Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

A MAKER OF WARS BY CHANNING POLLOCK. Copyright, 1904, by Channing Pollock. When the consul's wife proposed that every one rise to sing- “America,” I rose and prepared to slip out of the room. To a man with a good ear for music—and, once upon a time, I stu died under Von Plachmann In Vienna few things are more dreadful than a rendering of “America" by an untrain ed chorus of Americans. It is seldom that any one present knows much about either the tune or the words, and in Central America the English people on hand usually take advantage of this ignorance to come out strong witlr “God Save the King.” National anthems are an abomination anyway. The United States has five of them, and yet our troops entered Santiago to the melody of “A Hot Time in Old Town!” In the Datiole I found Elvarez. He jras smoking a brown paper cigarette >nd directing a malignant gaze toward Antonio Rivas, president of the re public, who stood in the doorway watching Americans and English cel ebrate the Fourth of July. Rivas had been able to read our language only about a year, and I think he had an idea that the occasion for the festivity was the anniversary of the defeat of Sir Thomas Lfipton. “Do-ag on!” exclaimed Elvarez, who had a i>artiality for our expletives when they were available. “He hasn’t taken his eyes from her a dozen times to-night.” “Why ‘do-ag on’ him, then?” I in quired. “Isn’t that precisely what you want? If I am not mistaken the whole plan of campaign rests upon our ability to persuade Madame Rivas into an exposition of the theory that ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’” “You mistake.” replied Elvarez. “It Is from Madame Rivas that he has not In the middle of tbe light stood President Rivas. He was holding s revolver in his hand. taken hie eyes. Oh, he Is cunning as a monkey!" “An animal which he somewhat re sembles!” “Friday at Ac&jutla he could not ray enough attention to your little friend from America. To-night— ’’ “Mrs. McLemore is no friend of mine," I interrupted hotly. “I do not sell my friends!” “And you intend selling me?” said Mrs. McLemore, walking out of the darkness, the sound of her footsteps lost In the splash of the fountain and the medley of “America” and “ God Save the King!” "Caracca!” X observed blandly. I always swear In Spanish, as I often talk to women in Italian, because of an infinite sense of propriety. “To whom?” she asked. Ignoring my rudeness. "To his excellency, the President,” I replied. “Senor Elvarez believes there would be a fortune In effecting an—an arrangement.” It was a bold thing to say, but the husbandless American women one meets south of Mexico are not Inclin ed to be squeamish. Besides. I have learned these two things—that the on ly way to keep hidden a sin In which one has been caught is to confess a v orse one, and that no creature femi nine really resents what flatters her. It was manifestly Impossible to tell Mrs. McLemore that I had undertaken the theft of letters which Elvarez had seen her receive from Rivas that very evening. Anything which might alarm her and lend her to take -he packet from (he bosom of her dress would be fatal lo my plans and to my llnanclal prospects. Elvarez came to time handsomely. “We thought.” he explained, “that If you would consent—” "Senor!" she cried out. and I assure you that the dignity end dcflancs In her ton# was such that neither my companion nor I noticed the absurdi ty of her pronunciation. “Honor! Tou call yourself a gentleman!” It stung like a whiplash the way ahe said It. For the moment I could have loved her- -at least, I could had 1 riot known of the billet doux from the husband of another woman at that Instant burning the flesh on her throat. ' 'tie Ihlng Is sur#. standing oppoalt# her, noting the flush on her cheek and the angry sparkle of her eve, I fdl very sorry indeed that 1 had her* gained to betray her A man who lives on his wits often has occasion to wish that he were not no quick - wMtoA, ' Menora!" returned El versa, hie fare seal let with lags, “U a epe**.u like mine angers you, why are you in Sal vador?” “On business!” “Whose business?” “Not yours, Senors-who-would-be president. nor yet yous, my friend the adventurer!” She turned and walked across the wide porch to the room. which had been allotted her in the Hotel Nuevo Mundo. It was very near to the con sul's apartments, and when her feet touched the cement Rivas looked up and saw her. “I shall be back in five minutes." she said to him. "What do you think?” whispered El varez. “That the letters are not in her dress, but in her room, and that she has gone to get them.” "What are you going to do?” “Nothing.” "But she suspects; she will return the packet to the President!” “Exactly.” “Then I shall have lost the balance of power and you will have lost con siderable money.” “No,” I replied, “I shall obtain the letters from the President.” Elvarez gasped. I am glad things have turned out so,” I continued. “There would be no possible chance of getting them from her within the next few moments, it is always safer to fight men than wom en, and, anyway, I don’t think I want to fight that woman." “I don’t care how you steal the bun dle,” quoth Elvarez. “When you give it to me you receive 5,000 pesos.” “I have your promise in writing,” I responded, tapping my coat pocket. “Your’s is In my desk,” said Elva roz. “Yes,” I replied. “I rather wish It weren’t.” X did, too. Five thousand pesos is not much over twenty-five hundred dollars in gold, and I had never be fore contracted to sell anybody ex- cept myself. Beating Carlos Ezeta back from the walls of Santa Anna, working one's way through the bush with a detachment of farmers In the Tranavaal, carrying messages from London to Nihilists in St. Petersburg —these were tasks In which one earned one’s pay by the risk of one’s neck and which were dignified by that risk. But to sell a woman’s reputation In order that the half-black wife of a half-white executive might be moved to Interesting her friends against her husband—faugh! My only excuse was that until that night Mrs. McLemore had been an abstract. If I was to succeed In my mission she must con tinue to be a “Job,” not a woman. I must forget the color of her hair and the turn of her lips. I must, and by God I would! “I told you,” Elvarez whispered In my ear. "See. she is giving him the packet!" ”Yes,” I replied. “Why doesn’t she draw her hand out of his?” “Why? Because she is—" "I know.” I Interrupted. "Tou needn’t take time to tell me about it. I want a pass to get Into/the White House and the fastest donkey to be had in the Plaza!” Elvarez stared at me admiringly a moment and then hurried away to get them. 11. The White House at San Salvador looks about as much like the White House at Washington as Bt. Paul's Cathedral look* like the Moulin Rouge. It Is the only brick building In town, Is low enough to resist earthquakes, and has two sentry boxes projecting from Its facade like wart*. A soldier clad only In cotton trousers and a belt from which hung his machete greeted me with a loud "Qulen vtvl?' "Amigo,” I replied, swinging from my mule. He cam* down and looked at my I ass, a proceeding which 1 endured without nervousness, because Elvarex had been the President’s secretary long enough to have mastered his hand writing. ”Khali you want a man with you?' asked the soldier. "No," replied. "I know the room and 1 shall be gone only king enough to get tbs snuff boa which hta excel- , iMicy requires.” “But the snuff boa Is In the vault.” "Vss; his excellency guvs me Ibe combination." central A mar leans respect "gringos” ?utte as much os they hat* them, and passed without further questioning. SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. DECEMBER 11. 1904. Immediately after crossing the thres hold I turned to the right and entered Rivas’ bedroom. I had no plans—l never have—of what use are plans to a man who must suit his structure to whatever foundation opportunity of fers? I knew that the President must bring the packet to that apartment, and I hoped for the rest. The room was brilliantly lighted when I entered it. I stepped upon a chair and cut the electric wires close to the low ceiling. Then I sat down to wait in the darkness. Two methods suggested themselves to me as prom ising initial success. I chose the sim pler. Rivas probably would come alone, since he would not want the packet to be seen if he could help it, and there was a good chance that he would have the letters in his hand ready for the big safe that had been placed in the ■ wall. At the sound of his footsteps I had but to plant myself near the door, seize whatever he held as he entered, slip into the hall and run as though the devil was after me. I have said the plan was simple; the thing which frustrated it was simpler. Rivas had hardly set foot In the room when he slammed the door shut and locked it. I heard him withdraw the key. I was trapped. In the next five minutes I’ll swear I did not breathe aloud once. Rivas tried to turn on the light and swore audibly when he found that he could not. I hugged the wall in silence. If he rang for servants I would have to fight for it. I had neglected to cut the wire that connected the push-but ton with the bell below. But Rivas did not ring. He wanted to make sure of his letters first. Even more important than I had thought these letters, since having them made him suspicious the moment the lights failed. I heard him fumble in his clothing. Was the replacing the packet or drawing out a revolver? The answer to my question was not long in coming. The rattle of matches in a box came to my ears, and then the touch of his fingers against the pasteboard. There was but one thing for me to do and that was to remain still. If he was facing away when the match ignited I might escape de tection; if not I should have to spring at him. Fortune favored me. The tiny illumination showed me his ex cellency standing before the safe fin gering the combination. A second later the match went out. Evidently it had burned long enough. I heard the hinges squeak as the ponderous door swung open. Rivas was about to put the bundle of letters In his vault. . Once there they would be beyond my reach for ever. Under such circumstances It is the thought of violence which first occurs to a man. I was about to launch my self upon his excellency when a less risky plan suggested itself. I drop ped to my hands and knees and then crawled rapidly across the floor. The President was fumbling for the bun dle; he must have dropped it Into his pocket when he began turning the combination. When I was within five feet of him a board creaked. Rivas turned toward the door of the room, and, rising to my feet, I darted into the safe and crouched there with out stretched hands. I had not long to watt. Alarmed at the noise. Rivas threw the packet into the vault. In my haste to pick It up I forgot that my life depended on the rapidity of my movements. The hinge creaked again. I thrust out my leg, intending to interpose my foot, but too late. The heavy door closed with a clang and I heard the bolts shoot Into their places. So great a headway may a man get toward a certain end that even the dreadful crash of that Iron did not immediately take my mind from the packet. I continued to feel about until I had found It—a little roll con taining three or four letters bound with a rubber band. Once I had that roll in my hand my mind flew back to the plight In which I had got ten myself. Only the determined use of nil my mental force prevented my yielding to despair and throwing my self again the door. “If you do that.” I said to myself, "the President will hear you and you will be shot at once. If you restrain yourself you have at least an hour of life. In that hour someone may open the safe.” Waiting grew very hard, however. The air that I was able to draw Into my lungs seemed to do me no good, and both my head and my chest began to ache frightfully. I grew dizxy, too, and put the letters Into my pocket so that I might not let them fell. An Instant later I heard voices. The President must have rung for lights. “Home one bus rut the wires!” I heard him exclaim loudly. It was only when be spoke at the top of bis voice that I could distinguish what toe was saying. Aftei a Ume f heard him rage; "ttodn't come null Thau there woe someone her* !* The sentry had reported my passing, probably even the fact that I had entered the bedroom. What an ac cursed fool I had been not to look behind me as I came into the build ing! But then I had been an ac cursed fool from the beginning—fool and knave. I deserved to be smoth ered like a stray cat in a box. I had undertaken to barter a woman and was about to pay the penalty. Ah, if there were & way out—never again, never again! Rivas was speaking. I knew that, but his words were no longer intelli gible. I began to be faint. I felt my self falling, and reached out to sup port myself against the wall. The wall receded. I reached still further. Then I saw that I was grasping a patch of light, and that in the mid dle of the light stood President Rivas. He was holding a revolver in his hand —it’s eye was staring me in the face. “Mr. Danford,” said the President. "I hoped to find the diamond snuff box you told the man I had sent you for. I did not hope to find you. This is indeed an unexpected pleasure." For a second I did not think that I should be able to answer. Then I ral lied my strength. "Your excellency, the pleasure is mine," I replied and fell forward to my full length. 111. I do not believe that I could have been unconscious more than a min ute or two, for President Rivas still held the revolver in his hand when I came to my senses. The look on his face convinced me that he would be glad of a reason to use its sufficiently valid to satisfy the diplomatic offi cers of the United States. “Well,” he remarked when he saw me open my eyes, “now perhaps you will explain what you were doing in my safe?” "When you have explained what you meant by thrusting me in there and locking the door,” I replied. It was a thin argument, but I ob served that both of the officers in the room believed it, and knew that his excellency’s opportunity for killing me as a common thief had been lost. Rivas realized this, too, for he did not even take the trouble to deny the charge. “You came here for a packet of let ters,” he said, “and I think you have It. I want it back.” “To what letters can your excellency refer?” X asked. “To three letters written by you to Senor Alvarez promising to aid him in his plans against me by obtaining certain private correspondence of mine.” At the time I thought it merely a good guess, and Rivas a clever man so to avoid confirming the suspicions his men must have felt, and which, confirmed, would soon have been com municated to the entire populace. I felt sure that he would never venture to have the soldiers look for that bun dle. "I have no letters of any kind,” I returned therefore. "Does your ex cellency care to have me searched?” "Search him,” was the order given In reply. Then to me; "If the packet is found on your person I give you my word that I will have you shot be fore morning.” The words had scarcely left his mouth when one of the men drew that accursed bundle from my pocket. “Your excellency,” he reported, "here is the packet. “Those are from my sweetheart In America,” I exclaimed. "If you open them I shall appeal to my govern ment.” “Open them,” ordered Rivas. The soldier did as he was told. For an Instant which seemed an hour long I waited, and when the man spoke I closed my eyes as though the bullet were already on Its way. What he said penetrated slowly to my brain. “Your excellency, these are blank pieces of paper." _ And blank they were! Meohanlcally I pocketed them, and, walking between the soldiers, went to the outer door, where the command of the President was fulfilled and I was released. The night air and the moonlight seemed very good. Across the narrow street I made out a figure in skirt and man tilla, and I felt my heart grow sick again as I recognized her. She was Mrs. McEemore, the woman who had tricked me and whose trick had saved me, who had sent me on a wild goose chase for a roll of white paper while her letters rested God knows where, the woman I loved and who doubtless was even then on her way to the White House to meet Rivas. But she came to me and stopped. Her face was white and she looked ill, though she smiled when she Identi fied me. “Danford!” she exclaimed. “Thank God you are safe!” “You thank God.” I retorted, “and yet you send me to stick my neck In a halter for a packet of bare sheets! Why did you do that?” “Because I saw that you meant to take the letters from me. My only chance of gaining time to destroy them was in making you go after the bogus bundle.” “And you wanted to destroy them?” She hesitated. “The truth!” I cried. "The truth! Why did you want to destroy them?” She hung her head. “Because they were your letters to Alvarez,” she answered. “I stole them out of his desk last night and gave them to the President, who returned them to me. You heard Elvarez ask my business. I am the paid spy of the Republic of Salvador.” ”A woman who hunts down men!” “You are a man who hunts down women. Which of us in the better?” “But I—” “Regret? So do I. From the bottom of my heart, I regret everything In my life that has been evil. One of those things has not been my association with Rivas. He paid me to Incriminate you, at my request he gave me back the evidence I had handed him. and 1 got away while I burned It." "You did that—why?” "I did not want you to know, save from me. that I had been so near to ruining you.” "Again why.?" “That question," she said, “I cannot answer.” The sentinel was looking, but I reached out and took her In my arms. “All my life,” I whispered, “I have been a maker of wars. Hereafter I shall be a maker of love If you will let me.” She lifted her lips and I kissed her. There was a revolution In Salvador three months later, but Mrs. McLemore and I had nothing to do with It. Neith er did the wife of Rivas. Elvarez shot the President down during a dance at the White Houae. the hired soldiery proclaimed ‘ him dictator, and no one cared enough about the matter to dis pute It with him. About the time that this incident occurred Hlvas’ spy pass ed out of existence and Into another life as the spouse of Frederick Dan ford, coffee merchant, at your service. An emergency ration, packed In a small two compartment cylinder of lln, la carried In the Haversack of every HrltlMh soldier. As Its name suggests, the ration Is not to be used except In rases of the direst necessity. One com partment holds four ounces of cocoa paste and the other a similar quantity of concents ted beef. Jf consumed In small quantities It will maintain strength for many hours. —-J. ff. Tilton, a merchant, of Rose man, Mont, left In a will that was probated on October Id, the Incotna of bis estate. whl<h will amount to several thousand dollars annually, fur the celebration of the Fourth of euly with ftiewwkii Hags at td bunt - lug. HIS AWAKENING. (Continued from Opposite Page.) um doin’ to det dwy in a bid towl, ess a baby is.” The C. B. closed his eyes. A pang of regret shot through him. Here was he. a lonely, unloved duffer. In a cold, miserably kept fiat, and there was some lucky man across the shaft with :i cherished wife and baby and a home. And then his illusion was rudely dispelled. There was a short, sharp, yelping hark, followed by a whine of pain, and then the query, full of moth erly solicitude; “000 poor ’itte dear! Did oo mama wub her ’itte petsle-wetsie too hard?” HER “MENDED*’ CHINA. The nouvelle rich woman who had mythical portraits painted of her an cestors and then held them near the fire so that the paint would crack, says the New York Press, thus giving them the ideal appearance of ago and gen uineness, was not a whit brighter than a little woman who invented some nice heirlooms the other day. She had grown weary of trying to trace up a family tree, and she had not a cent to invest in the untiques which every scion of an old family must possess in order to prove that he is a genuine twig of a famous tree. Day after day she would visit her more favored friends and gaze upon their time-dimmed family portraits and drink tea from their real old Delft cups and saucers and eat tea-cakes off their old English plates, until her heart grew bitter with envy. The very newness of the pretty furniture in her smart littlo apartment became an abomina tion to her. Its lustre was disgusting beside the dimness which time seemed to have thrown over the ancient ma hogany of her friends’ drawing rooms, and real gold dinner plates would not have consoled her for not possessing one genuine piece of Delft from a Dutch great-grandmother. One day she wys walking briskly along Twenty-third street when she saw a merry peddler selling some kind of glue for broken ehinaware. From a hook he had swung a plate which hud been mended with the glue, to prove the efficiency of which he had a weight attached to the other side of the plate. All at once an idea occurred to her, and in a spirit of gratitude to that peddler she bought a bottle of the stuff. She remembered that nearly every piece of her friends’ real Delft had been mended somewhere, which gave it the better appearance of genuineness. Thn she wertf to a department store and invested In some beautiful Imita tion Delft and imitation old English plates and things. She hugged herself happily all the way home, and she could scarcely wait until her purchases had arrived. The moment they had been washed she took those plates one by one and broke them, some in two and others in three places, and then sat down to mend them with her new glue, taking all sorts of pains to make the cracks show. When they had been hung about the top of her dining room wall none but the unkindest and most suspicious eye could have suggested that they were not genuine. At last she had vindicated her ancestors. AMERICAN HUSBANDS. An extraordinary reason for separa tion from her husband, says the Brook lyn Eagle, was that given by a Colo rado woman In applying to the courts. It was that her husband, by his un varying obedience, made life too mo notonous for her. While the state ment Is doubtless subject to some dis count on the score of the reporter’s imagination, it recalls the familiar criticism of foreigners that the aver age American husband is "too good” to his wife. In English households Bt. Paul’s sterling words on the subject are still quoted with approval, and the elimination of “obey” from the mar riage service has not even been sug gested. There is a saying abroad that to tell the nationality of a couple one has only to observe them entering a hotel dining room, writes Robert Web ster Jones in the Housekeeper. If the man precedes the woman they are English; if the woman precedes the man they are French; but if they walk side by side they are American. The saying aptly illustrates the truth that nowhere Is there greater equality of sexes than In this country. Individual tyrants, both masculine and feminine, there may be, but on the whole men and women have come to an under standing that each has a particular work to do and is not subject, as a sex, to the authority of the other. If, as a type, the American husband possesses one fault more conspicuous than another, it Is his tendency to become absorbed in business to the exclusion of his domestic life. A busi ness man In one of George Ade's fables says that he provides the cash while his wife provides “culture enough for two.” Jt is a tendency which should be combated. The American husband Is made for better things. That he is "good” to his wife we admit. But, in the highest sense, is he "good” to himself? There's Health HIKE Yartoua experiments by end* nent scientists hare proven the great value of lemons la destroying the genus of ty phoid fevers. Germs of die- • eases are deposited In the system by the failure of the bowels to act regularlyt MOZI/EY’g LEMON ELIX IR is au ideal laxative, made from the Juice of pure lem ons, and has no equal for cleansing the system of all Impurities. It acta prom pa ly on the bowels, liver and kidneys, and does not gripe or as tier any nnpleasantneaa go cents per bottle at all drug stores. LEMON HOT DROPS CURE ALL COUGH* AAE COLD*. MOZLEY’S LEMON ELIXIR SANTA CLAUS’ UNDERSTUDY. BY TROY ALLISON. Copyright, 1904, by Troy Allison. ‘ Ive thought of the finest scheme, girls!” Nan exclaimed, standing off from the easel and trying the effect of her picture with one eye shut. Winifred delayed the taa-maklng and turned around with a celerity which showed a willingness to aid in any scheme to bridge the difficulty that Nan’s fertile brain might sug gest. Helen simply raised herself one pil low higher on the couch and stretched out a little more comfortably. No one had ever yet been able to surprise Helen into a show of active interest. “You know we never could get that long list of people Into this tiny room,” Nan continued trying a touch of yellow on the snow bank she was painting, “and I want to invite them every one. I know that a crowd of art students can put up with as few accommodations as any crowd you could pick out. but I don’t see how we could buck thirty people in the whole flat, to say nothing of the amount of condensation necessary to get them into this sitting-room.” 1 The three girls had clubbed together in tho wee three-roomed flat, with Nan Trucsdttlo for business manager. Wtnefred looked after the housekeep ing, and Helen—nobody ever expected Helen to work ut anything except the very brilliant ladles in water colors with which she amused herself. But it was Helen's generous checks from home, that had helped the little estab lishment over many a financial chasm. "Se we will use the parlor of the adjoining apartment to receive the guests In, and this room for refresh ments,” Nan continued with the as surance of one accustomed to finding correct answer to any problem met with. “That man’s spartment?” Wlnnlo gasped with an emphasis on the world “Is there such n person as Santa Clans after all my cynicism f” gasped Wl Ills. man which Intimated that there was only one left on earth. “I think you brilliancy has over reached itself this time, Nancy.” Helen showed enough interest to sit up on the couch and hunt for another pil low. "That’s really the most ridicu lous proposition I ever heard you make, which Is saying a great deal,” she added, and having discovered the extra cushion she lay down again. "Not so ridiculous as you might think," Nan went on airily. "I heard the elevator boy tell someone this afternoon that the gentleman would be gone two weeks, and I’m going down stairs directly after tea and beg the clerk to lend me the room for this af fair. I’ve been smiling at that clerk occasionally. You see, girls, the ad visability of following the old proverb and casting your bread on the waters. All I have to do now is to reach out and rake It In, ready for use.” “If you have been as prodigal with your smiles as you generally are, my good child, you can rake In your bread by the baker's dozen,” Helen said re provingly, as they seated themselves at the tea table. The girls had caught glimpses of The Room when the door had -been left ajar, and had learned to recognize The Man who sat smoking and reading his paper by the window sis the same tall, broad shouldered Individual with the Chrlsly features whom they had often seen In the elevator. These glimpses of the beautifully furnished room had filled them with an admiration that made Nan’s scheme for using It for the Christmas breakfast seem all the more charming. "That room is so nice snd large that we could carry out our first Idea and have the tree with a gift for each one of them.” sighed Winnie. They had planned the Christmas breakfast with the Idea that they would begin the day with an old-fash loned Jollification. The invitations were to Tend, "To a grown-up chil dren’s party,” and Helen had been dec orating them with pictures of funny fat Hantas In giddy looking sleighs. *T wish I could have my childish faith In Santa Claus restored long enough to write him a list of the things I want,” said Nan, eating the last crumbs of cheese left on the dish. "I’d ask for a whole box of white gloves,” Winnie returned quickly, ‘T’ve cleaned mine so often that they reek with gasoline. I don’t enjoy the theater half so much as I would If I didn’t have to small gasoline through the whole performance." “I’d take that new set of Christy pictures.” Helen said, yawning. “I’d like to try copying them.” “And 1 would like a palm,” chose Nan, eyeing the exact spot near the window where she would put It. "I don’t want a 111 He Insignificant looking palm that I could afford to buy my self, but a great big spreading cheat nut affair that I could alt undar and feel realistic when I wanted to play the banjo and sing 'Under the Bamboo Tree ' " Helen roae from the table and con- I descended to continence clearing up I the dishes l "l aae t’U have la do the work that you two girls may Indulge in visions Christmas morning Is not far off, and I hope Santa Claus may be able to play his part.” "Don't listen to us. Helen,” laughed Winnie. “It’s such a relief to be able to talk without having “The Man” overhear everything we say. We are simply relieving our pent-up feelings. I’ve been talking in whispers ever since he moved in, for I know he can hear everything through that folding door. I believe the rooms were in tended for one apartment anyway.” Nan Jumped up from the table. “Get to work, girls. As soon as the dishes are out' of the way I’ll go down and Interview Mr. Clerk.” In the adjoining room "The Man” got off the couch where he had been trying to sleep for the last two hours. He crept softly Into his bedroom, put on his overcoat and hat. took hts sutt case and walked out to the elevator. "I wonder whether I could make a success as St. Nick If the old man himself happened to be indisposed,” he soliloquized as he drove away In the cab, ufter telling the clerk that he had changed his plans again, and vould not be in his rooms until after New Year's Dav. The girls had arranged everything the night before Christmas. “Tha Man’s" sitting room was gay with holly sprays and festooned with cedar. Nan rose early, slipped on her dress ing gown and went to take a final peep at the little tree before dressing for early arrivals. She opened the folding doors and then rubbed her sleepy eyes in as tonishment. A huge, wide spreading palm towered over the little Christ mas tree, its large leaves glistened and an Immense bow of scarlet rib bon decorated the tub that held It. Two packages tied with the same rib bon lay on the floor in conspicuously awkward spots. "Is there such a person as Santa Claus, after all my cynicism?" gasped Winnie, who had rushed in upon hear ing Nan's exclamation. Bhe sat In the floor holding a box of white gloves with "Winnie” printed in scrawling letters on Hie cover. Helen actually showed all the symp toms of a genuine ease of astonish ment when the other package woa found to contain the desired Christy pictures. If the breakfast party had been of sufficient Importance to receive news paper notice the account would have ended, “the pleasure of the occasion was slightly marred by the breaking of an Indian tobacco Jar by one of the grown-up children." A week later a very embarrassed and apologetic Nan stood in the hall with the pieces of the tobaeeo Jar In her hands, making her confession to "The Man.” "We would have bought another and never let you know anything about it,” she concluded naively, “If It had not been so peculiar that we couldn’t match it. I hope you did not prize Jt very much.” "I would willingly have made a much greater sacrifice for the pleasure of becoming acquainted with my charming neighbors,” he answered with a smite that Nan's relieved mind thought the most fascinating she had ever seen. Three months later he sat with Nan In the parlor of the little flat. *The big palm might have been less on the order of a spreading chestnut and still have covered both their heads. The glrl'a head was on his shoulder, and she was toying with one of the palm leaves with she had pulled down to hide her flushed face. “We will have the palm In our new home,” he said tenderly. “Yes, It was your first present to me,” she said, looking at him quiz zically. "How did you find out?” he asked with a guilty flush. She laughed, and put a tiny kiss on the Up of his Christy nose. “I made the elevator boy confess long ago,” she said, "and I must say that you played the part remarkably well.” BRADFORD'S EVAPORATED OKRA. Makes the finest soups and gum bos. gold by all leading grocers t cts. per box. M. Ferst’s Sons * Cos., Wholesale Agents. *&v&s&&anr *•. #kll, urn •lur*l di*trgM, or •* IrHUtlaa m tewsUo* rf mmm mom l>ra Hwwtlilim .I4 tor Or.itUM, 3KSE OUt-UiMb# Mil