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Show Br , i The Reign of 2 S3L!fl j; L. J QlieCIi ISyl Golott Bui-gessBLd Willli-win " (Copyright, 1003, McCluro, Phillips & Co) In a large, bare room ot tho Agrlcul-V Agrlcul-V tural Pavilion at San Jose, two ,-lrls were sticking, the Inst scraps of court-plaster court-plaster to their faceB. Tho elder and tho taller and the blonder of the two was Norlnc Almerlc. Queen-elect of the Fiesta, gowned in low-cut white satin and lncc. girdled with a rainbow of ar-1 ar-1 tlflolal gems, which branched and fell p- to her feet. Miss Isyl Shea, her maid of honor, , was a ' good foil for the Queen. She was not at all statuesque, but of an on-r on-r tcrprlslngly domestic sort of blushing i plumpncra, dark olive of complexion I and extravagantly feminine. She was ji costumed almost as elaborately as tho i Queen, but in scarlet appllqued with 1 sliver cloth. I "Ieyl," said Miss Almerlc, "you're a I perfect picture! Y6u should have been I Queen. You're a thousand times prct- 1 tier than I ever longed to be. I feel I like Elizabeth persecuting Mary, Queen I of Scots. Why didn't they elect you? I I I didn't want it. Heavens, I have had H i everything I wanted since I was old H enough to make funny faces at Daddy. I I only agreed to this on account of Hi Daddy's friends, they made such a point lj of it," m, "I didn't care either," the other an- IL swered, but something In the steadl- ness of her mouth belied her as she flHQ v- went on. "Papa had set his mind on It, 'mK too, and he was terribly disappointed. jL Ho refused to come tonight The Golden H Gate boys aren't coining cither. They H .said tho election was unfair." H "Most likely It was," Miss. Almerlc ns- Hj sented, calmly. "Daddy's friends have Hf a way of winning very often. She SVH smiled very sarcastically. BSH The maid of honor .partly opened the HjjflH door leading into the corridor and flflflHT peeped out. Through this slit the buzz IjHH an .rattle of the increasing audience !S! in the hall came to them with the near er nolso of the tall: and laughter down tho corridor, where the court, babbling, flirting and fooling-, was assembling for the procession. A determined voice was uttering orders for the formation of the pageant. Suddenly, from the other door of the waiting-room came a brisk rap and Isyl Q turned to see Miss Almerlc answer it. A small messenger boy in uniform entered and, gazing in fascinated admiration, ad-miration, handed her an envelope. Miss Almerlc tore it open at once and glanced over it. "Walt a minute, Isyl" she said, "I will be right back," and without further fur-ther explanation she passed through the door and ran down stairs. The hoy followed her. Several minutes passed and Miss AJ-merlc AJ-merlc did not return. Then the amnd lof horses' hoofs was heard In the street vwibelow. Isyl ran to the window Just in yf time to catch a glimpse of a hack swiftly swift-ly turning the corner Into the Alameda. Then came another knock thlB time from the door which she had closed upon the corridor. She opened to find the Prime Minister appointed by the Queen. He was wearing, wear-ing, ay unaffectedly as possible for a man who seldom soars to heights above a black diagonal "cutaway" and derby hat, a brilliant costume in which one might pick details from nearly every epoch since the Renaissance. "The procession Is ready to start, your majestyl" he announced, with his eyes on the floor. He raised them to find Tsyl's merry smile the only other living thing in the room. "Why, where'a Miss Almenc?" he demanded, de-manded, losing his gravity in the sur-"X sur-"X praise and disappointment of wnlsted en-deavor. en-deavor. Isyl's smile fled and she puckered her "brow. "I don't know," she said anxiously. anx-iously. "She just left the room a few minutes ago, and she ought to be back. Iam a Uttle worried about It, to tell She went to the door, opened It and looked down stairs. The Prime Minister, Minis-ter, with a nervous hand upon his somewhat some-what mischievous sword, descended. In another minute he Teappeared with staring eyes. "She ain't there," he cried. "She ain't ! anywheres! She's gone! Well this Is a llxl We can't have a coronation wlth- 7 H out the Queen! What'll we do?" SB W Isyl giggled hysterically.' "Wo KutjHft V might advertise for her," she suggested, her sense of humor triumphing over tho ' P H V anxiety. pTfflHi I "This thing is serious, by Jove," the l vfSft X Prime Minister exclaimed. "There's a H VJHH k crowd outside that'B paid money to zee LuvHL the coronation, and somebody's got to Wl VH4 bo COIOimte1- We can't wait u minute!" tanH He stood for a minute in a Napoleonic attitude and then sprang to the door. 11 'H "Cal1 KIt Wilkinson!" he cried to a page outside. "Hurry up now," he add- x IHr anarP'v- 11 air' Christopher Wilkinson came on i wL Hl lner run' sarbed In an indescribable out- (WL lH nt supposed to simulate the aspect of : -H VM a Lord Chamberlain and Minister of- ' Ceremonies. An enormous brass chain, festooned from shoulder to Hhoulder, kept him from visibly bursting with lm- IM portance, and a while rod of office, like .H uV a slim exclamation point, called atten- jf"flDH tlon to his grandeur. Ho was fluiTled VjHH with the burden of his duties and furl- H ous at the delay. It was the Chamber- lain who had planned the whole fiesta J Ith a pomp of ritual and ceremony; IthUI thlB hitch in the proceedings exasper- tnKi alcd him, -'B "'For heaven's sake, what's tho mat- thc-HH terr' he inquired, and then as his eye iVM ran around the room. "Where's the 'H Queen?" jH Tho Prime Minister shrugged his yH shoulders; the maid of honor was un- HI certain whether to weep or laugh. "She JHHI ls gone!" the girl answered. ,?H v "Gone!" he roared, and he looked at y Isyl, as if he suyptcted her of having' flH the missing Queen concealed about her !H person. Then his surprise dissolved In f rvB ,L i"t-lodramatio caution. He hastily VvB closed the door and locked It. jH "Now, what do you mean? Tell me AH what Is all this foolishness! Hush, 6;jH please, If there's anything wrong, we v-H don't want the crowd to know It least of all the newspaper people." L.H A 8tate eecret. big with portent, con- '-1 fi-onted them; It must be met and solved 1 without delay. A rapping at fhe door VH intensified their suspense. But the Chamberlain rosx; to the occasion. 1. "Ml&a Shea," he announced "you must F crowned Queen of the Fiesta, We V have no time to look for Miss Almerlc, PRnH I can't imagine what has happened, but jTi ' f'VH we'll say that she was suddenly taken J y 111 und has eone nomC' I won't have frSH thia show ruined now, ufter all I've , 'll ,,one for u- But remember," he added, i jJJOthlnK 1m to be told of Miss Almcrlc's ''j QsaPPearaice had time to Investigate. You must promise on your honorl" They nodded, quite serious now, and tho Prime Minister, giving" his arm to Isyl, led her Into the corridor, where the procession was waiting In high disapproval dis-approval of the delay. Behind the courtiers a bevy of reporters, already scenting trouble, was watching sharply. The word was passed down the line that as Miss Almerlc was III, Miss Shea was to be made queen, and a murmor of discontent did not malce Isyl'a position po-sition any easier to face. Preceded by a small herald, wearing a blue baldric and holding- to her HpB a pasteboard trumpet, the procession debouched de-bouched Into the hall of the pavilion, and marched up the central aisle. Tho "Drag" was out in force, full of expectation, expec-tation, triumphant as usual, whether at election, trial or junket. The great family had gathered under tho patriarchal patriar-chal guidance of , Bob Almerlc, the uncrowned un-crowned King of the County. Tonight his abstract majesty was to be made visibly manifest In the coronation of his twenty-year-old daughter; and his aldermen, al-dermen, his Judges, his police officers and his heads of departments were ready to do her homage. But, as they watched, lo, here walked the defeated candidate. Isyl Shea, escorted es-corted In triumph by a retinue of the boss's own choosing! It was Incredible; Incredi-ble; and a murmor of many protesting voices rose to the celling. No one could deny that Isyl Avas the prettier of the two girls, and the more fitting- to be crowned "a Queen of Beauty. The mystery was explained by an announcement an-nouncement from the chamberlain, and Bob Almerlc, tearing himself away from a nest of sympathetic friends, arose and hurried from the hall. The prime minister delivered half heartedly his coronation speech. Isyl advanced with dignity, and bending her head, received the crown and assumed the throne, a high-backed piece of furniture furn-iture seldorae seen outside of photographic photogra-phic studios. The Mayor of San Jose arose and in a few magnificent words lilghly eulogistic of "this our garden spot of the world," presented the Queen with the keys of the city In a burned leather casket. The band now struck up "God Save the Queen." and amidst a great clattering- of chairs removed by a frantic floor committee, the processional promenade was formed to pass the throne. So these subjects of her carnival kingdom king-dom passed her In review, led by tho ubiquitous board of trade. Some couples stopped and bowed with exag--geraled formality; some showed awkward, awk-ward, sheepish - embarrussment; some scarcely paused In their conversation, but nodded their heads cavalierly. It was over at last, and the chamberlain announced the first dance. The ball should have been opened by tho Queen, Isyl knew, bDt no one came to escort her to the floor. Her ladles In malting, seated below her. were carried off one by one, and she was left alono upon her conspicuous perch, like a statue sta-tue on the cupola of a. gilded dome. It Was evident now that she was to be Ignored, Ig-nored, she who was the false Queen, although al-though she had been crowned with due solemnity. Tho "Drag," unable to honor their own favorite, was to dishonor dis-honor her. The humiliation ot the llubllc affront burned a crimson slain upon her cheek. The throne where Isyl now found herself sequestered as If In some quaint dream was upon a high platform built at one end of the hall. The swell and rhythmic cadence of the orchestra came up to her with. a hum of conversation. conver-sation. The music, the murmer and the twinkle of many electric lights fusci-nated fusci-nated her and she sat as If hypnotized. "Oh. Isyl!" ' There was a voice behind her. She looked and saw a wall of partl-colorcd bunting gently waving in full festoons. She seemed to be alone on tho great platform, cut off from the surging, swaying crowd below. " "Is an uncouth stranger permitted to address the Goddess of Liberty, basking in the limelight?" "Who In the world are you?" she said, "and where In the world are you?" "I am not a Nihilist with a dynamite bomb ready to blow up your throne; that's who I am! And I am standing on a keg of nails In the doorway of the commlttce-room about eighteen inches behind your royal left elbow. If you'll kindly stretch back your lily white hand I will greet your majesty as royalty wjis ever greeted In the iron-bodied yoretimc." Seated in the full gaze of thousands on the floor below Isyl dared not laugh aloud much as sho wished lo. She held ner fan in front of her Hps an asked: "How in the world did you get there?" "Not being able to force my fiery war horse up the stairs I came on foot," replied re-plied tho nffable mystery. "Now, where Is that right hand, please? Duty before pleasure!" She was just reckless enough by this time to assent. The Invisible stranger, reaching through an opening In the bunting- pressed his lips to her outstretched out-stretched hand. Then, to her surprise he slipped a ring up tho fourth finger. "Oh," cried the Queen, "what's this for? Why, I can't take It really." ""Pleas) keep it till called for; owner will pay charges," said the stranger. "It's wished on, remember." Isyl turned It on her finger in wonder. There was something familiar about tho sapphire, yet she could not remember Just where she had seen one like It. She was, after all, having a better time than she expected. "What did you come hero for?" she asked. "The fury of a restless desire, adulterated adul-terated with a ! per cent of nothlng-else-to-do," he answered. "Did you see mo In the hall?" she asked. "I did," ho replied and- you were a star of tho first magnitude. But I had an Instinctive premonition that It might be chilly at your lofty altitude, removed from tho common herd of cheap Swedes. I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind a few merry how-de-do's, not to bo discovered dis-covered In Hoyle, his book. Hence those Jollies. Say, does that go?" ho added anxiously. "Did you escape from the Agnews Asylum?" Isyl asked, amazed at these figures of speech. "You seem to be a rather talkatlvo young lunatic!" "Oh, If you aro otherwise engaged In profound contemplation, or ruminating on tho Theory of Indeterminate Asymptotes, Asymp-totes, why then, I can fado away. But say you don't mind a royal intrigue on the Q. T., do you?" "Idiot," said tho Queen "what do vou, want?" "See here, Uttle girl, seriously, you're not having a very good time up "there, are you?" "No," said 7syl, looking at tho sapphire, sap-phire, "I'm not," "It was a low Dutch trick lo cut you out like this," ho went on emphatically. "I wouldn't stand for It." "What can I do?" she asked. "I can't take my dolls and go home. Really, It's awful good of you to come up here and sympathize. Of course, though I must I --- I admit that It's an Inexcusable Impertinence. Imperti-nence. I don't even know you." "Then it is the proper time to get Acquainted." said tho unseen. "Welt you might stay a llttla while and. amuse me, if you havo nothing else to do." she suggested. "A11 right," he assented. "Of courso I can't do many parlor trlckB or palmistry pal-mistry stunts, standing on a barrel behind be-hind tho arras, but if there h any witchery' In tho human baritone to charm an ostracized prlnccsy, Just let mo know, and I'm your nightingale. Shall I warble a few low notes? I'm Just out of conundrums." "Oh, just talk and amuse me,"sald Isyl. "Say,. I know! That Lwo-step they're spieling- reminds me of a funny thing I ran across once. It's a true story. Shall I sing- you a song of ,the long ago?" "If you can tell it in the English language, lan-guage, do." said Isyl, and she prepared to listen, looking pensively over tho assembly, as-sembly, "Walt till I change my feet," was the reply, and he proceeded with THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. TWO-STEP WILLIE. The newsiest elopement In San Francisco Fran-cisco never happened. So tho only reason rea-son I know anj thing about It le because I patronize the tonsorlal parlors of William J. Riddle, B, S., which Initials stand for degree of bachelor of shaving-, as conferred by the Barbers' College on Third street. A barber has to talk, perhaps because tho comic weeklies have committed him to the custom, and perhaps be-causo be-causo his trade Is as near being a feminine femi-nine accomplishment as a man of spirit will undertake. Anyway, W. J. Rlddlo Is no exception to the rule, and this Is tho cau,sa of his occasionally varying his ordinary nickname of Two-Step Willie with that of Gabby Bill. The brief but joyous history of his fatal plungo Into the society of San Francisco's "400" will explnln both aliases. W. J. Riddle Rid-dle Is rather proud of the tale now, and he told It to mo with all the relish that a maiden aunt has In narrating the story of her trip to Paris and Monte Carlo. This la the yarn, O Queen! About ten years ago the real thing In San Francisco's swell drag was Pler-pont Pler-pont Browning, and unless every festive function had his name blown in the bottle bot-tle It didn't write up for more than two or three lines In the wjclal columns of the Wave. He was only a marine underwriter's under-writer's clerk before he graduated into steering tho hnut ton and leading cotillons, co-tillons, and all this happened at about the time he was In the transition state. "Browny," as they used to call him when they wanted liis help, was all things to all women. He was a good "tame cat" when you need a seat filled in your theater box, ho could everlastingly decorate a dinner table and tell you how to drape tlsh nets, ho could Invent freak cotillon stunts to beat the trolley, and ho know down to four places of decimals just who was In town whero most millionaires' ancestors, ances-tors, half a generation back aro washwomen wash-women or terriers. The buds nil said ho was "Just lovely," tho married women said he was po Interesting, In-teresting, and ho was Eolld with the dowagers. He had a free annual pass everywhere worth going. He was a "universal favorite" and over "tho llfo of the party." What was more to the point with the swells was that Browny was of a good, rich, ripe, juicy southern family himself, if he was an underwriter's under-writer's clerk, and ho had grandfathers to throw at the birds. The consequence was. he soon became a kind of social dictator and blue book expert. He could make out a list of Invitations In-vitations for a reception that required no asterisks or footnotes to explain why. A debutante didn't dare to come out till her old man had squared "Brownj" and got his sanction, or If she did, she soon found herself with the wallflowers. Nobody No-body ever quite knew how he managed to wire the town so well, but If you cut "Browny" you cut a live wire and were socially paralyzed. Everybody that came within ten blocks of good society, from chaperons to caterers, tried to get a line on him. Of course "Browny" had his pick of the town and he marked a bud named Flora Donovan for the future Mrs. Browning and proceeded to nail her down. He was In a position by this lime, to give any favorite of his a pretty good time, without It costing him a bonn, and so Flora camo In for the cream of everything every-thing doing. If sho wanted to go to Del Monte that summer, "Browny" mado Del Monie the only possible resort for anyone In tho swim. If she preferred Castle Crags, tho tavern underneath Mount Shasta becamo the Mecca of the swells. If Flora gave a tea, she got no "regrets" everybody came they had to. Flora could get Into drawing-rooms where her mother wouldn't try to push pasttho door. If there was a distinguished distin-guished stranger or literary guy hit tho town, Flora had hlrn and "Browny" up to dinner, and sent her father to bed. Now Flora Donovan wasn't what you might call of the elect or to the manner born, but was strictly Brownlng-madc. That Is to say, her father was a day laborer la-borer In Virginia City before ho struck pay dirt and swelled up Into seven figures. fig-ures. Her mother used to cook for thirty terriers at tho Black Beltv mine. But anything like that goes alright In San Francisco, If It has money and tho social backing of Plorpont Browning. Flora, then, as you may Imagine, was a bit short on the Intellectual Life. She was all eorto of a good fellow, though, with a will and a way of hor own and plenty of red blood corpuscles. But she wouldn't have known Differential Calculus Cal-culus If she had eaten It fried a la Maryland. She was big and pretty and everybody liked her and no catch questions ques-tions askod. Everybody thought that she and Browning were as good as engaged, en-gaged, when, blngl they had a llttlcspat which, at least Introduces Two-Step Willie. "Browny" was In the habit of patronizing patro-nizing a Utile three-chair barber shop near his office on Montgomery street and he had broken my friend Riddle to cut the Browning hair and trim tho Browning beard exactly as Browning wanted It done, and no foolishness about sea-foam shampoos and dandruff cures. Riddle talked over ns ho worked In tho way that barbers will. One day when Willie Riddle was stropping his razor, he said, "Say, Mr. Browning, 1 understand you get up a good many parties around town, Is that right?" Plerpont Browning spluttered out an "Oh, yes," and Rlddlo went on, insinuatingly, insinu-atingly, showing what a good fellow he could be. "Say, you know I'm more or less of a dancing man myself, and I wouldn't mind If you got mo an Invito to some of them flare outs." "Browny" chuckled. He had heard something of Riddle's history for tho barber was then renowned south of Market street as "Two-Stop Willie,", that being his favorlto dance, wherein ho excelled, fabulously. Ho was president presi-dent of the Chrysanthemum Social and Outing club, too. besides having won first prize "for tho best dressed gent" at tho Christmas masquerade ball of tho Vultures. All of which, being translated mean3 that Two-Step Willie wns, In his own set, quite as great a man as ."Browny" was In his, although, ns you know, there's very Utile reciprocity recipro-city between tho north and tho south of Market Btreet. Being able moreover, lo dance a two-step to perfection and having charmed one-half of the city with his nimble, twinkling heels, Wlllio was longing for more worlds to conquer. He needed only a Uttle coaching to be a regular dancing master or cotillon loader. Now, Willie Riddle's request just happened hap-pened to remind "Browny" of a remark of Flora's that rankled. "You can't dance tho two-step for raw potatoes; that's why you won't have them on your dance programmes," wns the characteristic way she had put It, for "Browny" was particularly down on the new jump and wouldn't stand for It. Tho Jest lay rather In tho mannor than j tho matter of It, but It had made him pretty sore. ,A horrid thought entered Plerpont I Browning's head. It took unto Itself I roots and grow. It was weird, for a I person of Plerpont Browning's staid powers of imagination, and It bewitched him. If Flora Donovan wanted someone some-one whoso chief 'requisite was an ability to trip tho light fantastic two-step, why not introduce William J. Riddle, the Pride of Minna street? It would be a good Joke on Flora. As for the murder of Rlddlo's subsequent career, that would bo easily managed. It would be simply a one-night 6tand, and then back to the mug and strop again. "H'm" Browning said, after he had thought all this out, "I don't know but I might manage to get you an invitation invita-tion some time. I'll see." And ho did. It took him about two weeks to get Two-Step Willie Into training for the Friday night cotillon, and "Browny" had had him round to his room coaching coach-ing him on all points and sundry. Ho recognized Willie's Minna street theory of dress and trimmed down some of his Tar Flat ideals of free and easy deportment. de-portment. By tightening a screw here, loosening a nut there, and oiling him up all over, he succeeded in making Willie socially presentable. The talky-talk part was easy. A barber meuts a good many BortB of people, and this one had a rather smart and fetchy Uno of gab that would fool any ordinary onlooker. So one Friday night "Browny" trotted out his new entry, as Mr. W1U Riddle, and Introduced him to Flora and the reBt of tho debutantes, mentioning something hazy about him being related to the Riddles of Philadelphia. Willie did actually happen to have a second cousin there. You know, of course, that In Philadelphia there are Riddles and Riddles. This ono was a plumber. Mr. Rlddlo of San Francisco then sailed in with his customary expectation of easy victory, Jauntily Jollied Miss Donovan and her 300-pound mamma and then entered for a two-step which "Browny" had taken good caro to put In on the list of dances. Willie- was not disappointed. He scored a gold bull's-eye. bull's-eye. Then he made good all along the lino, for when it came to sitting out for a corner cliat or a heart-to-heart flirtation flirta-tion In the supper-room he was perfectly perfect-ly ablo to deliver the goods. Perhaps all clever and successful men make love In the same way; and no doubt what went with the salesladies of Minna street was only a part of the General Girl Proposition. He mado a hit with Flora, at any rate. In fact, he did It a good deal too soon to BUlt Plerpont Pler-pont Browning; and no doubt Flora en-Joyed en-Joyed playing off the handeome stranger against her would-be oh account of the spat which hadn't qulto healed over. She certainly was good to Willie. Meanwhile Rlddlo had put in some fine work with Flora's mother. Most people had an idea that the mention of llfo in Virginia City in tho early sixties would bo considered indelicate and In bad tasto by tho Donovans, since their rise to social eminence. But Willie was innocent, and butted right in with a remark about his having lived In Virginia Vir-ginia City hlmslf nbout that time and the old lady took him Into her heart straightway. The fact was, she loved to talk about old times, but Flora wouldn't let her. So It was that Willie left tho cotillon, with an Invitation to dine with the Donovans next day. He didn't tell "Browny." That next day the gods called Plerpont Pler-pont Browning out of town; he went to El Paso on hurry business, and from thero to Mexico, and It was two weeks before ho got back. He had forgotten all about Two-Step Willie, though ho had thought some about Flora, It never entered his head that Willie could havo climbing tho social ladder, hand over been climbing the social ladder, hand over hand-, meanwhile. When "Browny" nearly fainted away. Willie had been Industriously sawing wood and by this time he wan an old friend o'f the family. Old Mr. Donovan was calling him BUI, the old lady had half talked him to death, Flora had introduced in-troduced him to nearly everybody in town and the bull pup had stopped growling at him. How Willie had kept up his end the Lord only lenows. From what ho let drop I Imagine that he had ppent about every cent, he had saved to buy an interest in-terest In a shop with, and I have no doubt he- counted the money well losL He had splurged In flowers and cabs and suppers and theater tickets In a way that did him credit ns a rapld-llro spender. Ho had done It up brown, traveling every night after 7:30 as W. Jlmpson Riddle, a relative of the Riddles Rid-dles of Philadelphia, and yelling "Next" every day at his chair in the Montgomery Mont-gomery street shop. Talk about Monsieur Mon-sieur Beaucalrel He led a doublo life, all right. It was lucky for him, that nono of the men In Flora's set happened to patronize that Tonsorlal Establishment. Establish-ment. Mrs. Donovan admired his whlto, soft hands, and thought his finger nalLs were very distinguished looking. What the devil was "Browny" to do? If ho showed up Two-Step Willie he would have to confess to planning a pretty mean game himself, but ho couldn't bear to lot the thing go any farther. It certainly wasn't right to Flora. It was a hard nut o crack. Ho couldn't ask Willie lo Btep down and out al this late hour. His one hopo was that tho barber wouldn't be able to stand the pace and would sink back Into a Minna street oblivion from lack of funds. But just about ns soon as he decided this Willie, showed his hand. He was helplessly In love and was ac tually trying to marry Flora Donovan. He told "Browny" about it himself! How Flora could stand for him, Browning couldn't see, but sho advertised adver-tised the fact literally. She had him overy where, and "Browny" didn't even have a chance for a look-in. If ho called in the day time Flora was out. If he called in tho evening or met her at a blowout, little, old Two-Step Willie would bo surely moored alongside. ''Browny" never could get her alone, oven If he'd dared to tell tho horrid truth, which- was becoming harder every day. So matters went along for a week, and "Browny" lay nwako nights over It. He'd begun to want -the girl pretty badly himself by this time, only he didn't dare to confess. Two-Step Willlo had now got his second, wind and waB a gamo stayer. Finally "Browny" took his life In his hands and sent word to Flora that he must see her that afternoon. Sho said she'd be In. "Browny" I think was go- , lng to settle the puzzle by proposing to her himself, and calling for a show down. Ho was taken Into a little reception ! room off tho hall, and while he was waiting he heard Flora come from the dining-room whero tho maid didn't seem to have looked for her She went to the telephone and began to talk. When "Browny" heard her say, "Hello, Willie," he listened "like a school girl, ' I and he certainly heard things. 1 Yes he heard enough lo make him perspire freely. From what he caught he grew pretty certain that Flora and Willie wero engaged and that they were planning to elope that very evening and take the Owl train to Los Angeles, That settled It for him. But of course he he didn't know that Flora hadn't taken tho telephone off tho hook at all and was really talking to tho hatrack. Flora camo Into tho reception room with her hat on and seemed to be very much surprised to find Browning waiting wait-ing for her there- He didn't lose any time, but went to It like a man. "I have come to say what I ought to have told you long ago, Flora, only I didn't dare to. I Introduced you to Mr. Riddle and I willfully deceived you nbout him. I deserve to be horsewhipped. horse-whipped. But you mustn't have anything any-thing more to do with hlmr Flora," "Why?" asked Flora, "I think ho is awfully Interesting." "He's not what you think he Is," Browning stammered; "the fact Is, he's a barber!" Flora laughed. "Well Mr. Browning, you've decided to tell me at last,, have you?" It was 'now "Browny's" turn to bo bewildered. "Do you mean to say you knew It: before?" be-fore?" he asked. "I've known it for some time," she answered, smiling at him in a highly pleased way. "and I was only waiting lo see whether or not you'd be honorable honor-able enough to confess- ypur rnther poor joko on me. I'm glnd you have at last, though It's pretty late In tho day I" Well, "Browny" married her that winter, so I expect they made It up all right. And I believe that Two-Step Willlo is Bllil a friend, and calls regularlyalways regu-larlyalways after 7:30 p. m. though. The funny part of the whole thing, or the pathetic part, If you like, was that Willie told Flora his business, in all Innocence, the night he was first Introduced. |