r e y you afraid of being will iab rut edu ing 7 1 I 1 inquired n q ar certainly not she asserted it in tah present state of the laws the roan man made laws I 1 am very unwilling and likely to remain su so I 1 shall work in my cabin and have no more to do with thorn them than civility requires or it 1 I do it will only be to tantalize tantalise tan talise talle lucy and make her think that she la is succeeding in fit her evil designs miss rano fane laughed a laugh which did not strike me as that of a bluestocking she will bo be so mad when slie to Is undeceived the little monkey a capital idea I 1 pro bounced noun ced 1 I think 1 I might try it but you I 1 i Inde indeed edl why not it be quite fair to the poor pooi man unless he was in the joke t noo no o but I 1 cant very well tell him youve told me I 1 pointed out we might kill one bird with two stones dont you think besides there are a lot of things that I 1 should like to discuss with you sho she looked at we mo without the pince nez they were drenched with spray and she had taken them off and was J 1 V now I 1 am only a poor weak woman wiping them she looked still more charming without them wo we shall quarrel violently of course she stated but betit if you really mean itt it we understand each other of course ot of course I 1 agreed decidedly and she really does deserve to be b taken in exactly I 1 said precisely it will annoy her so much because yes I 1 really think we might because she Is ia so silly I 1 simply cant make her understand how utterly impossible it Is tor for me to contemplate war roar such an absurd thing in the pros present eilt state of affairs she thinks that a woman to Is made only to bo be married it Is absurd 1 preposterous S I 1 agreed she thinks lust just the same sama about men ive often tried to make her understand the position but its no use and said miss fane impressive impressively 1 I believe I 1 positively believe ashes always extolling you to the skies im almost sure that we are the snare which she has laid for each other miss fane laughed ironically Ws we argued about moral courage the civic disabilities of women the rela 1 uve tive value of masculine reason and feminine instinct and many other points and it was not long before we discovered that our seeming differences s were riot not so great after all before many days she had promised to preside over our home we wore were sitting hand band in hana watching the sea grow smooth and the red sun drop below the horizon when a white little face peeped be tween our shoulders and my sister in laws coaxing voice whispered in our cars god bless you and make you very very happy she said I 1 wonder it if you know how much I 1 wish it dears 1 I wonder it if you know what a good woman you are lucyll lucy I 1 said come and sit beside us margaret told her we bear anybody else but we shall love loe to have you with us dear 11 old bob grinned when ho he saw us so youve scored again he ro marked you box of tricks trick sl 1 |