Evening Star Newspaper, January 23, 1921, Page 58

BA MA R. GLENDENNING was offe of the attractions at Cedar Har- bor. For three;symmers his shop had been thé mecca of ‘women of all ages, who; seeking re- lief from the heat of mid-western cities, found Mr. Glendenning’s the one place in the upper lake region where they could buy things they didn't real- 1y need. There was, to be sure, an Indian curio man and the usual shop offering needlework from remote con- vents, but these lacked the atmosphere that made Mr. Glendenning’s little room on Main street so enthralling. Mr. Glendenning was so agreeable ang his manners so engaging that his relations with his customers were robbed of all sordid commercial taint. If a lady admired something in Mr. Glendenning’s he would fold his arms, smile diffidently and remark that he was pleased that she liked it; he was very fond of it himself: it was some- thing he had “picked up” at the dis- persion of an estate—one of the old- est families in Savannah, Mobile or Charleston, you know. His specialty was exclusive pieces. not only in pot- tery and glass, but in mahogany. “Came across this in Vienna last winter; delightful old dealer, quite out of the beaten track—wholly unknown to Americans. I could get only three of those vases. Exquisite tint, don’t you think? Very sad that, with our growing appreciation of art in Ame: ica. we can produce nothing like that. He would end with a gesture of de- spair. holding the precious object at arm’s length. apparently for hi oration rather than to invite the visitor's admiration. Indeed, it seem- ed that he forgot her presence, SO deeply absorbed did he become in the contemplation of the blue or green or yellow thing under scrutiny. And then, recovering himself with an e fort. he would restore the vase gently to the counter and ask with the ten- derest feeling after the mother or the aunt cr the grandmother of the caller. “I'm so sorry to hear of Mrs. Bar- ton’s illness; we shall miss her: the season won't be quite the same Wwithgy out her." s The potential purchaser would with difficulty bring the subject back to the vase, and thentMr. Glendenning would manifest embarrassment. as though a rival collector were bent upon robbing him of his most prized possession. .If 1t was a rainy afternoon (aad on rainy afternoons the shop was likely to be crowded) he would inadvertently men- tion tea, which would be served at tables at the rear of the shop by a window that disclosed the gray waters of the lake. There was nothing ob- trusive in this offer of réfréshments; the quaint kettle boiled miraculously, the daintiest of sandwiches would be exposed upon plates that were well calculated to awaken, fem) ousness. dnd when.thrae of wealth and high from Detroit, Chicago and Louisville had been seated in mahogany chairs that once IM% house of one of the haughtiest nia fami- lies, Mr. Glendenning would stand at a distance, tolerant of their presence, ‘humbly proud of their condescension, and join in the conversation with the greatest reluctance when they appeal- ed to him. ¢ *xxx MR. GLENDENNING'S age had been carefully computed at not a day over twenty-seven. He wes admifted- 1y handsome. He dressed with quiet elegance and was particularly distin- guished in white flannels: At s sum- mer regort where young nfen were lit- tle 'known except at wegk ends it was something to have so -presentable a specimen of the male génid® constant- 1y accessible.” The pre¥] summer Mrs. Fanshaw; who rather-ran things in the colonyithsil dnyited:dr. Glen- denning to 3 garden:pasty;and he had filled in at disser.at the Mortons on an occasion when & bishop-they were counting on had been delayed and had telegraphed at the last moment. Mr. Glendenning. in irreproachable even- ing dress, had adorned the Episcopal seat acceptably—and was pronounced a capital dinner He told a story exceedingly well, and. it was clear from his casual references to foreign parts that he had traveled widely and ‘to_good purpose. It wasn't at all as though he were a shopkeeper. He carefully avoided acoepting cash from the Harbor ladies. N& on:hover waid hl‘r;d?lqanflernln"l shop: apostrophe uately co noted this. When a purchase (to ap- ply an incongruous term to the trans- action) was effected, he had a way of dismissing the matter. ot till the end of the season would a bill be slip- ped into the post office—the most ladylike of bills, on blue fiote paper, ‘with “Mr. Glendenning’s” embossed in white at the top. Tourists ranging the northern coasts were treated with cold scorn by the propriefor, who suf- fered a young assistant, who imitated his manner with marked success, to sell ‘them anything they fancied and acéept cash for the purchases. 1t was at the beginning of last sea- son that the Bob Overtons plotted and estruction of Mr. had Been having typhold-fever and went early to the Harbor %o induilge in a leisurely recu- peration. Bob, like all the other male regulars at the colony, resented Mr: Glendenning’s fascinations as exer- cised upon helpless, confiding women. *“I met that cheerful ass Glende ning on the dock this morning.” Bob remarked to his wife as they sat b fore their fireplace on an evening ear- 1y in June. “He'd just rum up from for a day.” he lisped to me, “to have his shop painted; he'll be back in a couple of weeks to stay. By Jove, something’s got to be done about that chap or the first thing we know he'il be eloping with the daugh- ter of some of our friends, or more likely one of these married women who are always buzzing around his shop. _Of all the effeminate, sissy fel- lows T ever saw he is the most per- sistent and pernicious. I'd forgotten about him till T saw him this morning in the post office. He gave me the most patronizing nod imaginable, and, of course, T had to shake hands with him! I wouldn't give him the satis- faction of thinking me a snob!” ‘'You are not that, of course,” sald Mrs. Overton defensively. “Well, I want you to keep out of ‘his place! You remember, one day last summer I looked all over the village for you and found you in there— drinking tea! Tea with that fmpostor! He's one of the smoothest scoundrels 1 ever saw! All the rubbish in his preposterous shop is “exclusive”—he makes you women think that—and he charges you about four prices for all his stuff and covers up the swindle with that mournful air of his, as though it was breaking his heart to Jet any of his stuff go! I'm on the casino committee this year, and you may take it from me that he won't get & card to the dances. It was Mrs. Fanshaw who perpetrated that iniqui- ty_last summer.” Mrs. Overton laughed at his vio- lence. *“T didn’t intend to tell you, but he's going to have a rival this summer. “What! Another of the same iik 9Now. Bob, this is strictly confiden- tial. You remember Mabel Camphell, who was in my class at Smith. Well, she has a sister, Josie, who finished college last year and took a dash into soclety and didn't like it. Josie's a spirited youngster, and has all the new ideas about woman's economlic status and earning her own living and things like that™ “Bangor _or Boston—somewhere down there?* frowned Overton, who, having been born in St. Louis, affected dense ignorance of eastern geography. ‘Hartford,” his wife corrected. “The Campbells are worried to death about Josie and her radical notions. So far as her economic status is concerned. that was fixed the day she was born they're rich, you know. And they don't want her starting a tea shop in New York or Boston. or going into settle- ment work or on the stage, or any of the things she's threatened. You re- member Mabel? Well, Joste is as dif- ferent as possible; prettier, for one ng, and more amusing.” saw in Mabel, but little sister rather appeals to me.” “Well, she is little—just the cutest youngster you ever saw. When I vis- fted the Campbells last winter I saw a lot of Josie, and she told me about her ambitions. The family were stay- ing up nights to keep her from going down to New York to act as picket for the cloakmakers’ strike, or some- thing of the sort. When they per- suaded her to give that up, she an- nounced that she would open a tea room at Kennebunkport this seaSon. A lot of the Campbells’ friends have cottages there, and being extremely conservative and sensitive, this threw | them into another panic. I casually mentioned Cedar Harbor and Mr. Glen- denning’s, giving her exactly the view all you men seem to have of him. She said that was just the thing; that she would come here and start a tea shop with art jewelry and old furniture and pottery—and the regular Glendenning stuff. ‘I had a letter just before we left home saying she was coming. In fact, she was here last month and rented that room across from Mr. Glendenning’s—that Greek who beat his wife had a candy shop there last year—and the carpenters have got it nearly ready. Josie'll turn up here any day now, but you're not to know her—she wants to stand on her own feet—you must promise never to tell anybody about her. Her people are Jetting her come on my promise to keep an eye on her. Just between ourselves, I've got it in_my head to y to interest her in Billy Doane. You know Billy's the most eligible young man who comes here, and he's for single tax or socialism or some- thing like that, which is driving his father craszy. He and Josie ought to hit it off splendidly. But I can’t ask her to stay with us—I'm to pretend that I never heard of her before.” * % % % (QVERTON eyed his young wife cyn- ically as he put down the tobacco jar and felt about on the table for a match. “By Jove, you're a wonder, Jean! You're going to be responsible to the Campbells for their beautiful little anarchist, but you're going to pretend you never saw her before; and you're Eoing to marry her to Bill Doane, who is just the man for her not to marry— two lunatics! Take it from me that Billy wouln't marry her if he knew she was the daughter of a rich New England aristocrat. The last I heard of Billy his folks were sitting on him to keep him from marrying a Russian girl who hands out pie in a one-armed eating joint in Chicago. He had the idea that this was a good scheme for bringing the social class- es into more harmonious relations and that sort of rot.” “Well, Billy is vqry nice” Mrs. Over- Overton protested. “Billy is very susceptible, ton corrected as he pressed his thumb into the bowl of his pipe. “But, take it all around, the outlook for an ex- citing summer is first-rate. I can hardly wait to see your charming young revolutionist; she sounds dan- gerous. By the way, I hope you've noticed that I've kept out of flirta- tions ever since I took marriage vows. I'm about due for some excitement.” “Only four years, and you're threat- ening me alread. cried Mrs, Bob. “Well, don't get nervous, but if that girl can fool men as Glenden- ning fools you women there’ll be some {un on Main street. It's high time the men who come up here had some diversion to occupy them while the women are all goo-gooing Mister Glendenning. A girl with a sense of humor, an independent young Wwom- an, Such as you describe this Josie Campbell to be, ought to put Glen- denning out of business.” “I hadn’t thought of her doing that,” said Mrs. Overton with alarm ‘He's_really a gentleman, you know, and he has his living to make!" 'Oh, don’t sob over it! The bill he sent you last fall was for something like 3300, wasn't it, for junk, sheer You know perfectly well that chiffonier was just what you needed for your dressing room, and that the same thing at home would have cost $50 more. And it was a birthday present, and you said it was 'x‘h.;' yery nicest present you ever Symptoms of tears caused Overton to put down his pipe and address himself to the business of convinc- ing her that she was the dearest of all girls and that the chiffonier had been a boon, a life-saving device, from which he would not part for all the gold in the worid. When Mr. Glendenning arrived at the harbor midway of June (his as- istant had arrived earlier and open- ed the stock) he found his shop con-| fronted by a rival most impudently planfed digectly opposite his own door. The window bore this legend in white enamel, MISS WILMERDING'S, a shameless, not to say an intention- ally ironic imitation of the blue let- tering that advertised his own es- tablishment to the passerby. He learned from his assistant that an en- ergetic young lady had been on the ground for a fortnight, preparing for the summer campaign, and that neat cards had been distributed announc- ing Miss Wilmerding's purpose to of- fer not only tea, sandwiches, Aunt Mary's jumbles " and tarts = every afternoon (Sundays excepted), but carefully selected pieces of antique mahogany, glass and pottery in ex- clusive designs. Mr. Glendenning lodged in rooms above his shop, a fact which made it possible for him to glue his eyes to the windows over- looking Miss Wilmerding’s portal for the better part of three days, noting. the goings and comings of his auda- cious rival, and obserging not with- out trepidation the tomers who seemed deliberately .to prefer her ‘wares to his own. From his upper window Mr. Glen- denning was able to make a very complete inventory of Miss Wilmer- ding’s stock as tastefully exposed against a background of white and blue. He identified with chagrin and appraised at its cost to the retailer every item offered by Miss Wilmer- ding. The stock had been well chos- en—an admission forced upon him by the fact that it duplicated his own with startling fidelity. More aston- ishing was the appearance of Miss Wilmerding as she came occasionally into the foreground or thrust her head into the show window to with- draw some bit of bric-a-brac that had lured a potential buyer within _ She was a small person with a capable air and a deft hand, and when she left the shop to run bareheaded to the grocer's, he was aware that her blue kirt and snowy waist were of mod- ish cut. Not only did she give the impression of smartness, but her head, with its crown of light, fluffy hair, and her clean-cut profile compelled the admlllutlon (Shat his competitor was a pretty girl, really ve T , and with a charm that communicatod itself even across Main street. invasion of his rights by so radlant a . the taunt implied in the enam- eled lettering that mocked his own name, apostrophe and all, perplexed and distressed Mr. Glendenning. He conferred guardedly with his young assistant to avold betraying his vex: “I looked over her stuff o: dock,” said the understudy. “She ::: her outfit from the houses you buy from—just about the same line. It not square, when you've been a regu- lar customer, sir.” Mr. Glendenning smiled the smile {of one who is inured to the harsh ways of trade. “it would be unfortunate if sh should not—er—maintain the pric tablished,” he murmured. And then, abandoning his shop man- ner, he added. with more vigor than the young man had ever heard him mp:gd mw';-':h :‘drmmm shake of t did s in here for, m.—" Wil i used slang, Mr. Glendenning never and the n-llunt‘[upsd. Hearing a step below In the shep. the young man departed hastily and nr‘ Glendenning resumed his unpack- He returned to the wi {Overton in the act of entering Miss Wilmerding's. This apostasy on the part of ‘I:;ly who had been one of erot patrons was s = Mra. Bob was an Infuentisl member of the colony, and, if she were 80 disposed, could easiiy divert considerabla- @azt-of his trade to IN MAZOOMA the new shop. Presently Mr. Willlam Doane came out of the post office with a handful of letters. Seeing him pass, Mrs. Overton darted out or Miss Wils merding’s and led him forthwith into the shop. Mr. Glendenning was still at the window when Doane and the Overtons reappeared. He assumed that they had been partaking of re- freshments and their high spirits spoke eloquently for the cheering quality of Miss Wilmerding's brand of tea. * % ¥ ok ANOTHER shock was in store for Mr. Glendenning. For three sum- mers he had taken his meals at a boarding house conducted by Mrs. Adoniram Sharpe, the widow of a clergyman who had served long as a missionary to the scattered lumber camps of the region. Mrs. Sharpe accommodated only a few boarders in the summer, and these were chosen with careful regard to their social standing. Mr. Glendenning had been among those fortunate enough to gain admittance to her table, and he looked upon Mrs. Sharpe as an old friend. When he presented himself at the house at the supper hour and re- ceived Mrs. Sharpe’s cordial greeting, What_was his consternation to find Miss Wilmerding already in the par- “Miss Wilmerding, ning. The appearance of the maid to an- nounce supper elone saved Mr. Glen- denning from collapse as Mrs. Sharpe pronounced this introduction. Miss Wilmerding nodded—a quick little nod—and said she was glad to meet him. At least, this seemed to be the burden of her remark, but Mr. Glen- denning was more interested in the mirth that danced for a moment in the girl's blue eyes. They were very fine eyes, just such eyes as a self-re- Specting young gentleman prefers shall not laugh at him. “I hope the rain’s over for a while, Miss Wilmerding remarked, casually, and glancing down at her he won- dered whether, after_all, there had been any menace in that flash of mirth in her eyes. Mrs. Sharpe’'s table seated ten— never more—and her guests—she never called them boarders—included two sisters, the Misses Palmer, mid- dle-aged ladies, who had been gener- ous contributors to the late minis- ter's missionary work, and the mana- Ber of the electric light plant. Mr. Glendenning knew most of them from brevious seasons. The principal of a Milwaukee high school recurred at once to the proper interpretation of a line in Browning, which seemed to have been debated the previous sum- mer; Mr. Glendenning shamefacedly confessed that he had gathered no new light on the subject. Whereupon the principal charged him with hav- ing gone over to the imagists, ex- pressed her low opinion of that cult, and deplored the recent epidemic of vers libre. Miss Wilmerding, seated cpposite Mr. Glendenning, de- fended vers libre; she thought it time the American spirit was finding a new medium in hich to express itself. The Miwaukee ladv declared that forms that had been sacred to Shake- speare, Milton and Keats ought to be good enough for later poets, and ap- pealed to Mr. Glendenning to sustain her. This he did, but only half- 2;:;!2:]];, fe‘e‘l’llnsl!he blue eyes bent w llsl‘ll- isconcerting direct- he young engineer, whose lightnings were concealed in lh':ae‘;‘:c'r tric light plant, was bored by the dis. cussion, and announced that Lewis Carroll. was the only poet who had ever interested him particularly. “Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup,” quoted Miss Wilmerding, zent- fully. *“‘Myself when young,' did de- light in nonsense verse, but I'innd z.y.lt ‘Whitman better reading nowa- 5. ‘The mention of Whitman caused the more austerer Miss Palmer to sniff disdainfully, and to avert war Mr. Glendenning asked, hastily, if she still- clung to her rule of reading: at least two of Jane Austen's novels val;’y w%ler. S 58 Wilmerding waited politely for Miss Palmer to affirm this, whlchylhe did with proud lifting of the head; lllsll‘lh:?‘le remarked: g seems an awful waste of time, ‘when there’s so much that's Vll;?— ::l l'hGDgoret“ Ru'!(lilnn. the real mas- re! stoyefsky’s novels are I Bibles of fiction! ol As with one voice, the Misses Pal- mer attacked Miss Wilmerding, who vigorously but with perfect good ma- ture defended her Russians. Mr. Glen- denning, whose face rarely betrayed surprise, seemed startled; then humor glinted for an instant in his usually expressionless eyes. This passed quickly when he found the more com- bative Miss Palmer eyeing him se- verely. “Mr. Glendenning, what do you think of these attempts of many of our critics to destroy the confidence of the new generation in the sanctity of the old ideals?” “Really, of course, 1 share many of your prejudices, Miss Palmer,” he fal- tered, with his sade smile. “I should deplore—greatly deplore—the pass- ing of the old ideals. It would be really—a grave loss to mankind.” ‘There must have been something truly funnk in the world-weary air with which he uttered this, for Miss ‘Wilmerding, In the act of raising a @poonful of ice cream to her mouth, laughed so suddenly that the spoon fell into her plate with a most dis- turbing clatter. ‘The Misses Palmer were deeply an- noyed by this lamentable ocourrence and shifted the line of attack. “I have an anti-suffrage pamphilet Td like to hand you, Miss Wilmer- ding: I'll bring it down after supper,’ remarked the more combative Miss Palmer. “I hope you may find time to peruse it carefuily. It seems to me quite unanswerable!” A frightened look that crossed Mrs. Sharpe's face recalled to the obser- vant Mr. Glendenning that suffrage had been & bone of contention at pre- vious suppers. “Any argument against equal suf- frage” remarked Miss Wilmerding Mr. Glenden- | concisely, “that refuses to recognize women @s an economic factor, Is ridiculous. Tons of pamphlets can't get away from that. If your tract is this old home-with-the-bables stuft I don't care to see it. “Well, I'm for it!"” said the engineer, anxious to precipitate another battle. “Then, why don't you do something to help it on?” esked Miss Wilmer- ding, severely. ‘There are a lot of men who talk like you, but who never turn up when there's a chance to_help!” This effectually silenced the engl- neering department, and Mrs. Sharpe rose quickly and led the way into the parlor. S “Mr. Glendenning,” she began low tone after the enslneerghnd l;".)lE lowed Miss Wilmerding out upon the veranda to observe the weather, “I feel that I owe you an apology. 1 have greatly appreciated your friend- ship and I should hate to have you think I had encouraged that young woman to set up her shop in the Harbor. I thought it was to be & tearoom only; I had no idea she meant to bring a stock of merchan- dise. If you have any feeling about meeting her at my table, I shall at once ask her to 100k elsewhere. You may be very frank with me. “Really Mrs. Sharpe, I'm not in the leagt disturbed,” replied Mr. Glen- denning with his wan smile, and clasping his fingers with a charac- teristic outward gesture. “Any one ‘h. free to ::llullp any lilnnd ofl.lhoy ere; competition, you know, life of trade.” the “You sre always kind, Mr. Glen- denning. Of course the girl is very brash, and many of her ideas are shocking to persons of—um—different breeding. The Misses Palmer find her most annoying: but, of course, it is necessary for me to fill my places from among persons who remain throughout the season: I could never bring myself to taking transients, The girl seemed very sweet when she first came to me; I was greatly sur- prised by some of her opinions. “She is really quite charming. Her radicalism is only amusing. Many younx girls nowadays hove that pose,” axal THE SUNDAY STAR, JANUARY . A Story by “LOOK AT HIM—THERE'S SOMETHING SLINKING ABOUT THAT CHAP! HE DOESN'T ACT LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEI Mr. Glendenning smiled in his toler- ance of misguided young womanhood, much to Mrs. Sharpe's relief. Miss Wilmerding now reappeared with the evident intention of attack- ing the piano, whereupon the Misses Palmer rose majestically as one d_departed for their rooms. it nice to see you remarked Mr. Glendenning, leaning languidly upon the piano. “Our table needed just the spirit you bring to it. Delighted, really, I'm sure!" He opened and closed his eyes and he spoke these words in a tone of suppressed rapture. “Thank you," said Miss Wilmer- ding, glancing from a battered volume of Chopin to bestow an indifferent glance upon him as he stood droop- ing like a tired lily before her. He bowed to the remaining guests from the door and strolled away toward his shop through the rain that had begun to fall dismally. * k k¥ V HEN he reached his room Pe hastily changed his clothes, don- ning a well-worn suit of corduroy, with a faded hat to match, and a pair of heavy shoes. Then, having safely passed the sawmill at the edge of the village, he threw off his air of langor, drew his shoulders _erect, took a deep breath, and set off with long strides over the wet road, In an hour he was again in his room. ‘where he opened a locked trunk and drew out a great mass of manuscript and, with drawn blinds, fell to work, writing furiously and occasionally Jumping up to pace the floor abstract- edly. It was 2 oclock when he addressed himself vigorously to a pair of dumbbells for fiftcen minutes, tossed them with his papers into the trunk and tumbled into bed. “Well, your protege has put that conceited, monkey's nose out of joint,” remorked Bob Overton to his wife at the end of the week. “Her shop was crowded when 1 passed it this after- noon.” “I feel so sorry—in a way,” his wife replied. “Mr. Glendenning is so nice, and seems to triste and wistful. I feel very guilty that I didn't give him just a hint of Josie's coming.” “Oh, you needn’t worry about him,” Overton returned with asperity. “By the way, Doane has dashed for the bait like a hungry pickerel —He's swallowed enough tea in Josie' to float a battleship “Oh, it we can pull that off it will be “splendid!” cried Mrs. Bob. “He nd Josfe just suit each other and T'll have the deathless gratitude of both their families.” “\Well, don’t let her shut up shop till the season’s over. I want her to put Glendenning out of business.” This hope might have been realized but for the fidelity of Mr. Glenden- ning's old patrons. Visitors to the rival shops divided pretty evenly on sex lines. Women of all ages showed marked loyalty to Mr. Glendenning’s; men, young and old. with any sort of excuse, flew like homing pigeons to Miss Wilmerding’s. Men Who at home forgot their wedding anni- versaries and their wives’ and chil- dren’s birthdays remembered them invested heavily in ‘Mlifl; Vilmerding's loot. Men Who hate: o eank Suarts of it. A Eolf tour- nament brought an unusual number of young gentlemen to the clubhouse and the big hotel on the point, and Miss Wilmerding's business was 80 augmented that she was obliged to employ a village girl as a second as- sistant. Mr. Glendenning’s cup was not all bitterness. His feelings were soothed by the warm expressions of sym- pathy given him by many old patrons, and Bob Overton's attempts to elim- jnate him from the casino dances proved fruitless, as Mrs. Fanshaw, who was the heaviest contributor to the casino expenses, had personally demanded a card for him, and had remarked at a bridge party, within hearing of a kind friend, who repeat- ed her very words to Mrs. Overton, that there never had been any snob- bishness at Cedar Harbor, and that she—Mrs. Fanshaw—had “every in- tention of frustrating the attempts of Bob Overton to introduce it into he colony. o rat My, Glendenning had a com- petitor, and a very keen and resource- ful one, in Miss Wilmerding, was now apparent not only to all Cedar. Har- bor, but to other summer resorts trib- utary to that peaceful haven. In- doed, as word got about that Mr. Glendenning’s prosperity was threat- ened, the boats that piied the coast brought to the scene many pligrims, who, having heard of the battle of the shops, were anxious to see the Joung lady who had so daringly thrown down the gauntlet to Mr. Glendenning. ‘The lnlcrlptl&llll do:“ ted at Mr. Glende 3‘:‘;: been noteworthy for their re- straint and felicity. —Mi ‘Wilmer- ding’s window now presented from duy to day inscriptions which mocked at the cards attached to articles in Mr. Glendenning’s. For example, an m):l glass bowl for flowers, in & quaint design. articles ex- ing's had inscribed “Made in Vienna; usives” Way 1 1 ! | day fin Miss W 3 Imerding’s window, with the card: * ade_in Mazooma; very precious.” Oshkosh, Mishawaka, Warakruss and other indubitable American names were, in turn. at- tached to articles which, in Mr. Glen- denning’s window, were declared to be importations from glass factories and potteries of the old world. A four-poster bed in Mr. Glendenning’s, inscribed From an Old Dominion homestead,” was accessible to any purchaser at Miss Wilmerding's as “Owned by the late Duke of Argyll.” These insinuations against his good faith as a merchant seemed, to amia- ble souls who visited his shop to see how he was taking it, to_have no effect upon him whatever. ing throughout this ordeal was praised even by persons who in pre- vious summers had spoken of him contemptuously. Even Bob Overton complainedthat the fellow was acting like a thoroughbred. Mr. Glenden- pIng’s equanimity may have been ex- Dplained by the fact that his assistant, carefully noting the arrival of par- 1s of freight at the dock and rail- roads, informed him that Miss Wil- merding had received no shipments since' the arrival of her first stock. Her room, he reported, was crowde at the tea hour, chiefly by the young and frivolous, who used it as a con- venient rendezvous, but made few and unimportant purchases. Mean- while Mr. Glendenning, languidly and indifferently presenting his wares to his visitors, managed to increase his sales over the previous vear. The Misses Palmer, who knew all the cot- tages. had rallied to Mr. Glenden- ning's support by publishing broad- cast with invisible exclamation marks of horror the radical opinions of life and literature held by Miss Wilmer- ding, They reported Miss Wilmer- ding’s conduct at Mrs. Sharpe’s table as detestable, only that they might remark upon the perfect sweetness of temper displayed by Mr. Glenden- ning thrice daily at the boarding house. Nor was Mr. Glendenning’s forbearance toward his insolent rival confined to Mrs. Sharpe’s dining roo: At the second casino dance Mr. Glendenning, to the extreme vexation of Bob Overton, asked Miss Wilmer- ding to dance with him. That Miss Wilmerding graciously accepted him 88 a partner, while Billy Doane glared from the side lines, was not lost upon the colonists present. “That fellow's cheek.” Overton in Doane's ear, rpasses human understanding! ~He doesn’t know when he's been slapped in the face. You'd think that *Made in Ma- zooma' sign in her window would be enough. Look at him! There’s some- thing slinking about the chap! He doesn’t act like a normal human being!” The fox trot having ended. Mr. Glen- denning was guiding Miss Wilmer- ding across the ballroom to the ve- randa, whence he could be seen with his head on one side, 1goking at her (so Overton declared) as though she were a piece of imitation mahogany. “The fool's sissing her! He's trying to flirt with her, the cad!” This from Bob to his distressed spouse. “Really. the night is sweet—very sweet!” Mr. Glendenning was mur- muring. in a low, rapturous tone to Miss Wilmerding. “It does seem to be thoroughly sugared,” was Miss Wilmeérding's dis- couraging reply. The music struck up, and again Mr. Glenidenning glided over the floor with Miss Wilmerding. They danced well together—even Mrs. Overton was forced to concede this; but it was her duty to protect Josie Campbell from the snares and pitfalls she might en- counter in the role of Miss Wilmer- ding. so_she sent the willing Bob to rescue the girl at the earliest possi- ble moment. remarked * ok k * T was Mr. Glendenning's settled habit to leave his room over the shop every night to blow the dust of trade out of his lungs by a dash into the wilderness surrounding the harbor. In an obscure cove some- what beyond the line of lakeside cot- tages he maintained a canoe, which he manipulated with the greatest skill. Usually before returning to shore he would indulge in a swim, and then trot along a sandy beach to throw off the chill of the icy water. The contrast belween Mr. Glenden- ning dawdling in his shop and the same gentleman as he indulged in rather violent exercise under cover of night was marked. The discreet willage watchman alone was aware of the odd hours chosen by Mr. Glen- denning for his recreations, but he did not trouble himself about the ways of a young man who always treated him “right,” though he did wonder at times why the light in Mr. Glenden- ning's rooms was 5o often diBSernible until 3 o'clock. On a night when stars danced upon the lake after a tempestuous day, Mr. Glendenning, driving his bark farther than us caught & glimpse of an- other canoe, somewhat beyond him, driven by & girl. o. marked the long eweep of her 23, 1921—PART 4. Meré&ith Nicholson. ture of strength and daring she pre- sented in the starlight as. keeping well within the shadow of the cedar- crowned gjuff, she impelled herself round @ Emall peninsula below the Overton cbttage. The searchlight of a big steamer outward bound for Lake Superior Swept the harbor opening and felli,passingly on the girl. A histle sbarled angrily in rebuke of her temerity in venturing into the lawful pati of steamers: a bell tin- kied in thewehgine room. and the boat veered slightly and continued on its course. * < The shaft of light falling across her tiny argosy roused Mr. Glendenning. {There was but one head like that. Beyond doubt the adventurous voy- ager was Miss Wilmerding, and the wash from the steamer, added to the ugly chop of the.lake, was clearly testing her powers to the utmost. He started toward her, driving his blade deep. A faint cry reached him, and he redoubled his efforts. Suddenly, as he peered across the water, he saw the canoe wabbling on its side and the girl-clinging to it. & “Hold tight!® he shouted. 1In the uncertain starlight he passed her, narrowly missing a collision. au, fearing - t6 attempt to turn back. sprang overboard. A few stroke! brought him’ to her overturned ca noe. . ‘How foolish_you are!” he panted hen he faced her across the careen- ing canoe. The waves were washing over it, and it was clearly doomed to a quick plunge to the bottom of the lake. ‘m going to swim round there be- de you. Don't get excited. Just put i through His bear- | your hand on my shoulder and I'll tow you to shore™ “Thank you,” she said, faintly; and it seemed that she added—though amid the angry dance of the white caps he was not quite sure—a belated and impudent “sir.” ‘Don’t grab me or do anything ab- surd.” he commanded. With her arm flung over the canoe she was bobbing like an agitated buoy. ‘You were very foolish.” he bellow- 'to come out on such a night If you scold me I'll sink! screamed. ‘The canoe, caught in a furious heave of water, leaped away, and her arms, flung out desperately, clasped Mr. Glendenning's neck. He threw her off and held her at arm’s length with one harnd. fou know better than that' One hand on my shoulder, please She was reassured by his cheery, authoritative voice, that revealed a new and very different Mr. Glenden- ning. After he had taken a few she jstrokes she dropped her hand and swam beside him. “Good!” he cried heartily. “But don't tire yourself. I can easily tow you, but it's slower.” They were a quarter of a mile from Cedar Harbor veach, and when they had covered half the distance her strokes ceased “All right, now! You are doing splendidly. Tt's a ood thing I had on sneakers—kicked 'em off when I jumped /in." Hope you're mot freex- Her arms stretched out again and clutched his snirt collar tightly. She was beyond speech, and made no re- sponse when he called attention to lanterns that glimmered suddenly on the shore. Some men were launching a boat; he heard their excited cries. A motor dashed down on the beach and its headlight began whipping the lake. At the same moment Glendenning's feet struck bottom, and he splashed the breakers with the ex- hausted girl in his arms. h, Josie!” criew Mra. hysterical from fright. TR ‘m all right.” the girl faltered. Overton, Doane and the Overton chauffeur’ were at hand with wraps and restoratives. A lantern flashed in the rescuer's face identified him to their wondering gaze. Mr. Glenden- ing was the only composed one in the group. He seized a heavy coat, wrap- ped it round Miss Wilmerding and, While they expostulated, bore her up. jthe long flight of steps that led to the |0verunr coftage It was midnight when Mr. Glenden- ning, having taken a “rub down, which, he said, was all that was nec- essary to set him up again, sat with Overton' and Doane by a roaring fire. Mrs. Overton came downstairs jubi- lant, but with tears in her eves. osie’s come out of it splendidl: she ‘Went 1o sleep 1ike a tired BaBer And then, crossing to- Glendenning, with both hands extended, she cried: Oh, how can we ever thank you How can Josie- Mr. Glendenning dismissed the mat- ter with a laugh. He was quite an- other Mr. Glendenning from the one they knew. He stood up Straight, with 2 light in his eyes, a color In his face that were utterly new. Miss Wil- warding, they explained, had joking- iy taken a dare from Doane to paddie from the Overtons' to the village dock. Mrs. Overton remonstrated; Josie had apparently "yielded, but slipped from the house and disap- peared, leaving them in a panic. “To think.” said Mrs. Overton for the hundredth time, “that but for you. Mr. Glendenning, she would be—" “If T hadp’t got in her way she might have succeeded!” he lied chival- rously. “It ‘was just my clumsiness. A little more of the Scotch and I'il go home.” He insisted on leaving, and after he had gone the trio stood staring at each other,unable to frame the questions that crowded for uttera “That fellow!” blurted Overton. think that he-had the pep, the phy: cal fiber to do it! I tell you that's some swim from beyond the buoy to Doane, shiken with contrition over his responsibility for the girl's rash- ness, struck his hand into his fist. He's a man, a real man!" I take oft my hat to him.” As the dawn broke they went to bed still praising Mr. Glendenning's hero- ism. “It was queer,” said Mrs. Overton as she was letting down her hair, “that just before Josie went to sleep she Whispered something - funny, and didn’t know she was saying it—she said. ‘Made in Mazooma! " “I can’t bear the responsibility any longer,” remarked Mrs. Overton to her husband a month later, “and I've wired Josie's brother, Jimmie—he's a lawyer, a sensible fellow, and un- derstands Josie better than the rest of her family—to come out. If she's in love with Mr. Glendenning—" “If she's in love with him! O Lord! Everybody en the great lakes knows that they are crazy about each other! Your scheme for marrying her to Billy Doane is a busted proposition, I should say. I advise you to let match: making alone after this. Has it oc- curred to you—has it dawned upon Vou, my dear child, that we don’t know anything about Mr. Glenden- ning?” Mrs. Overton stared helplessly. “I had thought 'of that” she an- Ewered) wiskly B Slcaiiond s abelses marked, “that when he comes here—" “Which is every time Josle come! Mr. Bob interposed. A “When he comes here’” Mrs. Over- ton resumed, “he's different, very dif- ferent from the man we know In the shop. He acts like a sensible human being, without any of that lisping and sidling you used to complain of. And he certainly talks wonderfully about thing: * ¥ K % E does; he 'does indeed!” Bot assented, with a tinge of irony. “By George, you did get us into & ‘mess when you brought that girl here —he doesn’t know yet that she isn't & poor little girl from Chicago run- ning & teashop to earn money to help her get a Ph. D. By the way, Cedar Harbor isn't g0ing to see Glendenning any more. There's & sign in g win- dow announcing a closing-out sale— stock and fixtures. “We shall miss him awfully,” re- marked Mrs. Overton so plaintively that Bob laughed boisterously. It happened that Joslie's big brother, summoned to protect her from the « ks Y gamciontiens-otM-Glend DRI ngestis. rived unexpectedly on a Sunday even- ing when Josio and Mr. Glendenning were dining atthe Overtons’. Josie saw him first from her place at the table and rushed at him with & de- lighted cry of “Jimmie" “Well, Josie, what have you been up to now?" he demanded, holding her oft and regarding her with brotherly pride. “Oh,” she laughed, “I've been as- serting my economic independence:!" Mrs. Overton introduced him to Bob, and then remembering that Mr. Glendenning was standing quietly by his chair, presented him with all the calmness she could muster." “Mr. Campbell, Mr. Glendenning. she murmured, paling at the thought of all that remaihed to be explained to the Campbells as to her care of their Josie. . Jimmie Campbell's jaw fell and his eves opened wide as he paused with his hand Half extended toward Mr. Glendenning. The silence seemed endless as the two men 8tood facing each other. Then Campbell's arms went up quickly as he took & step for- ward. “Glendenning!” he yelled, derisively. clapping his hands upon Glenden- hing’s shoulders with a resounding whack. “Fred Bartlett, by the Great Horn Spoon!" Their joy In meeting each otfier | manitested itself in so many hand- shakings and shoulder-clappings, and i they were so engrossed in each other immediately that it was difficult for the stupefied onlookers to quiet them sufficiently to answer their questions. “Why!" declared Campbell, when at last he sat down at the table. “there have been scouts 100King for this man all over creation, and he's been mas- querading three whole summers at this place and hiding for good in win- ter. Well, Fred, your Uncle Tobias has been in & horrible stew; he never meant it, not really—never had the ghost of an idea of cutting you oft.” “Well, in the words of the ballad, he not only dissembled his love. but gen- tly and with much firmness kicked me downstairs!” retorted Mr. Glenden- ning, now established as Frederick Bartlett, Jimmie Campbell's chum from prep school days on through Harvard. where Bartlett had, it ap: peared, been a brilliant student and a foot ball hero. “You two,” laughed Campbell, after hearing the whole story, “are certain- Iy the supreme limit—pretending to be what you are not and not knowing that there was every reason why you should be friend “Friends!” ejaculated Bob, so point- edly that Josie and Bartlett bent their heads and stared into their coffee cups. M know why Josie came here—be- cause I brought her,” remarked Mrs. Bob, “but about you. Mr. Bartlett t was all Uncie Tobias' fault.”” Bartlett explained. “I've been a_lone orphan since I was seven, and he brought me up and was mighty good to me. He's a bachelor and not exact- 1y poor, and promised me all sorts of things. But when I finished college he wanted me to go into his knitting mills, with a view to succeeding him in the business. At the end of a year I was dead sick of it, and after a jolly big row he turned me out. I had 2 silly idea that I wanted to write books—foolish, and vet I had to try i “You were marked for the ink pots even at ‘prep’,” sald Campbell warm. ly. “When you were editor of the school magazine you always rejected my offerings.” “That certainly showed literary taste,” Bartlett replied. “Uncle Tobias was 50 bitter that I determined to drop out of the world and see if I could make good. I had just a few thousand dollars he had given me at various times, and I determined fo put 'em inte something that would ehrn enough iy the summer to give me a free hand tv. write during the winter. For thré. winters I've been writing stuffe prodigious amounts of writing stuff< in a little town up in Maine, where 1 lived cheaply and nobody bothered me. These three summers I've been run- ning my shop here and disgusting Mr. Overton and other stony-hearted per- who didn't know I was playing rt. ‘You certainly played it well” saiq Overton admiringly. “But I dodder a to why you assumed the role you did It's a shameful confession,” Bart. lett continued, but I had an idea [ could get better prices for my loot it 1 palmed myself off as a simpering idiot. You remember, Jimmie, I used to take a hand in college theatricals, and that helped. And I was feeling out human nature a little bit. as a professional matter. we will say. As ort of business (he pale tuberoes stuff was a big success. The men all hated me. but the ladies—God bless e “They fell for it; they simply ate it up!" cried Overton. ‘Well,” Bartlett went on, smilingly “I got a good deal of fun out of it, and people were nice to me, mostly. It began 10 be Rard when that young lady over there ran an opposition shop {azd openly and shamelessly guyed me from her window across the street. She helped my business, though, and I'm grateful! Luck has favored me this summer beyond hope T ever had. I've sold the serial rights in a story I've worked at for two years. and I've got real money for it; and that article in the last number of the Continental on ‘The Hope of American Fiction® is mine. It's started a grand rumpus among the critic “That article yours!” exclaimed Josie, bending upon him a look of ) frankest admiration. “Why, You tore {it to pieces at the boarding house when I was defending | “That,” said Bartlett, * for the pleasure of hearing you d fend the great Russians! Uncle To- bias told me that if I ever got any- body to pay money for any of m stuff T might wire him. I'm going t fire a hundred words at him tonight. The next afternoon the proprietor of Mr. Glendenning’s left his shop. and under the bewildered eyes of sev- eral of his most loyal patrons, crossed Main street and entered Miss Wil- merding’s. It was nearly 6 o'clock. The last of her tea tipplers had departed, and Mjre Campbell was busily engaged in clear- ing the tables when Mr. Bartlett strode down the aisle. “If you're looking for Jimmie” she remarked quickly. “he’ll be here in a minute to take me up to the Over- tons ! “I'm not looking for Jimmie: I want to see you first,” he said. meeting her eyes steadily. “When Jimmie comes T'm going to tell him I love you and that you're going to marry me very soon, 8o we can make our wedding trip cover the big foot ball games. But, of course, there's no use bothering Jimmie if you don't care for foot ball.” She mervously fingered a spoon on the table, then lifted her eyes that brimmed with tears. “I was unkind to you: I treated you brutally,” she said brokenly. “And you took it all so beautifully, and then “—then—you had to save me that night on the lake—just to make me hate my selt forever for—for teasing you as I aid and—and— Jimmie Campbell, entering the shop at this moment, saw his sister in Fred Bartlett’s arms, and, being a gentleman of tact and breeding he stopped short and turned his back until he was sure |Fred had kissed her. (Copyright, 1921. Printed by arraogement with the Metropolitan Newspaper Service.) Famous Inaugural Balls and Receptions of Past RESIDENT-ELECT HARDING'S decision not {to hold the in- augural ball will provide the fourth precedent in the history of the United States for abandonment of the time-honored custom. Presi- dent Hayes was the first President to enter the White House without par- ticipating in ball festivities. Instead of attending an elaborate function such as his predecessors in office had seen, he was the gueat of honor at a reception at the White House. President Wilson was the second to do away with the inaugural ball, on the occasion of his election to the presidency for the first term. He es- tablished the third precedent when he was re-elected in 1917, Even the al- ternative feature of a reception was eliminated by Mr. Wilson on both oc- casions. Until the first inauguration of Presi- dent Wilson, the series of balls or receptions constituting important phases of the festivities attending the induction into office of the coun- try's leaders had remained unbroken since the second inauguration of George Washingto! When Gen. Washington was first installed as President of the young republic, the Testivities were limited to informal acclamation of the mew government and its head. However, when he was re-elected for a second term, the oc- caslon was celebrated,with a ball ex- Ceedingly elaborate for those days, held in Philadelphia, then the Capital city. This was not an official func- tion, in the strict sense of the phrase, but was an affair sponsored by the Philadelphia Dancing Assembly. The ball was not attended by the general public. Members of the House and Senate, and other officials of the gov- ernment were the principal guests, although a number of invitations were sent to prominent residents of Philadelphia and other cities. The second ball also was held in Philadelphia to celebrate the election of President Adams. The great crowd attending the function could not for- get the fact, however. that while & new President had been sworn in, the nation’s idol, George Washington, was stepping back into private life. Con- sequently, the celebration was some- what dampened. In fact, reports of the affair are inclined to emphasize the occasion as a “farewell.recep- tion” to the retiring hero, rather than as a celebration in honor of his smc- cessor. Washington first became the scene of the inaugural festivities with the election of Madison. The ceremonies culminated in_a ball, the night fol- lowing his induction ‘into office, held in old Long’s Hotel The dances of that period included’ the minuet, Vir- ginia reel and similar movements less gymnastic than the modern “jazz.” The citizen of that day was not entirely without his sense of hilarity, however, even though the jazz had not come into its own. This was proved when President Jackson en- tered the White House in the midst of festivities described by cotempo- rary writers as approximating a “dis- graceful orgy.” This “orgy” is worthy of passing note by one whose knowl edge of bacchanalian revels is con- fined to history. The White House was thrown open to the public and several hours later all were ejected, forcibly and by invitation, after the handsome reception rooms had been turned into scenes of the wildest di: order. The cause of the “disgrace- ful” actions was the barrels of rum and other spirits which were di The White - House has not since been used for public social gather- ings. On his second inaugural cele- bration President Jackson saw to it that the ball was held at some place other than the Executive Mansion. The old Central Masonic Hall was selected for this purpose, and the ateliness and grandeur of the func- tion established a precedent. Martin Van Buren attended two inaugural balls upon his election to office. The first was held in Carusi's salon, on the site of the old Lyceum Theater, at 11th street and Penn- sylvania avenue. The original build- ing later was remodeled into a thea- W tion was staged in the White House. The old National Museum building was l $ win, but such is not the case in work. ests and recently all vestiges of the ancient structure were el to makc way for a new bullding. President Harrison went ins prede- cessor “one better” in the number of balls with which he was honored. The evening festivitien were preceded by a large reception in the Whi House. Inauguration day Weathe first presented itself as a seriays problem_for discussion with the fn- coming Harrison administration. The cold and inclement weather during the inaugural ceremonies and the fol- lowing celebrations resulted in & number of deaths from pneumonia. President Harrison himself died sev- eral weeks after the ceremonies frony the effects of exposure. A military ball, followed by two additional celebrations, accompanied the inauguration of President Polk. The ball for the Pierce regime was not so elaborate. Selection of a suitable place to accommodate the great number of guests desiring to take part in the ball program caused concern for the first time on the otcasion of Bu- chanan’s elevation to-the presidency. The problem finally was met by the erection of a large temporary build- ing in Judiciary Square. A similar structure was erected ‘on the same site when President Lincoln first took office. Lincoin's second inaugu- ral ball was held in_the model room of the patent office building. The mnorth wing of the Treasury building was the site of Grant's first fete, while for his second ball another temporary building was constructed in Judiciary Square. The temporary structure turned out to be an unfor- tunate selection, as the evening of the inaugural ceremonies was bitterly cold and there was a lack of heating facilities. 3 As previously statéd, the ball was not a feature of Presifient Hayes' in- auguration, although a public recep- the scene of the ball in honor of Pres dent Garfield. The election of President Cleveland, the first democratic President since before the civil war, was the occasion of an elaborate ball and reception in the: Pension Office building, where all balls since have been held. The ad- ministrations of Benjamin Harrison, McKinley. Roosevelt and Taft were noteworthy for the successful balls tendered the mew chief executives as they entered on their official duties. At the last function of the kind to be held, that in honor of President Taft, the assemblage was said to be 1the most brilliant ever assembled un- der one roof in Washington. The court of the Pension Office building was thronged with the dancers, who repre- sented all walks of life. Newspapers estimated the value of gems and or- naments worn on this occasion at more than $10,000,000. —— The Losing Spirit. JRISHOP DUBOSE of San Francisco said at a dinner: “In play it may well be that men lose with, a better spirit than they The man who is failing in his work dishlays too often a spirit that is simply infernal. “A visitor to a town that had three |churches asked an elder of one of ilhen;‘ *‘How's your church getting on? |, “ ‘Poorly,” said the elder, in gloomy tones, ‘very poorly.’ “Then he brightened up and added: *‘But the other two aren’t doing ny better.’ - A Double Meaning. DR ALONZO ETHELBERT WAT- kins, the memory expert of Chicago, #ald the other day in an address: “Another way to cultivate the mem- ory is by pictures—by the pictorial method, as we call it. For instance, suppose you want to remember the poet, Bobby Burns. Well, then, you picture to yourself a policeman in flames. Bobby Burns, see? “Doctor, a question!" In'tasnl‘l.,.“:;lt is it?" said the memory expert. o - to know,"™ led the o othat your e Gosm't BrownlngT* —— i 1 yelled a man