Show FRANTIC FABLES By Henry WALLY THE WHARF RAT EAT The TilO ballroom oin fl floor fidor or was a scene of or brilliant bril brit I. magnificence The gor gorgeous oUs women I lg back hack and forth like the shuttles of ofa ofa a loom wove wo a R fabric t of or gold old and arid jewels Jowel I Ia The men might have thought tIle the they were dancing with On this tills aught Senator John I I host of ot the tet fete hoped to lo announce the betrothal of or his hula beautiful daughter Oleo to Count dE dl lIl te whose house was one of oC the noblest in lit H Italy But Olto Oleo was still undecided and thus far sh had hi ic- ic fused to take tale the tile count le I It was wai already alread 1130 In half an all hour It Jt would be J 1 12 In lit eighteen n minutes minutes min otto utes moue more It ht It would be 1 18 and would lack J but twelve minutes of oC being 1230 And nd Oleo had not riot yet et given h her r word wold The old senator tor of or his guests guests' every tn comfort strode with Ith erect h head and pro proud d carriage to to the tile punch punchbowl b bowl 1 ovi for tor the second twenty time that e evening to make sure that UIe that the quality o of or f the tho brew had not deteriorated tell As Ase Ashe Aslie h lie he e stood his dipper poised in midair a lackey advanced nd to the tho center of or the fl floor and wound a 1 blast upon a fi fish h horn I It t was wa the 81 signal nal for dinner Unwinding t the he blast he ht replaced d the Ush horn hIthe in hI inthe t the he fish horn rack and led the guests lOthe to lO the salon It Jl was ht here heie re that dark e eyes ees ca fell fellor to for or I the nr first t t time upon a stranger with Uh t tho ite figure of ot a t young Qung Arab Atah and the dan darr melancholy features of ot a R St St. St Sebastian 1 Her Jeu heart beat so o loudly loudl that dInet U a aone as a aone asne o one ne m man n thrust forward their sl glares sc I t thinking hinl ln- ln that the wine was being opened I I in n the Uie pan pantry tn Count d' d ste was forGotten forgotten forgot forGot- t ten en she could think only of ot the stranger who ho name she learned was Henri Orloff The count however ho was as no fool H He Ic was noted especially for for- his lila brilliant rep rep- artee Turning to lo he said said In his well er bred calm manner Ah Ah does madam think It will be ue Ie a nice da day tomorrow ton tomor row Oleo with faraway faraway far far- I think murmured a away aay look In her eyes that It will whit be quite Henri In lu the morning growing a l little ittle Orloff towards tow night Little knew Ime Oleo that Henri Orloff was CiS none nono other than Wally the Wharf Rat and that that- he was here her tonight to look over oyer the line Une of jewels Jewel worn wom b by the old sena guests 11 Little Ulc knew Oleo that each time he went to the open window ostensibly to light a 8 cigarette he dropped dropp d a a. pocketful o oC or tiaras Into a wheelbarrow hidden In the alfalfa underneath the cue case But back balk to the lh t table where the festivities fes fes- fea- fea arc a at t their h height The fhe old senator sea sen ator is deep in thought his elbo elbow resting In a a. bowl of or gras gras' gravy TI TIThe The count has hu ju Just t paused passed Oleo Olto the toothpicks toothpicks' f A the hoard board H Henri Orloff Wally WaIly the Wharf huf Rat flat hl his hili courage turned to Insolence Inso lence enee h by th the soft glances of oC Oleo leans across the table and playfully chucks th count under tho the chin with a IL sprig of celery eel cel cry ery at the same ame time o extracting his shirt studs and sliding a a. doT dozen I spoons spoon up his coat sl sleeve e In a flash the c cOunt f feels a draught on n his 18 bosom realizes the theft Hut ut true to th the code of the well welt br bred he unostentatiously closed the aperture with an oyster oyster- fork rork and beckoned Henri Orloff ou outside Thc Thye stood face tace to face In the ante ante- room Wally the Wharf rr Rat Rail RaU hissed This would lave been a good picture of at Wally Vally if it a a. sheriff hadn't Interrupted the a artist s th the count Waldo the hl ed Henri Take off ort those thoa side aIde whiskers whis kers and tell me e what youre you're doin doing here Mar Marry the girl senator girl senator s a coin whispered whispered whis whis- per the count hoarsely hes he's broke Ive I've cleaned the bunch Help m me wheel the baubles home Ill I'll II split spilt Ut with you O fifty fifty There Thre are an f few fw W who know why Oleo t broken hearted ROd and peevish sat cat alone In her boudoir for years nar art afterward ever OVel knitting Alwa Always in the chair that was u used ed b by a a. certain ruest with the figure of or a. a young Arab that t en InC I And mayhap aho h would be there i yet et If it upon a summers ummer night when th thO the I O were at the mountains W Wally I the Wharf What R Rat B t had not apt moved a A. furniture furniture furni turn ture van u up to the back door and ab ab- th thus I |