Show I 1 hi MEM by imort A T K t MELISSA SPURNS A ROYAL FOUR FLUSH mrs Merri wid ld raised her arms arma and with a graceful motion pus pushed hed her colled coiled tresses upward securing the mass with a tow few supplementary hair pins all it needs now la Is a coronet or a tiara or whatever it Is a princess usually wears week weekdays days she rf r marked to her maternal maiden auni jane still I 1 dont know but it does very well as aa it Is your unbiased opinion auntie Aunt Aun tle lo 1 I think so agreed aunt jane very well then said mrs merri wid in a tone of decision well let it go at that and I 1 wont be a princess after alt all has anybody asked you to be queried aunt jane mr burnitt replied her niece ho he has stooped from his high estate so far as to do me that honor you knew that he bo was a prince you dearie dearle 7 1 I must confess that I 1 was wholly unaware of the circumstance aunt jane replied dear me yes said mrs mra morri wed one of the blood royal oh certainly and when youre of the blood royal auntie nothing to la too rich for it not even widow ladles ladies anyway hes a prince I 1 know that for one of his friends told me so plainly and unequivocally ally when youre out with jim burnitt your moneys no good said the friend As long as hes got gob a dollar hell spend im said he preferred to do his giving while he was alive lc ic as ae it if there were a million more mor behind 0 it hes no piker jim what la is a piker inquired aunt aunt jano jane A piker lg Is a penurious person prone to parsimonious practices in the pursuit of profit or pleasure replied mrs Merrl MerrI wid mr armitt that ive been out with him once or twice and my money was no good one of his p pet et phrases Is keep the change that makes him a prince another observation that he civile quite frequently makes Is this one Is on me only a thoroughly blue blooded individual says saya that frequently and as if he really meant it IL it takes ona one born in the purple to give a bellboy a dollar for or a pitcher of ice water you noticed the roses that came yesterday ter day 1 I spoke of them if you remember said eaid aunt jane 1 I told you that they were perfectly lovely but it seemed to me extra extravagant vacant especially after the violets the day before 1 I told him so mrs airs Merrl Merri wid informed her he laughed scornfully almo almost at pityingly and wanted to know what money was for if it to get the things ofellow a fellow wanted I 1 suggested that a fellow might in course of time arrive at the end of a fellows string and get brought up with a disconcerting jerk ile he argued that tomorrow he might be himself with yesterdays seven thousand years and that a fellow take it with him which is very true I 1 told him that I 1 proposed to hang onto mine even it I 1 had to leave a little of it to charitable institutions u bons after tho the funeral expenses were paid ile he said that he preferred to do his giving while he ayas was alive well ell its nice to have a liberal disposition remarked aunt jane its perfectly lovely agreed mrs airs Merrl wid when I 1 think of all the bellboys and waiters and porters and taxi drivers and indigent tanks who have been rell relieved eved by mr Bur burnetts noble benefactions bene benn factions the tears almost come into my eyes and when I 1 see the grateful creatures jumping to anticipate his little wants and winking t one another behind his back I 1 realize what a fine thing it Is to be open landed and munificent and loved ho he t s certainly a charitable map man to waiters asked aunt jane of course but p principally to him bof elf f replied mrs Merrl Merri wid ile he ikes to feed tho the hungry when its ita grineff and civo drink to the thirst ing when we its himself and to i the well ho he likes to clothe bi aln too and ho he going to do it any skimping stingy way f i and if his inner man cries tor for b lobsters and champagne troilies i cava cavalee ire and chartreuse and t hes not going to turn areat a deal t tho the cry hes too tender heartel hearted L youil admit hes willing milling to a thal these good things wont w ont youl til aunt jano jane why bless his big princely hw of course he Is said sirs airs 11 merit just as long as theres plenty V arii out denying himself iles hes a good low and ho he wont worry about 1 water until the well runs dry you want n u little temporary ace ac mod mo atlon dation hes the man to go g why certainly old chap lie he tao that you might think that he be wasal prince if he be refused you its ita 0 reputation to have dearle dearie 1 I must say eay that I 1 dont youre very charitable melessa Mell a aunt jane im afraid im not assented the trouble with me a that I 1 know the breed mr 6 the first ive met up wl pardon the expression I 1 quite an assortment of princes royal four flusters fluttering a ar 0 my desk when I 1 pounded my tp writer in maiden meditation fan 1 tj free one or two of them I 1 grieve 0 V say were married men although i course I 1 wasat supposed to be to that 1 my dear what language you all n using I 1 protested aunt jano jane pray prak pardon me begged mn ma Merri wid As I 1 was waa about to sal sa when I 1 was so rudely interrupt there was one fine hearty 0 op handed banded gentleman in purple and fill DO fine it linen who came across quite art frt fr with the long stemmed kind 1 and such not to mention lunch ia ino nations tat lons ions which I 1 beg you to bellen dear aunt I 1 never accepted he us to say that there was wai nothing small about him but his feet and he fount oodles of people who believed him bin well one day I 1 saw him hand a fiffi W cent piece to a poor woman who loot ed as it if she needed it it was on thi street and I 1 happened to be right be hind them but he be know it A couple of hours later he be blew into j the office and carelessly dropped I 1 two pound box of very liesl best on my little table and I 1 carelessly g dropped it into the waste basket my gracious grac loual exclaimed aunt jane why did you do that because I 1 thought he ough tto have given the money it took to bul it to his wife so that she ehe could vt get i her a new hat the one she WO wearing looked as it if she had bad bought jg it for a dollar at a rummage sale I 1 y told him so right out loud and ti he was quite offended 1 I dont understand said AW jans jane ills his wife P yes she was the poor woman bs be gave the fifty cents to replied mr Merri wid ile he give it to her very willingly either oh ob I 1 know the breed all right if they happen happ en to want a blooded bull terrier pup and their wives happen to want new j shoes and there theis enough for both beta with a respectable margin tor for coati coat a t gent expenses I 1 dont have to give giva s more than one guess then youre not going to enczur age mr air burnitt to continue his atten eions asked aunt jane 1 I asked him to go to san francisco and repeat his proposal over long distance telephone replied WS W Merri wid 1 I thought the expense or of the proceeding would attract him blin why san francisco t demanded dem andea aunt jane oh well replied mrs perhaps it san francisco that I 1 told him i copyright 1913 toy by W G Chop chapman mM g it if tle recall is to be applied to the judges let us begin with judge lynan |