V. 
 
 CAu.Kv.K.SiA 
 
 SAN DIEGO
 
 t\
 
 SHE PASSED ON, LEATINQ CCNNINGHAJI DAZED. 
 
 Frontispiece. Page 46.
 
 The Time, The Place 
 And The Girl 
 
 FROM THE PLAY OF 
 WILL M. HOUGH AND FRANK R, ADAMS 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN W. HARDING 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
 GORDON GRANT 
 
 G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
 
 Copyright, 1908, by 
 G. W. DII<I<INGHAM COMPANY
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 She passed on, leaving Cunningham dazed. Frontispiece 46 
 
 ' ' Anyone can see that your brother is funny " . . » 23 
 
 "Holy smoke! W-who are you? " 70 
 
 *' A guy with a chest on him like a snowplovv has been 
 
 handin' me the drink cure again " q6 
 
 "Four dollars!" m 
 
 Johnny saw them coming, and the iron twisted in 
 
 his wound ... 14*^
 
 THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Seated on the porch of the Tellalapec 
 Hotel, named after the isolated health resort 
 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia 
 which the enterprise of its proprietor ren- 
 dered not only possible, but attractive, Tom 
 Cunningham interrogated his companion 
 anxiously. 
 
 "Tell me, on the square, Johnny, was I 
 soused very badly in Washington last night?" 
 
 "Was you soused? Was you not soused! 
 A beautiful rash it was, take it from me. But 
 don't you remember anything?" 
 
 3
 
 4 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Not very distinctly. My head's still 
 thumping so it makes me dizzy. Didn't I 
 meet you at the railroad bar?" 
 
 "Yes, I had just blown in from New York. 
 That was before you bought the dog." 
 
 Cunningham groaned. 
 
 "Did I buy a dog?" 
 
 "You certainly did, and engaged apart- 
 ments for him at that swell hotel near the 
 White House. They're keepin' him there 
 for you by your orders." 
 
 "That settles it. The straight and narrow 
 path and the chalk line from now on. I'm 
 beginning to remember. Wasn't there a row 
 of some sort?" 
 
 "Was there? Oh, Estelle! A bute of a 
 time. You licked your man, though." 
 
 "Did I hit somebody?"
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 5 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "With a wine bottle." 
 
 "Did I hurt him? Was he out of his 
 head?" 
 
 "I don't know, but I bet he wished he was 
 out of his head when you hit it. Everything 
 was fine and dandy except that the poHce 
 had to butt in. Then we blows with about 
 forty cops on our trail. You had told me 
 that you was headed for this place to commit 
 matrimony, so I brought you out of the fry- 
 in' pan into the fire." 
 
 "Johnny, it was awfully good of you. It 
 isn't the first time you've acted the Samaritan 
 for me. I had sworn off and reformed and 
 should have been all right if I hadn't met 
 one of my old college friends. What became 
 of him? How did it all happen? I think 
 I feel strong enough to bear it. Tell me just
 
 6 y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 how dirty my face was, and rub it in good 
 and hard." 
 
 "Well, after I left you at the depot I came 
 across you again at Glad Hand Mike's swell 
 gamblin' emporium. You had a roll so big 
 you'd have to get a ladder to look over it, 
 and you was buyin' wine for a fairy with one 
 of those 'before taking' faces. She had a 
 shape like a drink of water and was crowded 
 into a white satin shroud with beads on it, 
 but you wasn't noticin' details. I saw that 
 you was in for all night with the rattlers, so 
 I looked on to see that nobody tried to sell 
 you the City Hall while you was feelin' so 
 rich. You mixed in on a poker game finally. 
 The ante was two bits and the roof was the 
 limit. They cleaned me in about forty-five 
 minutes, but I wasn't exactly dirty when I
 
 \ 
 \ 
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE % 
 
 ' AND THE GIRL 
 
 blew in. Thursday always was my Jonah 
 day. By this time you was buyin' nothin' 
 but grape, and when you couldn't drink any 
 more you was rubbin' it in your hair. You 
 was keepin' one eye shut so as not to count 
 your money double. You had it up your 
 nose, and most anything would have set you 
 off. Not having any more money I hadn't 
 a thing to do but watch you. You was losin' 
 every bet and I began to wonder if there 
 wasn't somethin' phoney doin'. I don't mind 
 seein' a lot o' money change hands, but I 
 like to see every man get a square deal. I 
 sized up the bunch. Across from you was 
 a nice-lookin' young fellow that I knew 
 wasn't a shark. Anyhow, he was too near 
 spififlicated to cheat — same as you. The 
 other two guys didn't look so good, so I
 
 8 nTHE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIBL 
 
 keeps my lamps trimmed. It was comin' 
 too easy for 'em, so they got reckless. Af- 
 ter the deal I see one of them nod to the 
 other, and on the discard I see his hand drop 
 below the table. I jumps up quick and grabs 
 his arm and yanks it out. Up comes his hand 
 holdin' about seven cards — mostly aces — that 
 he'd pulled from a hold-out under the table. 
 I says. That's the way they're gettin' your 
 money, Tom. The game ain't square.' You 
 reaches over and pinches all the coin in sight, 
 not knowin' just what you was doin'. The 
 3'-oung guy opposite gets riled and says 
 you're a shine sport, and sayin' he can lick 
 you or jmy other man in Washington, he 
 wades in to do it. Just as somebody douses 
 the light you hits him over the head with a 
 bottle and he drops like a shot. Then an
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 9 
 
 AND TEE GIBL 
 
 awful bag of cats is stirred up and we mixes 
 it up general all over the place, everybody 
 takin' a hand. You can guess the answer — 
 us sittin' in the middle of the street listenin' 
 to an owl car comin' up the pike about half 
 a mile away. I dunno how we got there, but 
 maybe we fell out of a window. I didn't 
 know how bad that guy was hurt that you 
 dropped with the bottle, but I thought we'd 
 better leave Washington for a while, and so 
 it was us on the caboose for Virginia. The 
 mountains can't come too high." 
 
 "You're a brick, Johnny, for seeing me 
 through this scrape." 
 
 "Nothing like that." 
 
 "You are, and it's the last I'll ever get into. 
 I'm going to settle down and be a respecta- 
 ble citizen for evermore."
 
 10 Y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Who's goin' to be the other half of this 
 domestic sketch?" 
 
 Cunningham regarded his companion un- 
 easily. 
 
 "That's something I don't care to talk 
 about, Johnny," he said, "but after the de- 
 cent way you've treated me, I suppose I 
 ought to tell you. If it hadn't been for you, 
 if you hadn't brought me here out of trouble, 
 I should have been arrested, the papers would 
 have been full of it, and all possibility of fu- 
 ture happiness would have been ofif. Her 
 name is Margaret Simpson and her father is 
 that old caricature we met on the train." 
 
 "What, that hayseed from New Hamp- 
 shire?" 
 
 "The same."
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 11 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Then that slob beanstalk with him was 
 her brother?" 
 
 "Yes. Margaret, though, is a beautiful 
 girl who is studying at Vassar College. We 
 were brought up together, but drifted apart 
 after a quarrel, and I haven't been any good 
 to myself or anybody else since. I decided 
 that it was about time to quit acting the '^oat 
 and make my peace with her, so I went up 
 to the farm last week expecting to find her 
 there and learned that she was taking a vaca- 
 tion here and that the old man intended to 
 drop in on her and surprise her. That's why 
 I'm here, on a little surprise party of my own. 
 And, by Jove, Hicks, you shall be best man 
 at the wedding as a reward for saving me." 
 
 "What, stand alongside while the parson
 
 12 fEE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 ATW TEE GIBL 
 
 up in the lookout hands you your life sen- 
 tence?" 
 
 "Yes— if you will." 
 
 "Sure I will ! But you want to watch me. 
 When I see the bride standin' there with 
 about eighteen yards of mosquito bar stuff 
 on her lid, I'm apt to make some rotten crack 
 that will queer the whole act." 
 
 "Oh, I guess not. You can behave your- 
 self nobly, when you have to. I wonder 
 whether we can get a ring here?" 
 
 "The ring's the easiest part. What we 
 need is a good referee." 
 
 Cunningham laughed. 
 
 "I think I'll go upstairs and get myself 
 straightened out," he said. It's a good job 
 she has gone ofif on a day-long trip. Do I 
 look as if I'd been in a fight or anything?"
 
 'Y^E TIME, THE PLACE 13 
 
 ' AND THE GIRL 
 
 "No, You're as fresh as this mountain 
 air." 
 
 "Then a good sleep and a cold bath will 
 fix me. I feel better already." 
 
 He repaired to his room while Johnny 
 strolled out to get acquainted with the health 
 resort to which chance had introduced him.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 "Guess I ain't lived nigh onto fifty year to 
 hev them smart porters robbin' me. Ten 
 cents to carry yer grip to the station! 
 Humph !" 
 
 Farmer Jasper Simpson, with ire in his eye, 
 glared at his son Bud. 
 
 "Yessir," acquiesced the latter, twisting his 
 huge hands and shuffling his equally large 
 feet awkwardly. 
 
 Bud, a lank youth of eighteen, who looked 
 as if he had been stretched to his unusual al- 
 titude like a piece of second-hand chewing- 
 gum, was not happy. He had traveled in his 
 holiday clothes, obnoxiously redolent of the 
 moth balls with which they had been em- 
 balmed, all the way from New Hampshire. 
 
 14
 
 TT^^' TIME, THE PLACE 15 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 The clothes had been purchased three years 
 previously and worn since only on unusually 
 important occasions, so that they preserved 
 a distressing newness. This of itself would 
 have placed restraint on his movements, but 
 the fact that he had outgrown the garments 
 rendered them still more uncomfortable. He 
 gazed around the bedroom which was more 
 luxurious than the family best parlor open 
 for use only on Sundays and when such visi- 
 tors as the doctor and the parson called, and 
 wished he was back on the farm. 
 
 "Ye can't take yer eye off yer bag without 
 one o' them fresh porters grabbin' it, and it 
 costs ye as high as five cents to get it back^" 
 grumbled his parent. 'T swan to Guinney 
 everybody here is trying his goll-dingest to 
 gouge money out o' poor travelers. Why, I
 
 16 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE OIBL 
 
 offered one o' them porters a nice red apple 
 to carry them grips to this yere hotel, an' 
 he says, 'Silas, fade away an' git a good 
 flight's rest' Yes, he did, by Harry! And 
 at this yere hotel they wouldn't dicker fer a 
 couple o' cheap rooms near the roof. 'Noth- 
 in' left under five dollars a day,' the clerk said. 
 Bud, do I look as rich as I am?" 
 
 "No, sir," replied Bud huskily and most 
 truthfully. 
 
 "If yer didn't know me, would it occur to 
 ye that I might own the hull of Saskatchewan 
 County?" 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 "Ain't ye proud to be able to sponge yer 
 board off the ole man in a swell place this 
 this?" 
 
 "Yessir."
 
 fHE TIME, TEE PLACE 17 
 
 ** AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Sence ye got the job in the post-office at 
 three a week, ye're gittin' too stuck up to say 
 ye like nuthin'." 
 
 *'Yessir." 
 
 "Looks all-fired stylish here just for a place 
 to climb mountains and git the pure air. I 
 suppose them Vassar girls all spend their va- 
 cations in swell places. Margaret said she 
 couldn't run up home because she had to 
 come here with a sick friend. She'll git a 
 surprise when she sees us." 
 
 "Yessir," assented Bud. 
 
 He added weakly: "Paw, kin I have some 
 money?" 
 
 "Money! ye goll-switched spendthrift! 
 Where's them two silver dollars I gave ye fer 
 last Christmas? Got 'em?" 
 
 "No, sir."
 
 18 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Everybody sez ye won't never amount to 
 nothin' anyway, so I guess I'd better send 
 ye to college. Now look yere. I came down 
 yere to climb mountains because the doctor 
 sez I hev to, an' I won't hev much time to 
 watch ye. Now ye're apt to get all het up 
 here and raise the very old Ned when I'm 
 away. I suppose some o' them city sports 
 yere spends as high as eighty or ninety cents 
 a day, mebbe more. Look at the prices! 
 Why we commenced owin' money to this 
 hotel before we got off the train. What are 
 ye combin' yer hair for?" 
 
 "Wal, you don't need to spruce up 'cause 
 everybody knows how much ye're worth; but 
 it's different with me. Mebbe there's ladies 
 here, too, paw." 
 
 "Now don't let me catch ye keepin* com-
 
 •r^E TIME, TEE PLACE 19 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 pany with one o' the fast sassiety wimmin 
 yere — an' don't read them blood and thun- 
 der stories in the back of the Poultry Maga- 
 zine." 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 "Here's a new quarter. Two weeks from 
 Monday I'm goin' to ask ye if ye've still got 
 it. Let's go down and see if Margaret's got 
 back yet." 
 
 In the lobby of the hotel a bevy of pretty 
 and fashionably dressed young women was 
 filling the place with chatter and merry 
 laughter. Bud ambling by came to a sudden 
 stop and grabbed his parent's arm. 
 
 "Paw, there's Maggie," he said. 
 
 The next moment Farmer Simpson had 
 pushed among the young women and was
 
 20 "TTHE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 hugging one of them before she had had a 
 chance to reahze what had happened. 
 
 "I swan if it ain't been a year since I seen 
 ye, gal," he cried, his face beaming with de- 
 light. 
 
 He held her from him at arm's length 
 in order that he might gaze at her the better. 
 Then he clasped her to him with another 
 bear-like hug. 
 
 "Pa !" she gasped, struggling from his em- 
 brace, and regarding him with mingled 
 amazement and consternation. "You forget 
 there are strangers here and that I'm not a 
 child any longer." 
 
 "I can't forgit it as long as ye keep send- 
 in' them big bills to me. I'd be in the poor- 
 house now if I didn't own all Saskatchewan 
 County, an' all"
 
 nTHE TIME, THE PLACE 21 
 
 * AND THE QIBL 
 
 "Whatever brought you here?" she de- 
 manded hastily, heading him off, a flush ris- 
 ing to her pretty face as she was conscious 
 that her companions were tittering and con- 
 templating her parent with amused surprise. 
 This awkward looking countryman was not 
 precisely the idea they had formed of smart 
 Margaret Simpson's father when she had 
 spoken of her parent at Vassar. 
 
 "Didn't expect ter see me, eh?" he an- 
 swered. "The doctor said I needed moun- 
 tain climbin' to brace me up, 'cause I've been 
 off color some, and I thought I'd come yere 
 where you was, fer I was dyin' fer a sight of 
 ye, Maggie. I brought yer brother along. 
 Come yere, Bud !" 
 
 Bud, too ! This was the climax of the ca- 
 tastrophe. Mortification struggled with love
 
 22 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 * AND THE GIRL 
 
 for her father, beaming tenderly upon her. 
 There was no help for it She decided that 
 it would be cowardly to show shame of her 
 own father and brother, so she submitted to 
 Bud's bashful greeting and returned it with 
 a hearty kiss. Then turning to her com- 
 panions without a trace of embarrassment, 
 she said: 
 
 "Girls, let me present my father and 
 brother. Pa, these young ladies came as my 
 guests, but since you have treated me to this 
 pleasant surprise we will all be your guests." 
 
 *T ain't so all-fired sure I'm pleased to meet 
 'em," thought the farmer, but he tried to look 
 pleasant as he repHed: 
 
 "Um, ah, yes — I suppose so." 
 
 "I presume you have been here before?"
 
 '■ANYONE CAN SEE THAT TOUR BROTHER IS FUNNT. 
 
 Page 23.
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 23 
 
 '' AND THE GIRL 
 
 inquired one of the girls, trying to engage the 
 bashful Bud in conversation.'*' 
 
 "N — no, sir," stammered that youth. 
 
 "Farming must be so interesting. Tell me, 
 Mr, Simpson, is there much money in raising 
 poultry ?" 
 
 "It cost the old man as much as fifteen or 
 twenty bones to raise me," he blurted. 
 
 "Ada," said Margaret, "my brother passes 
 as a humorist in Saskatchewan County." 
 
 "I can quite believe it," answered the girl. 
 "Anyone can see that your brother is funny." 
 
 Margaret joined in the laugh which fol- 
 lowed this sally, but her laughter was forced. 
 
 "Say, Maggie," exclaimed her father, "we 
 came down in the same train with Tom Cun- 
 ningham, that young fellow that used to hang 
 around ye."
 
 24 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 Dismay even more profound than that 
 which the unexpected appearance of her 
 father had caused, filled Margaret's heart. 
 
 "Tom Cunningham here ! I don't want to 
 meet him — I can't meet him," she exclaimed. 
 
 "That sounds interesting," commented one 
 of the girls. 
 
 "Mr. Cunningham used to be a — a very- 
 close friend of mine when we were little/' 
 Margaret explained. "But we quarreled and 
 I haven't seen him for some time. He — he's 
 a trifle dissipated. He isn't our kind of a 
 man. His ideas are utterly impossible. All 
 he has ever done to attract notice has been to 
 spend his father's money extravagantly." 
 
 "Gee! I wisht paw'd give me a chanst to 
 attract notice that way," commented Bud in 
 an undertone to Ada. "He could give me
 
 fHE TIME, THE PLACE 25 
 
 * AND TEE QIRL 
 
 wads of it and never miss it. Say, Maggie/' 
 he went on, addressing his sister, "I heard 
 last week that Tom was married." 
 
 Margaret went pale. 
 
 "Married!" 
 
 "Well, I heard he used to be. He an' a girl 
 got hitched when he was at college. Lemme 
 see, mebbe it was Tom's chum. No, it was 
 Tom. Then his paw wouldn't give him no 
 money, so he quit the gal and got divorced." 
 
 "He had an awful queer man with him on 
 the train," said her father. "Talked kind o' 
 fresh, but he couldn't honswoggle me. I was 
 just tellin' Bud how he mustn't be no sas- 
 siety sport down here and spend all his allow- 
 ance, when this fresh young feller leaned 
 over an' sez, 'On the grave, old man, ye're 
 an awful scream. Keep it up.' "
 
 26 TTFJg? TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 The girls exchanged glances and tittered. 
 Margaret was torn with anger and humilia- 
 tion, and the passing of a guide with a num- 
 ber of the hotel guests furnished a pretext 
 for a diversion which she seized upon with 
 ready presence of mind. 
 
 "Oh, let's go and see the sights," she cried 
 gushingly. 
 
 The proposition was acted upon with alac- 
 rity by the whole party, and they trooped 
 after the guide. 
 
 "Paw, there's the man what was with Tom 
 Cunningham, and who he called Johnny," 
 said Bud, indicating that individual who was 
 walking in the group of tourists already with 
 the guide. 
 
 "That's him sure enough," replied his par- 
 ent. "Goll-ding him."
 
 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 27 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 The cicerone led the way solemnly up the 
 hill path to a marble shaft. 
 
 "The next point of interest, ladies and 
 gents/' he said, striking a pose and illustrat- 
 ing his harangue with profuse gesture, "is 
 marked by this monumental structure, the 
 historic scene of a narrowly averted tragedy. 
 Half way up the mountain-side, surrounded 
 by the manyfold bee-uties of Noitcher where 
 to this day the hand of man has not dese- 
 crated the sylvan bee-uty of the wilderness, 
 stands this marble shaft, e-rected by a great 
 philanthropist, marking the historic spot 
 where Captain John Smith — famed in song 
 and story as the founder of Jamestown — was 
 miraculously saved from a horrible death by 
 the bee-utiful Indian maidfen Pocahontas. On 
 one of his tours of exploration, as you prob-
 
 28 yF^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 ably know, Captain John Smith was captured 
 by hostile Redskins. His immediate death 
 and execution was then and there decided 
 upon without delay and the gre-usome de- 
 tails were arranged. Imagine, sir and ma'am, 
 the drammer which was enacted on this very 
 spot, long before the erie of civilization All 
 around this bee-utiful sylvan dell where this 
 awful massacree was about to be perpetuated 
 in cold blood, on a innocent, defenseless and 
 versatile man, was savages. Not one hun- 
 dred, not two hundred, not three hundred, 
 not five hundred, but thousands of savages, 
 clad in war paint, nude, naked and unclothed. 
 Here stood John Smith, his spirit undaunted 
 to the last, a smile of derision on his lips, 
 facing his cruel captors. The block is pree- 
 pared, the executioner stands ready. At this
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 29 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 moment, came an illustration of that ready- 
 wit for which John Smith was justly famed 
 throughout the colonies. Pocahontas 
 stepped to his side and whispered, 'Keep cool, 
 John,' whereupon Captain Smith answered — • 
 not without humor — 'How can I keep cool if 
 I lose my head?' Even the old chief was 
 forced to smile at this bum mot, but the de- 
 cree was inexorable. By a ree-markable co- 
 incidence, when the axe was raised and the 
 dread signal given, with a low cry of anguish, 
 Pocahontas, the young, beautiful and popular 
 daughter of the chief, breaks through the 
 ranks of warriors and throws herself on the 
 palpitating bosom of the fearless John Smith, 
 crying, 'Father, save him!' The chief waj 
 so moved that John Smith's life was spared 
 and his marriage to Pocahontas was immedi-
 
 30 J'JI^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 ately celebrated, and a joyous time was had." 
 Silence followed this account of the ro- 
 mantic episode which various rival resorts 
 also claimed as their own stock-in-trade with 
 a marble shaft, as evidence of good faith, to 
 mark the spot of its occurrence. Johnny had 
 listened gloomily to the guide's recital. 
 
 "Keep it up, old man," he said. "It's as 
 funny as a piece of crepe. Cop it out for the 
 undertaker's magazine. On the grave, take 
 it from me, you ought to be sellin' life insur- 
 ance. You'd be an awful hit as one of them 
 don't-have-to-die-to-win boys." 
 
 "What do you mean, sir?" demanded the 
 guide Indignantly. 
 
 "Aw, g'wan," returned Johnny, pushing 
 him aside and facing the company. "Youse 
 has given it all balled up. Ladies and gents
 
 nrSE TIME, THE PLACE 31 
 
 AND THE QIRL 
 
 I got it from John Smith hisself. Sure thing, 
 Want to hear it?" 
 
 The guide protested vigorously, but the 
 tourists entering into the spirit of the joke 
 cheered him down. 
 
 "Well, as I was sayin','' went on the little 
 man solemnly, "one day John comes hikin' up 
 the mountain to put his lamps on this monu- 
 ment and get stood up at the hotel here for 
 five bones a day. As he leaves the choo-choo 
 and comes footin' along, John begins to whis- 
 tle 'Hiawatha' — that was a new one in those 
 early days. As soon as he hits this place, 
 about eight million Indians jumps on him an' 
 almost hammers the hfe out o' him. Finally 
 they stands him up groggy and sez, 'What's 
 yer name ?' He answers, 'John Smith.' *Naw,' 
 sez the Indians, 'don't try to pull '^othin' like
 
 32 TTHiS; TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 that; what's yer real name?' John tells them 
 again an' they was just goin' to beat him to 
 a whisper when some Indian sez, 'Hold on, 
 Where's the chief?' 'The chief's out pinchin' 
 a gamblin' joint/ sez another guy. Finally 
 the chief blows in and sez, Tut her there, 
 John. What are they handin' it to ye fer?' 
 Then a big Indian, Sittin' Bull, his name was, 
 sez, 'Chief, we caught him whistlin' it.' Sez 
 the chief, Then let's torture him; where's the 
 safety razor — an' while yer gettin' it, give 
 him "Navajo" by the Indian quartette.' When 
 they was all ready to hand it to him with the 
 safety razor, Pocahontas comes rushin' out 
 an' says, 'Father, don't cut his block off.' 
 John takes one look an' as soon as he pipes 
 her face he sez, 'Go on wid de execution.' 
 Then the chief sez, 'Why do you want to save
 
 'TSE TIME, TEE PLACE 33 
 
 * AND TEE GIBL 
 
 him?' An' Pocahontas sez, 'Because I only 
 need to save nine more to get an oil stove,' " 
 
 While his hearers cheered and laughed 
 Johnny passed the hat. Then he turned the 
 collection over to the astonished guide and 
 strolled back towards the hotel. 
 
 As he descended from a narrow bush-lined 
 path onto the hotel plateau he almost fell 
 over a barrel organ on which its Italian owner 
 was leaning in disconsolate perplexity. The 
 man started violently at Johnny's abrupt ap- 
 parition, but immediately his lips parted in 
 a genial smile, disclosing a set of white even 
 teeth. 
 
 "I losta da monk," he said. "I fought you 
 ees him. You no see him?" 
 
 "Lost your monkey?" replied Hiclcs. "I 
 wonder if I won't do as a substitute? T Just
 
 34 yF^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 made a monkey out of myself. This swell 
 dame coming along looks like she'd lost 
 something, too." 
 
 "The monk he ma besta frien' — ver/ booti- 
 ful," said the musician. 
 
 The lady alluded to by Johnny, a hand- 
 some, buxom person, came towards them 
 excitedly. 
 
 "My own orphan Willie is lost," she cried 
 breathlessly. "Have you seen him? I'm his 
 mother, Mrs. Talcot." 
 
 "No," answered Hicks. "The dago was 
 just saying he was lost." 
 
 "He run away, I t'ink," said the Italian. 
 
 "I don't believe he'd leave his ownest 
 mother," she declared. 
 
 "Leave his mother!" exclaimed Johnny. 
 "Great Scott! is she its mother?"
 
 •rSE TIME, THE PLACE 35 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Yes — I know I don't look very old, but 
 I'm his mother. If I could only hold him in 
 my arms again and kiss his tears all away." 
 
 "What did he look like?" 
 
 "He had blue eyes and long golden hair." 
 
 "He hada da long tail," put in the organ 
 grinder. 
 
 "And the dearest little nose," added Mrs. 
 Talcot, ignoring the interruption. 
 
 "This is getting exciting," commented 
 Johnny. "Where did you see him last?" 
 
 "Yas, yas, he was on da balcony, hangin' by 
 hees feet," affirmed the Italian. 
 
 "Hanging by his feet! What, my Willie?" 
 
 "No, da poor leetla monk. He broka ma 
 heart. No gotta da monk, no makka da 
 men."
 
 36 ya^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 Mrs. Talcot, utterly bewildered, gazed at 
 Johnny for the explanation. 
 
 "He's lost his monkey," he told her. 
 "Oh, I see. Poor fellow. He needs the 
 creature in his business, I suppose, being art 
 ambulant — er — musician." 
 
 "Museecian, si signora, museecian," said 
 the organ grinder greatly flattered. "Ah, da 
 museek of ma contree — Verdi, Rossini, 
 Paganini." 
 
 "Fancy an organ grinder knowing about 
 all those great composers!" 
 
 "In ma contree I play in da opera — some- 
 time — long time ago. But ma voice — all 
 gone." 
 
 He gave a deprecating shrug of his shoul- 
 ders and smiled at her. 
 "The opera?" said the woman eagerly.
 
 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 37 
 
 '* AND TEE GIBL 
 
 "That is where I long to be." 
 
 "You haf been on da stage?" 
 
 "No, my lamented husband would not let 
 me, but I long for art. Oh, I just dote on 
 it!" 
 
 "You haf da beautee, da figure — ah lady, 
 you mooch lika ma leetla sweetheart Lucia. 
 She die in Eetaly. Da hair, black lika da 
 night; da eyes, bright lika da stars on a night 
 when dere ees only two; da cheeks red lika 
 da rose dat ees die away. I love her. But 
 one day she ees sick. She senda for me. She 
 say she getta well eef I come. So I come, 
 leava da opera, go to her home by Napoli. 
 She dead. Me dead too. I can neva sing 
 any more. But you — you haf breeng me 
 back to her again." 
 
 "How interesting! How perfectly roman-
 
 38 y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 tic ! I, too, shall sing at the opera some day. 
 I have sung in public, though not on the 
 operatic stage. The last time I sang the 
 critics simply couldn't say enough about me. 
 Let's see. Oh, yes — they said I had a voice 
 like a lark in the morning." 
 
 "You mean Hke the morning after the 
 lark," suggested Johnny. 
 
 "Well, it may have been that," she an- 
 swered giddily. 
 
 " 'Spose you expect to make big money at 
 it; otherwise you wouldn't work? Wasn't 
 your husband well off when he died?" 
 
 "So all the neighbors said. Of course I'll 
 have to begin at the bottom. I'll get about 
 fifty dollars to start. Later, I won't sing for 
 less than five hundred a week." 
 
 "Gee ! you've got a high voice, lady."
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 39 
 
 •■ AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Do you like 'Siegfried?' " 
 
 "I never ate any. Whoa, steady ! What's 
 this? Is this thing one of 'em?" 
 
 He indicated an infant phenomenon about 
 six feet high, with bare legs, and Buster 
 Brown suit and hair, who came skipping 
 along the path. 
 
 The widow uttered a little scream. 
 
 "My Willie ! Where has mama's pet been? 
 Come here to muvver." 
 
 "You mean to say this is little Willie?" de- 
 manded Johnny staggered. 
 
 "Yes, my long lost son." 
 
 "Long lost son? If he'd been any longer 
 when you found him he'd never be able to 
 get into the house again." 
 
 "He's going to look just like his father too, 
 when he grows up."
 
 40 •THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "When he grows up? Was his father a 
 giraffe?" 
 
 "Does 'um want muvver to rock her Httle 
 boysey to sleep," she said, fondling the phe- 
 nomenon. 
 
 "Rock him to sleep with rocks," grunted 
 Johnny disgustedly to himself. 
 
 "Don't 'oo want to go seepy?" 
 
 "N-n-n-n-no !" replied the infant peev- 
 ishly. 
 
 "What does 'um want, then?" 
 
 "I w-w-want a d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d — " 
 
 "Don't weaken!" admonished Johnny. 
 
 "I w-w-w-w-want a d-d-d-d-d-d — doll." 
 
 "Gee!" exclaimed Johnny relieved, "it's 
 lucky he didn't want a dollar or he'd never 
 have said it."
 
 fHE TIME, TEE PLACE 41 
 
 ** AND TEE GIBL 
 
 The mother regarded the phenomenon 
 proudly. 
 
 "He uses big words for a boy of his age," 
 she said. 
 
 "They ain't so big when he gets through 
 cutting 'em up," commented Johnny. "He 
 speaks broken English." 
 
 "He has a slight impediment in his 
 speech." 
 
 "Why don't you send him to one of them 
 schools for stammerin'?" 
 
 "I don't know of any good ones — do you?" 
 
 "I have a friend who went to one in Michi- 
 gan. Before he attended the school he was 
 the worst stammerer in town. He stayed 
 there two months and now he is the best 
 stammerer." 
 
 "I should be afraid to send him away to
 
 42 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 school. The bigger boys would bully him so. 
 Then I'd be afraid he'd get to smoking horrid 
 cigarettes and stunt his growth." 
 
 "Ah, but lady," interjected the Italian, 
 "you musta sen' heem to da school. You 
 free. You should hava somet'ing done tQ 
 your voice." 
 
 "T-hat's w-what m-m-my p-papa said," ob- 
 served Willie. "H-h-he s-s-said m-mama's 
 v-voice n-needed c-c-cleaning." 
 
 "Tell me, Httle man," inquired Johnny, 
 looking up at him, "what do you expect to be 
 when you grow up?" 
 
 "I — I'm g-going to b-b-b-be a j-j-j-jo — 
 jockey." 
 
 Maybe you'll be president of a bank if you 
 keep on growing." 
 
 "D-d-don't want to be president of a
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 •* AND THE GIRL 
 
 43 
 
 bank," protested the child irritably. "W-want 
 to be a j-j-jockey." 
 
 "Oh, very well," assented his mother in 
 soothing tones. "Now say good bye." 
 
 "G-g-g-ood b-b-bye/' 
 
 "Good bye Httle one," returned Johnny. 
 "G-g-good b-b-bye." 
 
 He checked himself with assumed alarm 
 as the infant and his mother turned to go. 
 
 "Gee !" he said. "Sand the track, Hicksey, 
 you're slippin'. They've got you stutterin', 
 too."
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Tom Cunningham, coming around a cor- 
 ner of the piazza with Johnny, found himself 
 face to face with Miss Simpson. Both were 
 startled at the sudden rencontre. Margaret 
 affected not to see him, but he raised his hat 
 and held out his hand as he said with hearty 
 cordiality : 
 
 "Why, Margaret, you here? Well, this 
 is a delightful surprise. Permit me to intro- 
 duce Mr. John Hicks." 
 
 Margaret reddened and bowed coldly, 
 ignoring Cunningham's outstretched hand. 
 
 Johnny discreetly dropped back. 
 
 "Margaret," said Cunningham, "you're 
 not angry with me now? It was all my fault. 
 
 44
 
 •THE TIME, THE PLACE 45 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 I'm sorry. Please forget it. You know me 
 too well to think I would sulk all this time." 
 
 "That's just it," she retorted. "I know 
 you too well. Why should you sulk when 
 you don't care? Why" 
 
 "I do care — a great deal." 
 
 She laughed nervously. 
 
 "You do not care/' she repeated. "You 
 have only one aim in life, and that is to amuse 
 yourself. You have no ambition — no aspira- 
 tions to do anything worthy of a man. In- 
 stead of taking advantage of your position 
 to achieve something, instead of putting your 
 talents to good use, you are going the pace 
 and associating with worthless companions. 
 You thought I didn't know, but you see I do. 
 I have done with you. I wouldn't have talked 
 with you now had you not had the advantage
 
 46 yjJE TIME, THE PLAGE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 of knowing me all these years. I hope I can 
 trust you not to take advantage of this friend- 
 ship in the future." 
 
 "Margaret, you are hard on me," said Cun- 
 ningham gravely. "I may stand in need of 
 forgiveness, but I hardly think I deserve such 
 bitter reproach. Are you sure you mean all 
 this? It isn't because you are angry at some- 
 thing else, just at this moment?" 
 
 "I beg you will not try to treat me as a 
 child," she returned stiffly. 
 
 "I am not trying to do that, Margaret." 
 "We will not discuss it, if you please." 
 She passed on and into the hotel, leaving 
 Cunningham dazed. Johnny rejoined him. 
 
 " 'You are goln' the pace and associatin' 
 with worthless companions' — meaning me," 
 chirped Johnny. "Say, but ain't you the
 
 'TSE TIME, THE PLACE 47 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 comic lover ! Don't move, old man, you ain't 
 alive when she's around; you're only painted 
 on the back drop." 
 
 "It's funny, I suppose," commented Cun- 
 ningham bitterly. 
 
 "It's awfully funny — keep it up. I guess 
 you're the big squeal with her all right, all 
 right. When she sees you comin' to call I 
 guess they light all the gas in the house and 
 hang out the flag." 
 
 "Did she hit me? I don't remember much 
 about it after she got started. My head's 
 still thumping." 
 
 "Say, there was nothing to it after she be- 
 gan to wade in and throw you around a little. 
 Honest, she got to bettin' with herself 
 whether you'd light on your feet every time 
 you hit the mat.' 
 
 »
 
 48 y£f^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE QIBL 
 
 "Did I come back at her at all before she 
 left?" 
 
 "All you done when the fireworks quit was 
 stand there like a Harlem goat afraid to move 
 your feet for fear she'd notice you was still 
 alive." 
 
 "Well, it certainly looks as if I was up 
 against it. Of course I knew she had picked 
 up some new-fangled ideas at college, but I 
 thought her father would talk them out of 
 her. Honestly, Johnny, I think she used to 
 like me." 
 
 "Don't weaken, old man. Your work was 
 pretty much to the sand paper, but what you 
 want to do is frame up something so you 
 won't land with your face in the gravel next 
 time. All you need is a few lessons in how to 
 handle them boardin' school games. Take
 
 'rSE TIME, THE PLACE 49 
 
 '■ AND THE QIBL 
 
 it from me, she's got phoney ideas from train- 
 in' with high school cadets. What she needs 
 is rough treatment. Bark at her and make 
 her think you'll spank her if she don't breath 
 reg'lar, and you've got her buffalooed. When 
 she seen you was doin' the gentleman act she 
 sez to herself 'Here's where I make him jump 
 through the hoop when I crack the whip.' 
 And from then on you was a zero with the 
 rim torn off. Take it from me — when you 
 want to cop out a pompadour Hke her, don't 
 give her none of this first-class language like 
 she pulled on you; don't take her in yer arms 
 and whisper Brownin' poems in her ear. 
 That may be the boardin' school dream of 
 Paradise, but it ain't the game for a welter- 
 weight that's entitled to vote. If you treat 
 *em the way you read about in dollar an' a
 
 50 Y"^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 half novels, pretty soon some other guy will 
 pull the handle and let you go through the 
 chute. You got to make her a little scared 
 of you and she'll be nice people. Keep her 
 guessin'. I've heard lots of married guys say^ 
 that if you want a steady imitation of the 
 Home, Sweet Home game, you've got to lay 
 for the missus with a ball bat every time she 
 lays back her ears. Call her down even if you 
 have to use brass knuckles, and she won't try 
 no funny work. Girls may go dotty over 
 those soft cigarette children fer a little while, 
 but the real one that can lead 'em without 
 using a block and tackle is the guy that 
 don't let 'em sew any buttons on him. Any 
 time one of them hand-laundry fairies tries 
 to get new with me, I says, *Sister, I'm the 
 big squeal that does all the loud talkin'.
 
 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 51 
 
 ' AND THE GIRL 
 
 You're the fall guy in the hands of friends, 
 an' if you stick to that there won't be no 
 cracked ice in the chairs when you call." 
 
 "That sounds all right if you can live up to 
 it, but I don't see how I can avoid quarreling 
 if the girl has spirit." 
 
 "The game is not to scrap with the shirt 
 waist. If you've got her buffalooed all right, 
 you don't have to. If you will fight, pick out 
 her old man and I guess he'll meet you 
 more'n half way. I was callin' on a girl like 
 that once and she was sittin' easy like in my 
 lap, when all at once I hears a phoney noise. 
 I sez, 'Suppose yer old man comes in and 
 catches us like this?' She sez, 'Don't worry. 
 He won't come in here. He's waitin' for 
 you outside with a couple of croquet mallets 
 because he don't want to spoil the parlor.' "
 
 62 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Well," commented Cunningham with a 
 laugh, "I guess I won't have any trouble like 
 that, because the old man in this case seems 
 to be on my side. Maybe I'll take your ad- 
 vice though, about treating her as if I were 
 the boss." 
 
 "Take it from me — it's a pipe if you do it 
 right and cut out the nursery talk. You'll 
 win comin' in sideways." 
 
 "One thing is settled, though. No matter 
 whether I win her or not, no more of the 
 fizzy water for mine. I want to make her 
 think I'm a man — I know what her opinion 
 is now. I've never had any real reason to be 
 one before, but here's where I start." 
 
 "Gee ! here comes one of the fellows who 
 was chummy with you last night at Glad
 
 Y'HE TIME, TEE PLACE 53 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 Hand Mike's, that rusty dipper they call 
 Laurie. Say, on the grave, that guy must be 
 hollow inside. His batting percentage leads 
 the league by about eight nights a week. He 
 discovered alcohol was food long before the 
 scientists got on to it." 
 
 "Why, that's Laurie Farnum — he's the col- 
 lege chum I was talking about." 
 
 A tall good looking individual, but thin 
 and shaky, came out of the hotel. He walked 
 with a slight stoop. His eyes were sunken 
 and restless and victim of dissipation was 
 stamped on every line of his countenance. 
 He manifested languid surprise at sight of 
 Cunningham. 
 
 "Hullo," he drawled, "you a sufferer, too? 
 Suppose you headed for here to get boiled out
 
 54 y^JS; TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRt 
 
 after last night ? This is the sanitarium I told 
 you I was bound for. A friend of mine, 
 who is a physician, recommended it to me." 
 
 "I didn't know there was a sanitarium here- 
 abouts." 
 
 "Oh, yes, the sanitarium's attached to the 
 hotel, or is supposed to be. Say, tell me 
 what happened last night at Glad Hand 
 Mike's. What did I do? I remember there 
 was a fight with somebody. It's in the papers 
 this morning. A fellow got all beaten up. His 
 uncle is District Attorney or somethins: and 
 the police are out on the trail of somebody 
 that was in the scrap." 
 
 "Don't think it'd be healthy up here very 
 long," put in Johnny. 
 
 Cunningham winced.
 
 'T'SE TIME, TEE PLACE 55 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Oh, Farnum, this is Mr. Hicks," he said, 
 introducing the latter. 
 
 "I remember, vaguely, seeing you at 
 Mike's last night," said Farnum. "Tell me 
 what I did. Was I in the fight?" 
 
 "The last thing I noticed was when you did 
 a Steve Brodie out of your chair, and got 
 dreamy in a box of sawdust," Johnny told 
 him. 
 
 "Glad I'm not the man that licked the 
 nephew of the District Attorney, anyhow. 
 He'll get sent up for a month, sure. By the 
 way, Tom, your friend Margaret Simpson 
 is here. I'd never met her before but I've 
 lost my heart already. Have you seen her?" 
 
 "Yes; I came down here to ask her to 
 marry me." 
 
 Farnum regarded him with surprise.
 
 56 yFi7 TIME, TEE PLAGE 
 
 AND THE QIBL 
 
 "Marry her! Great Scott! is it as serious 
 as that? Well, I might have known I 
 wouldn't be the only one." 
 
 "You don't mean to say that you've fallen 
 in love with Margaret Simpson?" 
 
 "I do as nearly as I could come to lovin_g 
 anybody. Seriously, old man, she's got me 
 going already. I've decided I can't live with- 
 out her." 
 
 "Neither can I." 
 
 "Why not? You've got plenty of money. 
 The reason I can't live without her is that I'm 
 flat broke and her old man's got millions." 
 
 A flush of indignation reddened Cunning- 
 ham's face, but he said very quietly: 
 
 "Laurie, I think too much of her to talk 
 the way you do, and if you were anybody 
 else but Laurie Farnum I'd resent it. But I
 
 TPHi7 TIME, TEE PLACE 57 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 know you couldn't be serious about anything. 
 You'll always be the same flippant, dreaming 
 sort of cuss, making love because you haven't 
 anything else to do, and playing the roman- 
 tic, reckless devil that all the ladies pity be- 
 cause none but women can understand you." 
 
 "Then we aren't pals any more, but rivals 
 for the same girl, is that it? All right, but 
 recollect, we split only in the case of the girl." 
 
 He held out his hand and Cunningham 
 smilingly took it. 
 
 Johnny stepped between them. 
 
 "Take your corners," he exclaimed. "The 
 rules calls fer no hittin' in the breakaways, 
 an' the guy that lands the lucky punch brings 
 home the money." 
 
 "You mean the lady," laughed Cunning- 
 ham.
 
 58 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Same thing," exclaimed Farnum. 
 
 Cunningham became interested in some- 
 thing else. 
 
 "Who are those girls over there ? What a 
 fascinating bunch," he said. 
 
 "They are college friends of Margaret 
 Simpson's, I was told," replied Farnum. 
 
 "Isn't that tall one a stunner !" commented 
 Johnny, indicating the girl Miss Simpson had 
 addressed as Ada. "See me show you how 
 to break fairies to harness without usin' noth- 
 in' but kindness." 
 
 "Remember the advice you gave me on 
 handHng girls — 'Call her down even if you 
 have to swing on her, and she won't try no 
 funny business,' laughed Cunningham. "I 
 want to see how it works with you." 
 
 "You guys watch me get away with it.
 
 'rSE TIME, TEE PLACE 59 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 First, I pulls an old story on 'em that always 
 gets an awful scream. They can't help but 
 holler. First they gets curious, then comes 
 closer, and after I pull the scream I'll have 
 'em all eatin' out of my hand. I guess that's 
 a swell bunch of rags. I suppose all their 
 fathers are black with money." 
 
 He strolled over to Margaret's friends who 
 had formed a rocking-chair brigade under a 
 couple of huge maple trees. 
 
 "I say, girls," he said airily. "Would you 
 like to sit in if grandfather bought a few 
 bottles of funny juice?" 
 
 They stopped talking and contemplated 
 him with a cold stare of surprise. 
 
 "Let's all play bean tag," he invited, with 
 an amiable grin. 
 
 No response was vouchsafed and four pair.s
 
 60 'TEE TIME, TEE: PLAGE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 of eyes became interested in distant features 
 of the landscape. 
 
 "Guess they didn't hear me. Maybe the 
 wires are down," he thought. "I hate to do 
 it, but I got to pull that funny story. If they 
 laugh they're as good as clipped, filed and 
 pasted in my scrap-book." Aloud he said, 
 with his most engaging manner: 
 
 "I heard a funny story the other day from 
 a drummer traveling out of Kansas City. It 
 was about a school teacher that was teaching 
 a class in addition. There was a lot of tougH 
 kids in the class and she had 'em up in a line 
 on the fan asking 'em a lot of fool questions 
 about, 'If John has eight marbles and James 
 ten, how many have they both got ?' One of 
 the bunch, Tommy, couldn't get it through 
 his coco, so she gave him something simple.
 
 J^HE TIME, THE PLACE 61 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 She said, 'Suppose there are four eggs here. 
 Now is there anybody in the class who can 
 tell me how many there will be if I lay three 
 more on the table?' Tommy couldn't an- 
 swer. Finally the next kid in line nudged him 
 and whispered, *Go on Tommy, take her up. 
 I don't believe she can do it.' " 
 
 Not even the recognition of a smile was 
 vouchsafed, and the girls resumed conversa- 
 tion among themselves. 
 
 "Isn't it strange," observed Ada, "how still 
 the air is up here in the mountains? You 
 w^ouldn't know there was a human being with- 
 in miles." 
 
 Johnny, looking sheepish, walked ofif in 
 the direction opposite to the piazza where 
 Cunningham and Farnum were watching him 
 without appearing to do so.
 
 62 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "Gee!" he soliloquized, "I landed with my 
 face in the gravel. Not a wrinkle. Maybe 
 they'll feel sorry when they see me here form- 
 in' tableaux by myself. That crowd makes 
 me feel like ten cents worth of radium on a 
 coal scales. I was scratched before I got out 
 of the barn. The way they looked at me 
 would fade flowers. I ain't stuck on college 
 girls, anyhow. Guess I'll goo goo at that 
 pretty nurse who smiled at me this after- 
 noon."
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 Tellalapec is justly famous for its natural 
 attractions, but it is safe to say that none of 
 its charms renders it more popular than do — 
 or rather did — those of Mollie Kelly — that is 
 to say, with the men. Mollie was head nurse 
 of the sanitarium attached to the hotel. She 
 was a blonde with cheeks like a blush rose 
 wet with dew, and eyes of blue that ever 
 scintillated with good humor. 
 
 Farmer Jasper Simpson, drawn by curios- 
 ity to the sanitarium building which was 
 some distance from the hotel, paused at the 
 door to take a pull at a flask he had extracted 
 from a rear pocket, and was surprised in the 
 act by Mollie. 
 
 63
 
 64 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE QIBL 
 
 "What's that you're taking?" she de- 
 manded. 
 
 "That there," explained Jasper, "is the 
 finest hoss linniment in the country. The 
 veterinary gave it to me for our gray mare, 
 but she died before it was all used up, and I 
 brought it along so as not to waste it. It's 
 the greatest cure for spavin I ever used." 
 
 The merry laugh that greeted this brought 
 a pleased grin to the farmer's face. 
 
 "Well, is there anything I can do for you ?" 
 she inquired. "I suppose you blew in on the 
 last train?" 
 
 "Yep, I blew in as much as two dollars an' 
 a quarter. Say, do they take in boarders 
 here, too?" 
 
 "Everybody gets taken in here. It'll cost 
 you from five dollars a day up — extra."
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 65 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 'That's too dum'd high." 
 
 "It has to come high. Remember this is 
 a tall mountain." 
 
 "Say, are ye takin' care of all them men?" 
 
 "Yep. I've got lots of patients." 
 
 "You need it. Could you take care of 
 me?" 
 
 She looked him over. 
 
 "That depends on what kind of style you're 
 used to living in," she replied. 
 
 "I mean, kin you take care o' me like you 
 are o' them fellers?" 
 
 "Sure, Mike — in a minute. What do you 
 want to be treated for?" 
 
 "Because you're the nurse," he said slyly, 
 winking at her and edging closer. 
 
 "I mean, what disease do you want to be 
 treated for?"
 
 66 yS^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "I want somethin' for my heart." 
 
 "The doctors will give you ten dollars for it 
 after you're through using it." 
 
 "But I ain't goin' to git through with it fer 
 a long time. How long before them fellers 
 will git well?" 
 
 "Oh, not less than six months. I've only 
 had one patient who got well in less time than 
 that." 
 
 "What was the matter with him ?" 
 
 "He was bhnd." 
 
 "By Harry ! I think I'll let ye gimme some 
 o' that treatment. You're the finest lookin' 
 nurse I ever see. I'll bet ye came from a 
 good family." 
 
 "Came from a good family? I guess yes. 
 Why, I used to work for the Vanderbilts.'*
 
 YHE TIME, THE PLACE 67 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "I'll swan to Guinney! And how did ye 
 happen to become a nurse?" 
 
 "Well, I always wanted to take care of a 
 man — I didn't know whether to marry one 
 or become a professional nurse. But I tried 
 marriage first." 
 
 "Ye don't say! Ye've bin married?" 
 
 "Yes, that's why I decided to become a 
 nurse." 
 
 "And ye'll treat me fer my heart if I let 
 ye?" 
 
 "I dunno. Looks to me as if you were 
 more in need of treatment for lockjaw of the 
 hands. Better let me take your temperature 
 before you go." 
 
 "Don't bother. The hotel clerk will take 
 everything I've got, anyhow." 
 
 An attendant interrupted them.
 
 68 'jrSE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "You're wanted over at the hotel, Miss 
 Mollie," he announced. "The clerk 'phones 
 that there's a patient there in need of your 
 services." 
 
 "All right," she answered, and with a 
 cheery "So long," to the farmer hurried from 
 the building. 
 
 Meanwhile Farnum sat in a chair in the 
 hotel lobby, a nervous wreck from too much 
 drink the night before. An attendant stood 
 beside him. 
 
 "For heaven's sake, man, don't stand 
 around like that!" said Farnum irritably. 
 "You set my teeth on edge. Do something 
 — ^look pleasant — or, better still, go away." 
 
 "Perhaps I'd better bring you something 
 to eat?" suggested the man. "You haven't 
 had a mouthful of breakfast. Do you think
 
 'T'^E TIME, TEE PLACE 69 
 
 ' AND THE GIBL 
 
 you could keep anything on your stomach?" 
 
 "Nothing but a postage stamp. My mouth 
 tastes as if a Chinese family had just moved 
 out. Did you hear anything?" he added, 
 starting violently. 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 "I keep hearing somebody calling my 
 name." 
 
 His face twitched all over and he gave an- 
 other violent start, 
 
 "The head nurse will be here in a few min- 
 utes," said the attendant soothingly, 
 
 "That reminds me," he muttered. "I have 
 a letter for the head nurse from the doctor. 
 Might as well know what's in it." 
 
 He opened it and read : 
 
 To the head nurse, Tellalapec Sanitarium. 
 
 Please give bearer the most strenuous 
 drink" cure used by your establishment. This
 
 70 Y^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 is to be done in spite of all objections on the 
 part of the patient, whose mind is tempora- 
 rily deranged by drink, but who usually ap- 
 pears to be a perfectly sober and temperate 
 man. 
 
 DR. J. H. REYNOLDS. 
 
 950 West 61 St St., New York. 
 
 "The drink cure in spite of all objections, 
 eh?" thought Farnum. "I don't want drink 
 cure that way. Guess I'll keep this awhile.." 
 
 He replaced the letter in his pocket, and as 
 he did so Mollie Kelly entered the hotel. At 
 sight of her his eyes dilated and he struggled 
 up from the chair, but collapsed into it again. 
 
 "Holy smoke!" he ejaculated. "W-who 
 are you ? W-what's your name ?" 
 
 "You ought to know who I am," replied 
 Mollie, whose astonishment had been equally 
 great, but who preserved outward calm. 
 
 "Good Lord — I thought I had 'em. I've
 
 r 
 
 \ 
 
 \fc-^^^^ 
 
 ' HOLY SMOKE ! W — WHO ARE YOU ? " 
 
 Page TO.
 
 YHE TIME, TEE PLACE 71 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 heard somebody calling my name all the 
 morning." 
 
 "I remember those little spells you used to 
 have." 
 
 The shock of the meeting had sobered him 
 considerably and brought his nerves under 
 more control. 
 
 "What are you doing in that make up?" 
 he demanded. 
 
 "I'm a nurse here — earning my living." 
 
 "You're a nurse, are you? You've sunk 
 pretty low, too, since we last met." 
 
 "You forget that I was your wife then. I 
 think I've risen. My brother was right when 
 he warned me against marrying you. Jim- 
 mie is always right. He's the only real friend 
 I've got."
 
 72 yff^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Does anybody here know that you were 
 my wife ?" 
 
 "No. I'm not particularly proud of it. I'm 
 known here as Miss Mollie Kelly." 
 
 "You're a good girl, Mollie. You always 
 were all right. I was a fool when I left you." 
 
 "You didn't start then. What's the mat- 
 ter? What are you holding your head for — 
 does it ache?" 
 
 "There's all kinds of buzzing going on in' 
 it. If I put my fingers in my ears they'd be 
 cut off." 
 
 "Broke, too, I suppose?" 
 
 "If money talks I'm deaf and dumb. I got 
 so tired of living last week that I thought of 
 jumping in the river. Would you have been 
 surprised if I ha'd done that?"
 
 'T'b:e time, tee place 73 
 
 '* and tee girl 
 
 "I would be surprised if you ever did any- 
 thing." 
 
 "Mollie, let's let bygones be bygones. I 
 never loved anybody but you, and now when 
 I see you again all the old fire leaps into my 
 veins." 
 
 "No, no. Let go the flying wings, Laurie. 
 I'm onto you bigger'n a house. Now I've 
 got just one thing to say." 
 
 "Just one — aren't you feeling well?" 
 
 "You are a nice boy all right, but your 
 work is coarse, very coarse. You don't 
 mean any harm, but I don't want you around. 
 We don't Mocha and Java worth a cent." 
 
 "Do you mean that, Mollie?" 
 
 "Yes — ^and it's final. I'll send another 
 nurse to look after you, and the sooner you
 
 74 HTHE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 can get away from here the better I shall 
 like it." 
 
 She went out, and he gazed after her 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 "Ain't it funny when a fellow hits the to- 
 boggan how everybody gets behind to 
 shove?" he sighed. "Poor Mollie — and poor 
 me ! I was to blame. I have been a fool all 
 my life and suppose I shall continue to be one 
 to the end. Oh, well " 
 
 His musing was interrupted by Johnny, 
 who strolled over to him. 
 
 "Gee!" said the latter "you're popular 
 with the petticoats. Who is that swell looker 
 with the striped dress and white cap and 
 apron you was talkin' to?" 
 
 "She's the head nurse," replied Farnum, 
 eyeing him with deep displeasure.
 
 Y^E TIME, TEE PLACE 75 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Say, she's all to the sugar, she is. Would 
 yer mind introducin' me next time she airy 
 fairy's this way?" 
 
 "No need to wait. I have a letter for her 
 here I forgot to deliver. If you care to take 
 it over to the sanitarium it will serve as an 
 excuse to make her acquaintance." 
 
 "Hold my hat while I wade in," assented 
 Johnny eagerly. "I got a whole phoneygraph 
 record case full of soft-music language 
 framed up fer her." 
 
 He took the letter and made for the sani- 
 tarium. Mollie received him there. 
 
 "Say, lady, are you the boss ?" he inquired, 
 feeling bashful for the first time in his life 
 and lowering his eyes for an instant under 
 her keen laughing glance.
 
 76 YEE TIME, TEE PLAGE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "No, I'm the head nurse," she answered. 
 "The boss is the house physician." 
 
 "The house physician? What does he do? 
 Take care of the house? Say, I'm interested 
 in medicine myself. My father invented an 
 insect exterminator." 
 
 "Yes? Is it any good?" 
 
 "It exterminated me. I'm so enthusiastic 
 about scientific research that when I die I'm 
 going to leave my brain to some scientist." 
 
 "Oh, you stingy thing!" 
 
 "Stung! Say, you're cut out for vaude- 
 ville. How did you come to get into this 
 work?" 
 
 "I had nothing to do at home." 
 
 "I see. The daughter of the idle rich. I 
 suppose you belonged to one of the earliest 
 families?"
 
 'TS^ TIME, TEE PLACE 77 
 
 * AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Sure — my father was a milkman. Get- 
 ting up at two o'clock in the morning made 
 us the earliest family on our block. Then 
 you see father and mother had a quarrel." 
 
 "What, they wouldn't fight?" 
 
 "In a minute. First there was language all 
 over the shop. Then mother did a terrible 
 thing — she hit him with a meat axe. But 
 father did a more terrible thing than that." 
 
 "Gee! What did father do?" 
 
 "Father went to Pittsburg. That sort of 
 broke up the family. We were all at outs but 
 my brother Jimmie and myself. Jimmie's in 
 Washington now." 
 
 "I just came from Washington." 
 
 "Maybe you know him — Jimmie Kelly?" 
 
 "No, I don't remember him." 
 
 "He's the best brother that ever made a
 
 78 yfiTi? TIME, THE PLACE 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 sister happy. If anything happened to Jim- 
 mie, I don't know what would become of me. 
 Are you well known in Washington ?" 
 
 "Well known? I guess — I have to go out 
 of town every time I want to borrow money." 
 "What are you doing here? You look 
 healthy." 
 
 "I just came up to take the air." 
 "You'd better indulge freely. It's the only 
 thing you'll get for nothing." 
 
 "I came here with another fellow, Tom 
 Cunningham, that's trying to marry a dame 
 that's staying here. Honest, I want to put 
 you wise, little lady. Tom is the best guy 
 that ever happened. He's a little rough 
 sometimes and he has his way or they send 
 for the wreck wagon, but he's a man, take it 
 from me. I met him in a gambling joint and
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 79 
 
 AND THE QIBL 
 
 did him a turn, and ever since he's treated 
 me like a white man. Me for a mat- every 
 time." 
 
 "Ain't it the truth? And what are you?" 
 
 "I guess I'm what they call a gambler. I 
 ain't very proud of it, but I got a record for 
 bein' square. I may have separated two or 
 three guys from their money but they always 
 got a run for it." 
 
 "Are you one of those men that bet on 
 the races ?" 
 
 "No, nothing like that. I never was lucky 
 at the tracks but once — that was when I 
 found a nickel and didn't have to walk home." 
 
 "Did you ever do anything but gamble?" 
 
 *'Yes. One season I was a professional 
 catcher." 
 
 "You don't say? What did you do—
 
 80 nr^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 drive the wagon or go around lassoing the 
 dogs?" 
 
 "Oh, Estelle! I guess I got that." 
 
 "Your friend Cunningham's a nice looking 
 chap. Who's the girl he's going to marry?" 
 
 "She's Miss Simpson, daughter of Farmer 
 Jasper — the tight wad with the facial foliage. 
 I met him on the train coming down. He's 
 so tight you couldn't loosen him with a pipe 
 wrench. He crawled inside of himself and 
 nailed the lid on. Is he here to spend the 
 season?" 
 
 "I guess so. He hasn't spent anything else 
 yet." 
 
 "I should hardly think a wad like that 
 would come to a swell sanitarium. What's 
 he got?"
 
 rrHE TIME, TEE PLACE 81 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "We haven't found out yet, but I think 
 it's about a million." 
 
 "How are you going to treat him for it?" 
 
 "He's so stingy I guess we'll have to give 
 him gas. The doctor looked him over this 
 morning." 
 
 "What was his diagnosis?" 
 
 "One hundred and fifty dollars." 
 
 Johnny's hand, thrust mechanically into his 
 pocket, came in contact with Farnum's letter. 
 
 "Oh, gee!" he exclaimed. "Here's some- 
 thing I nearly forgot." 
 
 Mollie took it, read it, and looked grave. 
 
 "That's too bad," she thought. "He 
 doesn't look like it. I almost hate to give 
 him the cure, he's so nice. But I suppose it 
 will have to be done if Dr. Reynolds says so." 
 
 "Do you feel any fever ?" she inquired.
 
 82 Y"^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Fever? No !" he replied. 
 
 "Well, will you stay here till I come back? 
 I'm going to bring something for you." 
 
 "I'd do anything you asked me. Honest, 
 you've made an awful hit with me." 
 
 He gazed after her admiringly. 
 
 "She makes 'em all look like a summer re- 
 sort on a rainy day," he muttered. "If I ever 
 harness up a bunch of money and go out to 
 rent a flat, she's the party can pick out the 
 furniture if she wants to. I wonder if I'd 
 ever have the nerve to ask her to marry me? 
 If she said 'Yes' I guess I'd think her judg- 
 ment was awful rotten." 
 
 His agreeable musing was cut short by a 
 couple of powerful attendants who pounced 
 upon him and bore him off, heedless of his 
 wrathful and finally despairing protests.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 Laurie Farnum had been an object of inter- 
 est to the college girls. He wore an habitual 
 expression of melancholy which to the unso- 
 phisticated maidens passed for soulfulness, 
 especially as its effect was heightened by a 
 languid mien, a wan smile, and a blonde, 
 drooping moustache. He was quite aware of 
 the impression he had made — that in fact he 
 always made on the romantic feminine mind 
   — and set about laying siege to Margaret's 
 heart with considerable skill by currying 
 favor with her father and brother. The lat- 
 ter had conceived a boundless admiration for 
 him. He represented for the country boy 
 the beau ideal of a metropolitan "sport." 
 
 83
 
 84 nr^^ TIME, THE PLAGE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 Farnum decided that Bud would serve as the 
 best medium for an introduction. 
 
 He waylaid that youth and by joining him 
 in the constitutional which everyone took on 
 the piazza in the cool of the evening after 
 dinner, had managed to get acquainted with 
 the girl. Meanwhile Cunningham had sedu- 
 lously avoided meeting her after her chilly 
 reception on the day of his arrival. Pride 
 compelled him to respect her expressed wish 
 to be let alone, though obedience to it cost 
 him a heavy heart and many a bitter pang. 
 
 On the evening of the fourth day Farnum 
 managed to encounter Bud and greeted him 
 with a slap on the shoulder, to the tremen- 
 dous gratification of the youth, who was flat- 
 tered at being treated as a man, and on a
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 85 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 footing of equality, by his well-dressed, easy 
 mannered senior. 
 
 "Well," inquired Farnum, "are you com- 
 fortably settled here?" 
 
 "Yep," responded Bud, "but paw's awful 
 sore about the price he has to pay for board." 
 
 "Why, I told him to say he was a friend of 
 mine and they'd treat him right. Didn't he 
 doit?" 
 
 "Yep — he said he was a friend of yours all 
 right." 
 
 "Didn't that do any good?" 
 
 "They made him pay in advance." 
 
 "Say, Bud, how would you like to visit me 
 in the city some time?" 
 
 "And be a sport Hke you? Gosh, I'd like 
 it. I guess it would cost as much as four 
 dollars to do it and dad wouldn't let me have
 
 86 Y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 the money. I tried to touch him for a hard 
 boiled hat before we came here, but it 
 wouldn't work." 
 
 "I'll pay the bill. We'll make a man of you 
 yet." 
 
 "You're a regular devil, ain't you ? I'll bet 
 when you was a boy like me you played mar- 
 bles for keeps." 
 
 "What is your ambition, Bud? What 
 would you like to be?" 
 
 "I'd like to be a professional base ball 
 player, but I don't know how to get in," 
 
 "Professional ball player? The easiest way 
 to get to be that is to go to college. But 
 whatever you do, don't be a shine sport. 
 Don't be one of these alley-way Johnnies. 
 There are a lot of fellows in the cities that 
 mention all the chorus girls in town by their
 
 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 87 
 
 '* AND THE GIBL 
 
 first names and hang around the stage door 
 in everybody's way, just to talk about what 
 rounders they are. I've been both kinds of 
 a sport and you can take it from me that the 
 nickel-plated one don't wear. There's just as 
 many pin-heads in the cities as there are in 
 the country." 
 
 "What's that?" demanded Johnny who had 
 strolled up. "Excuse me fer buttin' in, but 
 did Bud say he was a sport? Come on." 
 
 He went through the motion of strewing 
 corn in the youth's path. 
 
 "Quit yer joshin'," retorted Bud. "You're 
 awful cute, ain't you? I want you to under- 
 stand that I'm the best croquet player in our 
 town. Only man that can beat me is Deacon 
 Hornbeck, and he cheats." 
 
 "Ain't he the little bright eyes! He's a
 
 88 TTfir^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 reg'lar athlete. Look at them muscles! I 
 guess you was put into your clothes with hy- 
 draulic pressure, wasn't you?" 
 
 "I'm the champion milker of the county." 
 "That so? Ever do any other hard 
 work ?" 
 
 "I once got two dollars out of the old man." 
 "Good for you. You'll do. I'm a carpen- 
 ter myself." 
 
 "Yes? Do you know how to make a Vene- 
 tian blind." 
 
 "Sure — poke yer finger in his eye." 
 Margaret came along the piazza with the 
 other strollers. She was alone. Farnum 
 promptly seized the opportunity and raising 
 his hat joined her. 
 
 "Your brother was just telling me aboui 
 liis prowess in his profession," he said.
 
 'THE TIME, THE PlACE 89 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Profession! Oh! One would hardly call 
 it that, would one?" she rejoined with a 
 smile. "Would you consider me indiscreet 
 if I asked what was your own?" 
 
 "Not at all — certainly not. I have none. I 
 don't have to work." 
 
 "Don't have to work? Which are you, a 
 capitalist or a college man?" 
 
 "Neither — my father is a philanthropist. 
 But you are a school girl. You impress me 
 as being much more mature — as if you had 
 higher ideals than most school girls." 
 
 It was a bold venture, but he had suspected 
 the weak spot in her nature, and her manner, 
 which immediately became earnest, showed 
 that he had found it. 
 
 "Perhaps I have," she replied. 
 
 "I think you would demand more of the
 
 90 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 man who married you than other girls of 
 your age would." 
 
 "Possibly — but other girls get so little. 
 We have a notion all our own that if the po- 
 sition occupied by woman in the days of 
 chivalry is ever to be regained, it must be be- 
 cause the woman demands it. That is the 
 ideal all us Vassar girls believe in." 
 "Really?" 
 
 "Yes. Men nowadays are so sordid, so en- 
 grossed in the practical things of life, that the 
 finer side of their nature is left undeveloped." 
 "I quite agree with you. I have always 
 looked on woman as a divinity. I can't say 
 that it has ever benefited me much as yet. I 
 would be better of¥ in some ways if I had 
 taken a more practical view of life." 
 He sighed.
 
 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 91 
 
 ^ AND THE GIRL 
 
 *'Don't say that," she remonstrated gently. 
 "There is something finer than worldly 
 glory. I have a Httle problem — a test by 
 which I try to judge the men whom I meet. 
 I ask myself, 'Suppose he and a woman were 
 wrecked on a desert island; would he make 
 her share his hardships, or would he sacrifice 
 everything to keep her in her place as a god- 
 dess?" 
 
 "I think he should sacrifice everything to 
 keep her in her place as a goddess," he af- 
 firmed, enthusiastically. 
 
 "I believe you would, and I honor you for 
 it," the girl told him. "The trouble with mod- 
 ern men is that they sacrifice the ideal to the 
 strictly material. The eternal excuse is that 
 they have no time for sentiment." 
 
 "I, too, often wonder what is the use of this
 
 92 T*^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 *■ AND TEE GIRL 
 
 hurrying, rushing, tearing through life. For 
 myself I detest it." 
 
 "Aren't you different from most Ameri- 
 cans in that way?" 
 
 "I was going to say I hope so, but that 
 might be in rather bad taste. Probably most 
 of your friends are of the kind who always 
 'do things' and are always in a hurry. Tom 
 Cunningham for instance." 
 
 The girl flushed. 
 
 "Please do not refer to him as a typical ex- 
 ample of my friends," she said. "Besides, he 
 doesn't 'do things' — at least the kind of 
 things I think a man should do." 
 
 "Then I fear I am hopelessly below your 
 standard," he commented, throwing an artis- 
 tic note of sadness into his tone. "I never 
 do anything, because as a rule I don't think
 
 nrSE TIME, THE PLACE 93 
 
 AND TEE GIBL 
 
 that the things most men do are really worth 
 while after all. Perhaps if I thought differ- 
 ently my life might be worth something to 
 somebody." 
 
 "Don't say that. Really, I'm awfully glad 
 to meet someone who isn't the usual rough, 
 crude business man. You might almost be- 
 long to the age of — well, I was going to say 
 the age of chivalry; but I don't know any- 
 thing about your attitude towards women." 
 
 "Women?" he said with affected bitter- 
 ness. "Maybe that's where my weakness 
 lies. It's a weakness that few men sympa- 
 thize with nowadays, and so I have to kneel 
 before my little shrine in a secluded corner 
 where there are no 'business men' as you call 
 them, to blow out the candles. Perhaps if 
 this had been the age of chivalry when all men
 
 94 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE OIEL 
 
 thought that to worship woman was all of 
 life, I might have made more of myself. As 
 it is — well, I'm only an aimless dreamer with 
 an ideal that no one ever sees." 
 
 "No one? I think it is my ideal also, 
 though I didn't know anyone else thought 
 the same — because — because, I had never 
 met anyone just like you." 
 
 Cunningham leaning gloomily and un- 
 noticed in the shadow of a corner of the 
 piazza, saw as they passed a lighted window 
 the daring glance his rival directed upon her, 
 and saw her lower her eyes with confusion 
 as raising hers she had met his gaze. 
 
 "Father's a typical American," she went 
 on, steering the conversation away from the 
 flirting point. "I've come to hate the typical 
 energetic American as a rule, but he has
 
 T'HjE TTME, the place 95 
 
 AND THE OIRL 
 
 such admirable qualities. All he needed in 
 his youth was education, and he might have 
 been a master among men. Sometimes I 
 think that with this education he would have 
 developed into a man of my mind — of our 
 kind! There he is beckoning to me. You 
 will excuse me, won't you?" 
 
 "Oh, certainly. May I see you again and 
 resume this charmingly intellectual conversa- 
 tion?" 
 
 "Yes, if you'll promise not to think I am 
 as serious as I talk. I shall be here as long 
 as father can pay the bills without having 
 heart failure." 
 
 "Then au revoir." 
 
 "Au revoir." 
 
 Farnum continued his stroll exulting at 
 the astonishing progress he had made.
 
 96 nrHE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "I've as good as got her cinched," he 
 chuckled. "My prospective father-in-law a 
 man of our kind! Oh, Lord! She forgets 
 I've seen him." 
 
 Cunningham in the corner, eating his 
 heart out, was discovered by Johnny, who 
 had been hunting everywhere for him. The 
 little man was red and perspiring and his coat 
 was torn. 
 
 "What's the matter — what's hit you?" de- 
 manded his patron. 
 
 "I've just been elected ticket-taker on the 
 water wagon. A guy with a chest on him 
 like a snowplow has been handin' me the 
 drink cure again — why, search me if I know, 
 but they grab me every time I lose myself 
 near the sanitarium. I can't figure out the 
 dope yet, but they shot me through so many
 
 " A GUY WITH A CHEST ON HIM LIKE A SNOW PLOW HAS BEEN HANDIN' 
 JIE THE DRINK CURE AGAIN." 
 
 Page %.
 
 Y^E TIME, TEE PLACE 97 
 
 AND TEE GIBL 
 
 sulphur baths I feel like a match. I ain't 
 been huntin' yer to tell yer that, though, old 
 man. I read in the Washington paper that 
 just arrived here that the police are on the 
 trail of the persons suspected of assaultin' 
 James Kelly in Glad Hand Mike's place on 
 Monday night, and have traced them in the 
 direction of Tellalapec, where the injured 
 man is bein' brought for treatment. We'd 
 better vamoose. He must be the guy they 
 sent down an ambulance with a stretcher for 
 this evening. Gee ! that must be him coming 
 now." 
 
 He went off to investigate as an ambu- 
 lance went by to the sanitarium. 
 
 Farnum came along with Farmer Simpson, 
 the former reading aloud from a newspaper.
 
 98 TTff^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 * AND THE GIBL 
 
 "What does it say, old man?" inquired 
 Cunningham anxiously. 
 
 "It says the man who was done up in Glad 
 Hand Mike's place Monday night is being 
 brought to Tellalapec because his sister's the 
 head nurse here." 
 
 "What!" exclaimed Cunningham startled. 
 "The wounded man is MolHe's brother? 
 Gad, that's hard luck !" 
 
 "Yes — she's one of the finest gals I ever 
 sot eyes on," said Simpson. "The police are 
 comin' here to look fer the fellow that licked 
 him." 
 
 At this juncture Johnny returned looking 
 worried. 
 
 "Does he seem to be badly hurt?" asked 
 Cunningham anxiously.
 
 Y^E TIME, THE PLACE 99 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "They had to carry him easy or he'd fall 
 apart." 
 
 "Where is he hurt the worst?" Simpson 
 wanted to know. 
 
 "I couldn't say. He's hurt the best on top 
 of the head," rejoined Johnny. "If he had 
 about one more dent in him he'd look like a 
 waffle." 
 
 Cunningham and Hicks walked on. 
 
 "Johnny," said the former, "they say the 
 police are likely to be here at any time." 
 
 "That's no song without words. I think 
 it's up to us to duck before the soft shoe boys 
 get us spotted," 
 
 "I want to see Margaret for a few minutes, 
 then if she won't go with me — well, you and I 
 will get away as soon as possible. I don't sup-
 
 100 nrHE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE QIBL 
 
 pose there is any chance that the fellow will 
 die?" 
 
 "Naw — nothin' like that. Only you might 
 get sent up fer a few months if the cops get 
 here an' pinch you. Say, here's the Queen 
 of Sheba right now. You blow for a few 
 minutes an' I'll try and talk to her square 
 so's to give you an openin' when you spiel 
 with her fer the last time." 
 
 "Going to use the rough treatment again ?" 
 asked Cunningham slyly. 
 
 "Nothing like that — nothing like that," an- 
 swered Johnny, reddening. "I'll play 'em 
 close to my vest and see if she weakens; then 
 if she stands fer the loud talk I'll up an' snap 
 a piece out of her arm, so's all you'll have to 
 do will be to slip her the ring.'*
 
 Y^E TIME, TEE PLACE 101 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "All right. I'll find out about the trains 
 and come right back." 
 
 He pretended not to have seen Margaret 
 and walked off. 
 
 Johnny advanced smilingly upon her. 
 
 "Do you know whether he is seriously 
 hurt?" she inquired. 
 
 "Sure, he gets dotty around the heart an' 
 has to hold onto somethin' every time he sees 
 you." 
 
 "How dare you ! I was referring to the in- 
 valid who has just arrived here." 
 
 "Was you? Well, I'm talking about Tom 
 Cunningham. He's the only guy around 
 here that's worth talking' about, take it from 
 me. I'd like to tell you some things on the 
 level about him, because he ain't like the rest 
 of them mutts that are black with money.
 
 102 yff^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIBL 
 
 Maybe he falls once in a while, but when it 
 comes to provin' whether you're a man or a 
 chair-warmer, he's got the rest of them Fifth 
 Avenue Indians lookin' like the last of the 
 Mohicans. Many's the time I've had an awful 
 crimp put in me an' he's dug down in his 
 kick to stake me when I'd hit the toboggan." 
 
 "If you think I have any interest in Mr. 
 Cunningham, you're mistaken. I oughtn't 
 even to discuss him with you, further than to 
 say that a man who will get married while at 
 college and desert his wife simply because his 
 father refuses to support her, isn't worth 
 mentioning. You're very loyal, so I presume 
 he's 'staked' you often, as you express it." 
 
 "If you've got it sized up that I'm doin' 
 this because he's handed me coin when I was 
 on the tram, you're work is coarser than I
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 103 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 thought it was an' you ain't worth his gettin' 
 sore about, that's all. He's apt to pull out of 
 this burg in an awful hurry. Shall I tell him 
 you want to see him before he goes?" 
 
 "You might tell him that when he develops 
 the good taste to speak for himself, instead 
 of sending you, he may also have learned to 
 look up to a woman in the proper way." 
 
 "Well, if he came the soft, sad talk on a 
 lady that guy Farnum pulls, he couldn't hire 
 me to train with him here even if he had a 
 roll you could choke a window with. Take 
 it from me — Tom's a real one. He's the kind 
 that only come one in a box," 
 
 He saw his friend returning and strolled 
 away. Cunningham approached the girl de- 
 terminedly. She had not seen him coming 
 and had seated herself.
 
 104 Y^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Will you talk to me for a few minutes?" 
 he entreated. 
 
 "I've talked with your street friend too 
 much already," she responded coldly, rising 
 to depart. 
 
 "Margaret," he said passionately, "can't 
 you listen to me in the way you used to? I 
 know I'm not an angel, and perhaps my ideals 
 don't correspond with the boarding school 
 ideas of chivalry, but I know that I love you 
 with my whole heart and soul and that if any- 
 one can make a man out of me it is you." 
 
 "I think we understand each other, so 
 there's no need of going over that," she re- 
 torted, turning her back on him and moving 
 away. 
 
 Profoundly chagrined and humiliated Cun- 
 ningham watched her go. Hicks rejoined
 
 HTHE TIME, THE PLACE 105 
 
 •* AND TEE GIRL 
 
 him. They descended from the piazza and 
 walked from the hotel at a rapid pace, neither 
 speaking. 
 
 "Johnny," exclaimed Cunningham sud- 
 denly, desperation in his voice, "I can't give 
 her up. I simply can't do it. And I've got 
 to stay here — I don't dare go away. Yet if 
 the police come and find out that I was the 
 man who struck Kelly they will arrest me 
 and my chance of winning that girl will be 
 all over. Now, if I pay your fine, and stake 
 you to a bundle of money afterwards, will 
 you tell the police you did it? They don't 
 know which one of us it was and I'm trying 
 the one chance of my life to win this girl. 
 You haven't anything like that to care about. 
 I hate to ask it, old pal, but it looks like the
 
 106 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 only hope, and I'll try to make it right with 
 you." 
 
 ''Sure, old man — I'd follow the flag for 
 you any time. Only cut out that about the 
 money. You've been a white man to me and 
 it's all right." 
 
 Cunningham grasped his hand. 
 
 "God bless you, Johnny," he said. "I'll go 
 right back." 
 
 "Gee, it's tough to be fixed that way," ob- 
 served Hicks sympathetically, to himself. 
 "I'm beginning to know somethin' how it is 
 when you love a girl. Probably about next 
 week they'll say, Tut his Nobs in padded 
 cell 17, where he can't see her.' " 
 
 He retraced his steps leisurely, making a 
 detour towards the sanitarium. On the way 
 he encountered Mollie as he had expected 
 and hoped to do.
 
 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 107 
 
 ' AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Hullo!" he said by way of greeting, 
 "How's the waffle comin' on?" 
 
 "The waffle?" she repeated, looking puz- 
 zled. 
 
 "I mean the guy they brought in here with 
 all the dents in him — the one that was beat 
 up — that guy Kelly. Gee, that's your name, 
 too, ain't it ? I never thought of that. Ain't 
 that funny !" 
 
 She did not answer, and gazing squarely 
 at her he saw a peculiar expression on her 
 face and tears in her eyes. 
 
 "Say," he said, stopping short and turning 
 pale as a fearful suspicion entered his mind, 
 "he ain't" 
 
 "Yes," she replied with trembling lips, 
 "he's my brother."
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 Farmer Jasper Simpson was an invalid at 
 last. Coming down from a climb to the top 
 of the mountain with Bud he had descried 
 MoUie with skirts raised so that she displayed 
 her ankles, tripping across the wet lawn near 
 the hotel, and in his eagerness to get a better 
 view of her he had fallen and bumped his 
 head. He also had sprained his ankle. 
 Wherefor he was under Mollie's care in earn- 
 est, to his huge delight. But as he sat out in 
 the sunshine in front of the sanitarium he 
 looked glum. His nurse had installed him 
 there so as to get him out of the way and 
 then had left him alone all morning. Her 
 duties over for the time being, she remem- 
 bered him again and came out. 
 
 108
 
 'THS TIME, THE PLACE 109 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "What's the matter?" she inquired. *'What 
 are you looking so down-in-the-mouth 
 about?" 
 
 "Nothin's the matter," he replied, bright- 
 ening up instantly. "That feller Johnny 
 laughed at me and it kinder hurt my feelin's." 
 
 "If that's all you're hurt you're lucky," 
 
 "Say, if I had somebody like you to take 
 care of me always, by George, I wouldn't care 
 if I broke my neck three times a day." 
 
 "Ain't it the truth? But you can't con me, 
 mister. I've seen too many. You know it's 
 a darned funny job, being a nurse." 
 
 "Then I'd think ye'd like to quit and marry 
 some nice old feller that was all-fired gener- 
 ous with his money. Jest to show ye, lemme 
 send up and git ye a nice red apple." 
 
 "No, they've got some right pert cider
 
 110 J'^£ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 here, nice and hard, that can beat apples forty- 
 ways for Sunday." 
 
 "Is that so?" he said, pulling out a sock 
 full of money and carefully selecting a dime. 
 "Get a Httle cider in me an' I'm just as liable 
 as not to raise Ned around here. I ain't felt 
 so full of the old Harry sence I was up to 
 New York an' spent ten dollars seein' the 
 hull town. How high does it come?" 
 
 "This is about 3,000 feet above sea level. 
 Wait till I give the order." 
 
 When she returned the old man was tying 
 up his sock-purse preparatory to restoring it 
 to his pocket. 
 
 "So that's the way you keep your money, 
 is it?" she observed. 
 
 "Yep; hed that old sock for twenty years. 
 Guess I'll have to git it washed an' won't have
 
 . •■ - ' — ^ 
 
 'pour dollars : " 
 
 Page 111.
 
 nrUE TIME, TEE PLACE 111 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 to squander fifteen or twenty cents fer a 
 new one. Waste of money, 'cause I can't 
 wear the dum'd thing." 
 
 A waiter came out with a small table and 
 a tray on which were a couple of glasses and 
 a bottle of champagne. He deposited the 
 tray on the table and uncorked the bottle. 
 Simpson tendered the dime to him. The man 
 looked at the coin and at the farmer inquir- 
 ingly. 
 
 "Well, ain't that right?" demanded Jasper. 
 
 "Yes, I guess the dime's all right," replied 
 the man, "but the bottle costs four dollars." 
 
 "Four dollars !" 
 
 He gasped, and nearly fainted, but a peal 
 of laughter from Mollie brought a sickly grin 
 to his face. It would not do to appear mean. 
 
 "Did ye tell me that was hard cider?" he
 
 112 Y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 said, as ruefully he brought out the sock 
 again and counted the money. 
 
 "Yes — they call it that because it's hard to 
 buy. Do you feel any better after tasting 
 it?" 
 
 "If I didn't the obituary notice would be 
 on the street by this time. Yep, I feel bet- 
 ter, but what I need is somebody to take care 
 of me. Ain't so chipper as I used to be. Kind 
 o' think I ought to git married agin. It's 
 cheaper to git married than hirin' a servant." 
 
 "That's about as good a reason as some 
 people have for marrying. Lots of women 
 marry because the janitor won't let 'em keep 
 a pet dog.'' 
 
 "Come to think of it, I ain't such a bad 
 marryin' proposition fer nobody. I've got as 
 high as three million dollars in the bank; in-
 
 'ITHE TIME, THE PLACE 113 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 cludin' the first dollar I ever made. I own all 
 o' Saskatchewan county — thirty-six barns — a 
 thousand head o' live stock" 
 
 "Does that include Bud?" 
 
 "Yes. Then most everybody in New 
 Hampshire is my friends." 
 
 "Do they know it?" 
 
 "Everybody says I'm a man the county 
 ought to be proud of. I go to church every 
 Sunday, I'm a good hand at the bosses and 
 don't never drink or smoke." 
 
 "Some people ain't bad because it costs 
 money." 
 
 "I got more money than ye could load on 
 a hayrack, an' I got to thinkin' if there was 
 somebody about your size to help me keep 
 it, it would be a good thing for both of us. 
 Of course we'd spend some of it now an'
 
 114 y^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 then. The way I paid fer that cider ought to 
 show ye how generous I am." 
 
 "Let me tip you to something. I've han- 
 dled enough of you boys on the sloping side 
 of forty-eight to know that you need a gov- 
 erness more than a wife. Ain't it the truth?" 
 
 "No — it all depends. I was so good to my 
 first wife that she was awful sorry to die an' 
 leave me. Ef I could find somebody jest 
 about like you to take her place an' help run 
 the farm I'd marry her. When I look at ye, 
 ye kind o' take me back to the time when I 
 was a-courtin' her, walkin' through the old 
 orchard, listenin' to the katydids, with her 
 little hand in mine." 
 
 He looked up at her sentimentally and took 
 her hand, Johnny coming out of the sani- 
 tarium, where he had submitted to many
 
 'TSE TIME, THE PLACE 115 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 drink cures in order to be near Mollie, saw 
 them and became uneasy as jealousy gripped 
 his heart. 
 
 "Ain't he the comic lover?" he muttered. 
 "He's puffin' through his nose Hke Sapho in 
 the third act. But he's got such a bundle 
 of money, I guess I'm up against the frosty 
 outside, and he's got me shell-roaded fer 
 fair. I don't cut very many lemons around 
 here anyhow. Gee — now he's tellin' her all 
 about all the excitement in that web-footed 
 town of his. If he was in the city he'd get 
 run over by a hearse inside of a week." 
 
 He went over to them determined to end 
 the dangerous flirtation, and was in time to 
 hear the farmer say as he adduced further 
 arguments in support of his suit : 
 
 "Then there's that son o' mine, Bud. He's
 
 116 JTHE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 right smart. Young as he is he's earnin' 
 three a week." 
 
 "That's high if you ever seen Bud," com- 
 mented Johnny. 
 
 The farmer scowled at him, irritated ter- 
 ribly by this untimely interruption. But Mol- 
 lie inquired: 
 
 "Did you notice how the man in No. i6 
 was?" 
 
 "Yes, he's sleepin'." 
 
 "Has he had any lucid periods?" 
 
 "I didn't give him nuthin' but the regular 
 medicine." 
 
 "Did No. ID take his medicine all right?" 
 
 "Sure he did. I closed with him an' beat 
 him to a whisper." 
 
 "Is that all?"
 
 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 117 
 
 '■ AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "No, there was a guy said he wanted some- 
 thin' to settle his stomach." 
 
 "Did you give it to him?" 
 
 "Sure, I feinted wid me left — side stepped 
 — then planted a hard right on him just above 
 the belt. That settled everything." 
 
 Mollie laughed and obeying Johnny's ur- 
 gent signs walked away with him. 
 
 "You seem to make an awful fuss over that 
 old guy," he said reproachfully. "I guess my 
 name is pants all right." 
 
 "I got him to loosen up for five hundred 
 to give to the Nurses' Fund. Can you beat 
 that?" 
 
 He gazed at her with wonder and admira- 
 tion. 
 
 "You got him just as good as strapped to 
 the operating table," he said. "Anybody that
 
 118 J'F^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 can get national bank lithographs out of that 
 wad is entitled to the load of coal." 
 
 "He is a little bit close to himself." 
 
 "Why, that guy would go to see the wax 
 figures in front of a clothing store and have 
 the time of his life, because it didn't cost any- 
 thing. But say, lady, is he a favorite with 
 you ? If he is I'll scratch my entry. I don't 
 want to be in just as a pacemaker." 
 
 "Don't weaken. Do you know what he'd 
 do if I ever approached him again with a 
 touch for money?" 
 
 "No— tell it to me." 
 
 "He'd call up the Chief of Police and ask 
 for a squad. You can't bunco these wise 
 Rubes more than once." 
 
 "If he ain't the big squeal with you, I got 
 somethin' to get off my mind. I don't know
 
 fBE TIME, TEE PLACE 119 
 
 ^ AND THE OIEL 
 
 whether I can say it or not because whenever 
 I even think of it my throat gets so dry I 
 can't talk and I have to lunch on my Adam's 
 apple. What I want to say is this — Do you 
 think you could ever love me without straiit- 
 in' yourself? Could we get measured for 
 harness?" 
 
 "Don't answer," he interrupted hastily. "I 
 don't want to know yet. I ain't feelin' 
 strong enough to stand it. Before you tell 
 me I can't ride any further without a ticket 
 I want to tell you how it all happened. The 
 first time I met you you smiled, and, on the 
 grave, it made me so dizzy I almost passed 
 away right there. Ever since that time I 
 been hearing funny noises under my bonnet 
 and I ain't near the same wise Willie I used
 
 120 'TEE TIME, THE PLAGE 
 
 AND THE GlEL 
 
 to be. At one time I thought I could look 
 any shirt-waist in the face and tell her 
 There's nothing doing' — but that was before 
 I seen you. I was bound to get bumped 
 some time and just because I bragged I got 
 it thrown into me twice as hard. Do you get 
 me at all? I'm no good at the love spiel. I 
 never had any use for a guy that could tell a 
 girl he loved her right to her face, but now 
 I know he's got a lot more nerve than I have. 
 Will you believe me, I never said anything 
 like this to a girl before and I don't think 
 I ever will again. I've got stage fright. 
 Mind, I ain't asking you to do nothin' hasty. 
 I ain't salted a million yet like the old boy 
 from the back woods, but I got a bundle of 
 money on a good thing that's goin' to be 
 pulled ofif at Latonia. She'll back in nodding
 
 '"THE TIME, TEE PLACE 121 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 to friends in the judge's stand. If she wins 
 the band's going to play 'Dixie.' Do you 
 think then maybe you'd look me over to see 
 if I'm a good risk ?" 
 
 "You've made an awful hit with me," she 
 admitted seriously, "and I think you're the 
 kind of man my brother would like when he 
 gets well." 
 
 "Your brother? You mean him, that's in 
 there ?" he inquired, feeling his heart sinking 
 within him. 
 
 "Yes. I told you what pals we were." 
 "Sure, I know. I 'spose his troubles are 
 your troubles. I guess you wouldn't have 
 any use for a man that turned off the sunshine 
 on him. You'd hate the fellow that Hcked 
 him, wouldn't you?"
 
 122 yn^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "In a minute. But I know the kid will mix 
 with you when he gets well." 
 
 "I hope not — I mean, I'm glad you thinR 
 so. Do you think you go as far as sealing 
 this? I don't know the polite custom about 
 it. On the grave, I never kissed a real girl, 
 but no one can see us here with these bushes 
 in the way." 
 
 "If I gave you just one kiss would you be 
 satisfied ?" 
 
 "No, I'd want a thousand more." 
 
 "Then you may have just one — and you 
 needn't keep your fingers crossed. I want 
 one of the May Irwin kind, with lots of gin- 
 ger to it." 
 
 While Johnny was being transported to 
 the firmament by the first kiss with the first 
 girl he had ever really loved, Laurie Farnum,
 
 Y^E TIME, TEE PLACE 183 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 noticing the farmer alone and disconsolate 
 sauntered up. 
 
 "Have a cigar," he invited. 
 
 "They ain't nothin' wrong with it, is they?'' 
 inquired Jasper suspiciously. "I'll take it be- 
 cause I'm savin' the bands." 
 
 "Mr. Simpson, I want to ask you a ques- 
 tion," said Farnum, getting right down to 
 business. "What would you say if I were to 
 ask for the hand of your daughter Margaret 
 in marriage?" 
 
 "What are your prospects?" 
 
 "I think she would be willing if you are." 
 
 "I don't mean that. Are ye in a business 
 that's prosperin'? Are ye industrious? Are 
 ye ever up at sunrise?" 
 
 "That's me — but I'm not always able to 
 see it."
 
 124 ir^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 ' AND THE GIBL 
 
 "Are ye a hustler?" 
 
 "I don't have to be — my habits are so fast. 
 I don't have to hustle." 
 
 "Well, my son Bud likes ye, an' I don't dis- 
 like ye. Have ye asked Maggie about it ?" 
 
 "Not in plain words, Mr. Simpson, not in 
 plain words. You see, I thought it would be 
 proper — more honorable — to confer with you 
 about it. I rather flatter myself that I am 
 not exactly hated by your daughter and that 
 if you are agreeable there will be no diffi- 
 culty in obtaining her consent." 
 
 "I'll think it over. I rayther like the way 
 you're goin' about this thing, an' I'll think 
 it over — but not now. I've a little business 
 on hand yere with somebody I'm waitin' 
 fer." 
 
 "All right," said Farnum shaking his hand 
 warmly. "I'll see you later."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 "Johnny, you won't forget your promise, if 
 the police come, will you? I'm rather ner- 
 vous about it, and want to be sure it's all 
 right." 
 
 Cunningham's reminder brought Johnny 
 back to earth from the azure in which his soul 
 had been soaring as he looked out on the 
 magnificent view and thought of Mollie. 
 
 "It's different when you love," went on his 
 friend and patron apologetically, feeling 
 ashamed of the sacrifice he had called upon 
 Hicks's loyalty to make for him, and seeking 
 to excuse himself. "You'll know how it is 
 yourself, some day," 
 
 "Yeah," answered Johnny huskily. "It's 
 different when you love a girl." 
 
 125
 
 126 'TEE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 Am) THE GIEL 
 
 'Then if they come it will be all right?" 
 
 Hicks looked at him and drew a deep 
 breath as he answered. 
 
 "Sure — yeah — yes, old pal." 
 
 "Johnny, I've found out about that water 
 cure business, and ordered it stopped." 
 
 "Thanks, but I've had it stopped myself. 
 I'm exempt, immune, now. But how did it 
 all happen? That's what I can't figure out." 
 
 "Laurie's physican — tipped ofT by his father 
 — gave him a letter to the sanitarium telling 
 them to give him the water cure, whether he 
 wanted it or not. Laurie gets wise, reads it, 
 hands it to you" 
 
 "An' then Patsy is the fall guy. Say, on 
 the grave, the way I feel now I couldn't look 
 a drink in the face. I never did get to the suds 
 very often, but if you pushed a tall one with
 
 Y^E TIME, THE PLACE 127 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 a high collar toward me, I'd bark and go 
 right over the fence without touchin' my 
 hands." 
 
 "Did they put you through the sulphur 
 baths?" 
 
 "When I came out of that stuff the air was 
 blue. I was still groggy an' tryin' to clinch 
 to avoid punishment, when the main squeeze 
 sez: 'Better give it to him now, before he 
 comes out of it.' With that them gorillas 
 closes in on me an' I finishes fifteen minutes 
 later, comin' through a wringer. I went back 
 to look for my stomach, but nobody had seen 
 it. Now I want to get an awful tide on, but 
 I couldn't do it without havin' a spasm. 
 There's nothin' left for me to do but take the 
 veil — an' get even with Laurie. But, on the 
 grave, Tom, I'd rather take three water cures
 
 128 nr^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 a day than go away from this place while 
 she's there." 
 
 He nodded towards the sanitarium. 
 
 "You mean Mollie?" 
 
 "You're next. From now on she's the big 
 squeal with me. I didn't know how bad I'd 
 stumbled over the live wire till I seen her out 
 here to-day listenin' to that old webfoot 
 makin' a soft talk to her. It looked as if he 
 had the rollers under me right. Guess I 
 squared it all up with her, but that old guy's 
 got such a bundle of coin that I look Hke a 
 piker tryin' to cut in on him if he wants her. 
 She don't care nothin' about the coin, though. 
 That's the kind of a girl she is." 
 
 "Are you thinking of getting married?". 
 
 "Just as soon as I can get out an' make 
 some kind of a killin' I'll tell her she can
 
 ^HE TIME, TEE PLACE 129 
 
 ^ AND TEE GIBL 
 
 have me for steady car-fare any time she says 
 the word. I guess I'm tryin' to cash a hop- 
 dream though. You can't connect with any 
 of the gilt inside here." 
 
 "Might gamble with Laurie and old man 
 Simpson." 
 
 "It ain't a bad idea at that. I'd Hke to have 
 a chance to pry some coin out of the old man. 
 He was sittin' there to-day tryin' to grab her 
 mit, an' givin' her a look that would 'a'melted 
 the heart of a bank dealer. Oh, Laura! 
 Thursday always was my Jonah day." 
 
 "She's a mighty nice girl, and I hope you 
 will win out." 
 
 "Yes — but if I can't raise the samoleons 
 it'll crab the whole biz. I'm nearly on my 
 rollers now. Say, she makes me feel more 
 than ever that I wouldn't have much respect
 
 130 J'F^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 for a girl that married me if she was onto 
 me." 
 
 "Brace up, old man. Try one of these 
 cigars." 
 
 "I have. They're not guilty." 
 
 "I hope that fellow Kelly is better. If he 
 recovers quickly it may save trouble." 
 
 "I hope so, too. Not because I care any- 
 thing about the wafBe himself — I guess he 
 had it comin' to him — but, on the grave, if 
 I'd a-known her, and that he was her brother 
 I wouldn't 'a'let you hit him. Mollie's the 
 best bet around here; she's got the rest of 'em 
 all pullin' up lame back of the flag. Say — 
 can ye imagine me an' her an' a bunch of lit- 
 tle golden-haired darlings romping around 
 with the bottle of soothin' syrup?" 
 
 "There's your chance," said Cunningham.
 
 •rHE TIME, THE PLACE 131 
 
 * AND THE GIBL 
 
 "Laurie, the farmer and Stokes, the manager, 
 are just sitting down to a poker game yon- 
 der. Sail in, and good luck to you." 
 
 "Ain't you goin' to sit in ?" 
 
 "No, I've quit the cards and the flowing 
 bowl. I wouldn't do it for a pot of a thousand 
 and the winning hand." 
 
 "There may be some things I wouldn't do 
 for a thousand, but I kinder lose track of 'em. 
 Here's where I play for three — meanin' me 
 and MolHe and yourself thrown in for friend- 
 ship." 
 
 Johnny was made welcome and the game 
 started. He hoped to clear up some money, 
 but he httle knew what was in store for him. 
 
 "It's your ante, Mr. Simpson," he said, 
 when the latter had dealt the cards. "It's a 
 nickel ante game."
 
 132 Y^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Do I have to ante whether I want to play 
 or not?" 
 
 "Sure — sure!" 
 
 "I can't open it," declared Laurie. 
 
 "I'm by," announced the manager. 
 
 The farmer was holding his cards close to 
 his eyes and mumbling, uncertain what to do. 
 
 "Father has to have a long talk with him- 
 self before he takes any chances," remarked 
 Johnny. ''I can tell he's got better'n Jacks 
 because he's so nervous. It's not fair looking 
 the spots off the cards. What do you do, 
 Mr. Simpson?" 
 
 "By heck, I'll open her !" 
 
 "How much?" 
 
 "Oh, about one bean — I mean a cent." 
 
 "He's been used to playing with lima beans
 
 fHE TIME, TEE PLACE 133 
 
 "■ AND TEE GIBL 
 
 — three for a cent," commented Johnny dis- 
 gustedly. 
 
 "1 want to ask a question," said the cau- 
 tious countryman. "Is it fair to bluff?" 
 
 "Sure." 
 
 "Then I'll take one card." 
 
 Farnum wanted to know who was doing 
 the betting. 
 
 "Mr. Simpson," explained Hicks. "He 
 opened — but give him time to get his nerve 
 up. The rules of the game are to count your 
 money before and after each bet. Don't 
 weaken, old man, don't weaken." 
 
 "I'll just risk a whole nickel." 
 
 "Honest," exclaimed Johnny with admira- 
 tion. "You ought to be playin' ring around 
 a rosy. I'll stay in just to show I'm nice peo- 
 ple. I call you."
 
 134 HTEE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "I'm out," announced Farnum. 
 
 The manager knocked to signify that he 
 also was out. 
 
 "I got a flush," said Jasper triumphantly. 
 
 "That beats my pair of typewriters all 
 right," Johnny admitted. "You been hold- 
 ing a flush all this time? Let's see it. Three 
 diamonds an' two hearts — that ain't no flush." 
 
 "I guess I'll quit before I lose any more 
 money," said the farmer as Hicks raked in 
 the money. "Gamblin's a sin anyhow." 
 
 With the farmer out the trio sat down to 
 serious play. 
 
 "Let's take off the limit and allow a little 
 money to circulate," suggested Farnum. 
 
 The others acquiesced and the game went 
 on in earnest. 
 
 In a little while the manager gave up, an-
 
 Y'EE TIME, TEE PLACE 135 
 
 ' AND THE GIRL 
 
 nouncing that he had dropped sixteen hun- 
 dred dollars, and the game became a duel be- 
 tween Johnny and Farnum. It had not pro- 
 ceeded far when it was interrupted by the ad- 
 vent of Bud. The long youth was stagger- 
 ing, and he was smoking a big cigar. 
 
 "Gee!" exclaimed Johnny, ''look what's 
 comin'." 
 . "I — I's a shport," proclaimed Bud thickly. 
 
 "You're an awful sport all right," said 
 Johnny, "but your legs and arms ain't got 
 no team work about 'em. And that hay fever 
 back of yours ain't pullin' right." 
 
 "You've been drinking!" said his amazed 
 parent contemplating him with rising wrath. 
 
 "Yesh shir, I have. Am I drunk, Mr. 
 Hicks?" 
 
 "Can you see me from there?"
 
 136 'JTBE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "I can see you a' right, but whosh that sit- 
 tin' beside you?" 
 
 "You're drunk, sure pop. These guys 
 that's been drinkin' buttermilk all their lives 
 are awful Indians when they get to throwin' 
 in the big bowls." 
 
 "He must 'a'drunk twenty-five cents worth 
 o' liquor," declared his parent angrily. "Ef 
 he keeps on he'll die in the poor house. You 
 come along o' me — I'll fix ye." 
 
 He grabbed the swaying Bud and grimly 
 marched him ofif. 
 
 "The water cure's the cheese fer him," said 
 Johnny, facing Laurie again. 
 
 "I'm cleaned out," avowed the latter. 
 "Lucky at cards, unlucky in love. I'll make 
 one more bet on a show down. Here's my 
 watch. I'll put it up against a hundred. If I
 
 '"THE TIME, THE PLACE 137 
 
 *■ AND THE GIBL 
 
 win I'll have enough to get away to-morrow 
 with the best little girl in the world. When 
 pop see's I've landed such a wife it'll be a 
 new lease of money to burn. Look it over — 
 see if you care to risk it. I'm going to get a 
 drink." 
 
 "If he's cleaned out he won't be in any 
 shape to ask anyone to marry him to-mor- 
 row," soliloquized Johnny. "But I will, and 
 that's what I'll do. I'll ask Mollie anyhow. 
 I wonder if he meant he was going to marry 
 Margaret? That's tough on Tom. I wonder 
 if he meant her?" 
 
 He examined the watch. It was a hand- 
 some time-piece, and instinctively he opened 
 it to look inside. He nearly fell from his 
 chair with astonishment when the portrait of 
 Mollie smiled at him from the case. Mollie!
 
 138 nr^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 She, then, was the best Httle girl in the world ! 
 And she had been fooling him, as she fooled 
 every man. While apparently taking no no- 
 tice of Farnum she was actually engaged to 
 him, and Farnum had been throwing dust in 
 everybody's eyes by flirting with Miss Simp- 
 son. As he thought about it he admitted 
 that Mollie's preference for Farnum was nat- 
 ural. His rival was handsome, well educated, 
 a gentleman, the son of a rich father who 
 had cast him off, but who if he saw his son 
 settled might relent, while he, Johnny, was 
 uneducated and had no other means of liveli- 
 hood than the uncertain one of a gambler. 
 He had dreamed of abandoning the gaming 
 table and of going into business, in which 
 with the incentive of having to work for Mol- 
 lie, he had hoped to prosper. Now all his
 
 'rSE TIME, THE PLACE 139 
 
 * AND THE GIRL 
 
 hopes and ambition had been swept away in 
 an instant. 
 
 Farnum returned and the game was re- 
 sumed, but in his perturbation of mind 
 Johnny was careless and reckless. When 
 finally they rose from the table he had lost 
 every cent and Farnum held his I. O. U. for 
 one thousand dollars. 
 
 "My luck would bring tears to a pair of 
 glass eyes," groaned Hicks, as, flushed with 
 victory, Farnum left him. "Flat broke — not 
 a nickel in my jeans and my I. O. U. out for 
 a thousand. And he'll spend it on his honey- 
 moon with Mollie. I struck the slide fer fair. 
 Just as I was writing mash notes to myself, 
 too. It's me to start all over again. Mebbe 
 I can get a job as dealer in some joint in New 
 York at five per. This is where I say good-
 
 140 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 bye to Mollie forever. I ought to know bet- 
 ter than start anything on Thursday. Thurs- 
 day always was my Jonah day." 
 
 Farnum in high spirits set out in search of 
 Margaret Simpson. Everything, as he put it, 
 appeared to be coming his way. Farmer 
 Simpson had been incHned to favor his suit, 
 and now when he had been reduced to the 
 amount of his hotel bill and his fare back to 
 New York, he had come into funds ample to 
 enable him to stay at Tellalapec and put in 
 operation a scheme he had mapped out and 
 partially announced in his conversation with 
 Hicks. He believed he had thrown such a 
 spell over Margaret that even should her 
 father oppose their marriage he would be able 
 to induce her to elope. He knew his own 
 father well enough to be quite certain that
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 141 
 
 ANT) THE GIRL 
 
 when the old gentleman was made aware of 
 the fact that he had become "settled," and 
 that his wife was the daughter of a man worth 
 three million dollars he would be restored to 
 favor, with the restoration also of his at one 
 time more than liberal allowance. 
 
 He had no difficulty in finding Margaret, 
 who of an evening displayed a fondness for 
 sitting by herself on the piazza on the quiet 
 side of the hotel. He drew a chair up beside 
 her. 
 
 "I've been thinking of you all day," he 
 said. "Not that that is anything new or un- 
 usual, for I think of you every day — every 
 hour of the day," 
 
 "Really, Mr. Farnum, I can't imagine why 
 you should do me the honor to devote so
 
 142 nTHE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 much thought to me." she replied, smiling 
 and looking away from him. 
 
 *'I do — ^you are to me a perfect type of 
 woman — combining with high ideals a charm 
 of person and of manner that is irresistible. 
 Believe me, I am speaking from my heart. I 
 am no flatterer. You are my good genius. I 
 am not particularly good, as you understand 
 the term, and I admit it, freely and regret- 
 fully. You could, if you would, make me 
 good and I would know how to treat a woman 
 like a queen." 
 
 "I believe you would, but I'm not sure that 
 I have a heart." 
 
 "Haven't you ever been In love — or en- 
 gaged — or anything?" 
 
 "No, I'm not one of those girls who gets
 
 mE TIME, THE PLACE 143 
 
 AND THE GIBJj 
 
 engaged every summer just to keep her hand 
 in." 
 
 "If you married me, I might be a great 
 man. I know lots of fellows whose wives are 
 responsible for their business success." 
 
 "Yes — their wives made it necessary for 
 them to earn more money," she laughed. 
 
 "To speak frankly, what would be your an- 
 swer if it came down to a question between 
 Cunningham and me? He loves you and so 
 do I." 
 
 "Tom has been married once. I never 
 could marry a man whose first affections had 
 been given to another woman. Besides, he 
 proved then that he was not enough of a man 
 to win any girl's regard." 
 
 Her pronouncement filled him with con-
 
 144 Y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 sternation. He sought to conceal his agita- 
 tion as he inquired : 
 
 "Do you mean that you would refuse a man 
 who had been married before?" 
 
 "That is exactly what I mean. Why — 
 have you been married also?" 
 
 "I didn't say that. Then Tom is out of it, 
 and I — do I win?" 
 
 "Mr. Farnum I told you just now that I 
 was not sure whether I had a heart." 
 
 "But I am sure you have," he said eagerly. 
 "Say that I win — make me now and forever 
 the happiest man on earth." 
 
 She rose, agitated in turn. 
 
 "No, I cannot say that," she said. "It is 
 a very serious matter to decide. I must have 
 time to think." 
 
 "But I may hope?"
 
 Y'SE TIME, TEE PLACE 145 
 
 '■ AND THE GIRL 
 
 "I don't know — ^no — perhaps." 
 
 Jubilant at the success of his daring he 
 watched her go. 
 
 "If she doesn't find out about my marriage 
 to Mollie, and I don't see how she's going 
 to do it, she's as good as linked beyond los- 
 ing by the wedding ring," he chuckled. 
 "Now to make sure Mollie's not boasting 
 about it." 
 
 His former wife came out of the sani- 
 tarium door just as he strolled by in the hope 
 of seeing her. 
 
 "Hullo, Mollie," he said, "are you busy?" 
 
 "Not particularly. Why?" 
 
 "I'd just like to have a little chat with you, 
 that's all. Let's walk along the path as far 
 as the woods." 
 
 She assented by joining him. Johnny
 
 146 Y^^ TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GlBL 
 
 lying behind the clump of bushes where he 
 had kissed her, and where he had gone with 
 aching heart to suffer in sweet torment on 
 the spot where he had tasted of ineffable joy, 
 saw them coming, and the iron twisted in his 
 wound. There was no longer possibility of 
 doubt. 
 
 *'It*s funny that we've had to live under the 
 same roof again, so to speak, for two weeks, 
 when you hate me so, isn't it?" said Farnum. 
 
 "Was it to tell me this that you came?" 
 she rejoined. "I don't hate you, Laurie. 
 There are lots of men I don't hate that I 
 wouldn't want to be married to, and you are 
 one of them — that's all. You are lots of fun 
 for a few minutes, but you don't last. If I 
 ever married again it would be to a man like 
 —like—"
 
 u^t 
 
 ^^msm^^ 
 
 ........ 
 
 JOHNNY SAW THEM COMING, AND THE IRON TWISTED IN HIS WOUND. 
 
 Par/e 14G.
 
 HTHE TIME, TEE PLACE 147 
 
 *■ AND THE GIBL 
 
 "Like happy Johnny Hicks, the gambler, 
 I've seen you with so often, for instance?" 
 
 "I was not mentioning any names, but the 
 man you mention I do beHeve is a square, 
 honorable fellow. There's something about 
 you, Laurie, that fascinates a young girl. It 
 took me in when I was younger and for a 
 while it made an awful impression on Miss 
 Simpson whom you have been so attentive to 
 lately." 
 
 "For a while? Don't you think it's bet- 
 ter than that?" 
 
 "Laurie, you're not one — t^vo — seven 
 with her. In the long test you don't stand 
 comparison with your friend Cunningham." 
 
 "That is what you think — but you may re- 
 member we never did agree on anything."
 
 148 Y^^ TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIBL 
 
 "I remember. Still, I know what I'm talk- 
 ing about." 
 
 "So do I, and, honestly, I think enough of 
 her to marry her for herself." 
 
 "You do not. You forget who you're talk- 
 ing to when you say that. I know you — 
 you'd marry any rich girl that didn't have 
 paralysis of her signing hand." 
 
 "Well, if you say so. But there's one 
 thing that is to the advantage of both of us — 
 not to let our former marriage be known. 
 That is what I came to talk to you about." 
 
 "I'm not likely to speak about it. You 
 know how proud I am." 
 
 "Precisely. I don't believe you would, but 
 if you did it would queer me and my pros- 
 pects, and I don't think you hate me enough 
 to do that."
 
 Y'SE TIME, TEE PLACE 149 
 
 '* AND THE GIRL 
 
 "I ought to put that young woman wise to 
 it as a matter of duty. But, as I said, she's 
 not for you, if I'm any judge of my sex, and, 
 anyhow, it's none of my business." 
 
 "Then it is understood, Mollie — not a 
 word to anybody about our marriage." 
 
 *'Not a word, since you wish it." 
 
 They passed the bushes behind which 
 Hicks lay as the last few words of the conver- 
 sation were exchanged, and he could not help 
 but hear them. 
 
 "That settles it," he groaned, gazing after 
 them with tears in his eyes. 'Not a word to 
 anybody about our marriage.' They're goin' 
 to light out o' this place on the Q. T. to do it. 
 This is where I kiss myself good bye.' 
 
 »
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 There was a commotion in the hotel. The 
 news that a detective had arrived with a war- 
 rant for the arrest of the assailant of James 
 Kelly during the riot at Glad Hand Mike's 
 at Washington, had spread with the quick- 
 ness of an electric flash. For the sleuth had 
 made his mission known to the manager — 
 and a bell boy had overheard him. Only 
 three guests were registered as from the Na- 
 tional Capital — Cunningham, Farnum and 
 Hicks — and the book showed that they had 
 arrived the day after the riot. At the detec- 
 tive's request the manager sent for them, and 
 their appearance in the lobby was the signal 
 for the gathering about them of everybody 
 
 in the hotel — including Mollie, who had come 
 
 150
 
 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 151 
 
 '■ AND TEE GIRL 
 
 over from the sanitarium on business and 
 joined the crowd to see what was the matter. 
 
 "Which of you three men was it who struck 
 Kelly down?" demanded the detective blunt- 
 ly, but fixing his eye on Johnny. "All three 
 of you tally with descriptions of men who 
 were there." 
 
 "I'm elected," announced Johnny crest- 
 fallenly. He had seen Molhe's eyes upon 
 him. 
 
 "What, you?" she exclaimed. "Do you 
 mean to say you are the man who nearly 
 killed my brother ? Do" 
 
 "You needn't say it," he interrupted with 
 a gesture of despairing resignation. "I know 
 what you think of me. I've rolled my hoop 
 out of your yard, anyhow, and I don't care 
 what happens. Officer, take me away.'
 
 152 ySi; TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Hold on," cried Cunningham resolutely. 
 "It isn't so. Mollie, I was the man who 
 whipped your brother. I" 
 
 "Not that," protested Hicks, astonished 
 at his friend's action and determined to 
 shoulder the blame. "I'm it, all right, officer. 
 Don't you beheve him." 
 
 "Well, which of you was it, anyway? Or 
 was it both?" demanded the detective. 
 
 "It was I who did it," insisted Cunning- 
 ham. "Let me explain, Mollie. I was on my 
 way to Tellalapec on a most important mis- 
 sion when this unfortunate broil occurred. 
 The blow was struck in self-defence, but 
 never mind that. My business here was ex- 
 tremely delicate, involving the interests and 
 happiness of two persons, and when I read 
 that the police were headed this way to arrest
 
 •THE TIME, THE PLACE 153 
 
 ** AND THE GIBL 
 
 your brother's assailant, I realized that this 
 would mean the complete failure of my pur- 
 pose, and as for special reasons I dared not 
 leave the place I asked Hicks here to say 
 he was the man they were after, if the oc- 
 casion should arise. I was selfish, as every 
 man placed as I am would be, perhaps, but 
 I didn't know then that he would be in a 
 similar position himself. But he is, and un- 
 der the circumstances I cannot allow the sac- 
 rifice, whatever the consequences to myself 
 may be. And by the consequences I do not 
 mean the police action. This is a small mat- 
 ter — at the worst a simple affair for a police 
 magistrate to deal with. That doesn't de- 
 tract from Mr. Hicks's heroism, however, 
 and I want you to know that they don't make 
 such men as he every day. He's my friend,
 
 154 T'EE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 and I'm proud of it, and don't care who 
 knows it." 
 
 Hicks in confusion and dismay had shrunk 
 behind Farnum. If the floor could have 
 opened and he could have jumped out of 
 sight he would have given ten years off his 
 life. 
 
 "Well, I'm glad it wasn't Johnny," said 
 Mollie beaming, "but Mr. Cunningham 
 couldn't have been so much in the wrong. 
 My brother says it was his own fault, and 
 he's anxious to apologize to somebody for 
 the fight. He intends to withdraw the com- 
 plaint as soon as he gets out, which will be 
 in a day or two. You'd better see him to- 
 morrow morning, Mr. Policeman." 
 
 "Have I your word, sir, that you won't 
 seek to evade the warrant ?" asked the detec-
 
 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 155 
 
 '■ AND THE GIRL 
 
 tive, seeing it was not a case for active inter- 
 ference. 
 
 "Of course," said Cunningham. 
 
 "The idea!" exclaimed Mollie. 
 
 Farmer Simpson elbowed to the front. 
 
 "Look-a here, mister," he said, addressing 
 the officer. "If ye want bail I'll go ye fer a 
 million. I know the prisoner at the bar and 
 I own the hull of Saskatchewan County, 
 and" 
 
 "Not necessary," replied the policeman. 
 "I couldn't take bail anyhow. I'm not a mag- 
 istrate." 
 
 "Thank you," said Cunningham gratefully, 
 shaking the farmer's hand with heartiness. 
 "You don't know how I appreciate that." 
 
 He glanced quickly towards Margaret, 
 whom he had been afraid to look at before.
 
 156 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 There was a soft light in her eyes, but these 
 became stern instantly as her gaze met his. 
 
 Johnny joined Mollie on her way back to 
 the sanitarium. 
 
 "Miss Mollie," he said, "I've come to say 
 adoo. I skin out of here to-morrow." 
 
 "You're going to leave us already ? What 
 for?" she demanded. 
 
 "Well, I guess it's about time I caught on 
 to myself. I'm all in. But I want to con- 
 gratulate you and wish you luck before I go. 
 We've been good chums." 
 
 "We have that, Johnny," she said, regret 
 in her voice. "But what do you want to con- 
 gratulate me about?" 
 
 "Laurie Farnum." 
 
 "Laurie Farnum? What about him?" 
 "Ain't he the only pebble ?"
 
 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 157 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 "Johnny, I don't understand a darned 
 thing you're talking about." 
 
 "Ain't you engaged to be married to him ?" 
 
 "Whatever put such an idea into your 
 head?" 
 
 "He's got your head in his ticker." 
 
 "It's like his cheek," she declared indig- 
 nantly. "He promised to destroy that pic- 
 ture ages ago. You don't know how mis- 
 taken you are." 
 
 "Didn't he ask you to hitch up with him?" 
 
 "Yes — he did — once." 
 
 "You didn't turn him down?" 
 
 "No, I married him." 
 
 He gazed at her utterly bewildered, hope 
 which had sprung timidly up again dropping 
 back to the slough of despond. 
 
 "Let me explain," she said eagerly. "I
 
 158 ^EE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 was Laurie Farnum's wife. We were both 
 young and foolish and I had never seen any- 
 one. He sort of fascinated me and I married 
 him. Neither of us realized what we were 
 doing. Later I found out what he was and 
 we were divorced six years ago." 
 
 "An' you don't care for him anymore? 
 Tell me — on the square," he pleaded. 
 
 "I don't dislike Laurie — I pity him — with 
 all my heart." 
 
 Johnny's own heart swelled with a great, 
 tender joy. 
 
 "So that's how it is ! Well, he won all my 
 dough an' all I separated from them other 
 guys. I was goin' to wait 'till I got that 
 roll before I asked you to get measured for 
 the harness with me. On the grave, I ain't 
 got an iron louie to my name, but if you think
 
 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 159 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 you could care about that kind of a guy with- 
 out strainin' yourself — why" — — 
 
 He wiped his mouth suggestively and re- 
 ceived a repetition of the kiss which before 
 had sealed their love. 
 
 "I've been careful," she told him. "The 
 patients here have been awful good to me 
 and I've got a bunch of money saved up. 
 We'll plant it where it'll do us most good, 
 but it won't be on the green table cloth." 
 
 "No," he answered, "I'm through with 
 that for all time and even longer. I see my- 
 self in hurrah clothes, handin' out plates of 
 'ham and' with one eye and gluin' the other 
 on the barkeep ladlin' out the sarsaparilla, 
 while you scoops in the shekels." 
 
 "Sure — that's the caper." said Mollie.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 "Margaret, you have not treated me fair- 
 ly," protested Cunningham. *'I know I have 
 been wild. That foolish quarrel, which I have 
 bitterly regretted, started me off, and when 
 I found you would have nothing to do with 
 me I made several kinds of an idiot of my- 
 self. But I am not wholly bad."' 
 
 "Oh, no, you have some good qualities, I 
 won't deny it. The way you owned up just 
 now in front of everybody showed that. It 
 was clean and manly — almost noble." 
 
 "No please don't. I can't stand for that." 
 
 "It was, and it is only right that credit 
 should be given where credit is due," 
 
 "Well. I should like you to think I could 
 
 160
 
 "TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 161 
 
 '* AND TEE GIBL 
 
 earn credit for something more than an act 
 of mere common decency. I do want to be 
 something, Margaret — to do things worth 
 while. I have often thought that a rich man's 
 son deserves more pity than anyone else. I 
 was never in my Ufe called upon to assume 
 any responsibility or undertake anything that 
 would have kept me to harness. If my father 
 only had remained in business I might have 
 had a chance — it would have been forced 
 upon me." 
 
 "That's the trouble. I never had anything 
 positive against you, in spite of our quarrel, 
 which was as much my fault as yours. It was 
 because you were not my ideal of a man, be- 
 cause you were just a wealthy man's son who 
 had never done anything. I could have liked 
 you, perhaps, if you had been even positively
 
 162 'THE TIME, THE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 bad — but you were not — you were not any- 
 thing until — until" 
 
 "Until what?" 
 
 "You know very well what, Tom Cunning- 
 ham, and I wonder that I have so far forgot- 
 ten myself as to talk to you." 
 
 "I must have done something dreadful for 
 you to say that, but for the life of me I can't 
 remember that I was at any time guilty of 
 anything that would justify your contemptu- 
 ous treatment of me." 
 
 The girl drew away from him and swept 
 him with a glance of withering scorn. 
 
 "I suppose you consider it quite natural. 
 / consider it not only scandalous, but odious 
 beyond expression, and I'm glad you know 
 now exactly what I think of your conduct." 
 
 "What do you consider scandalous and
 
 J'fljff TIME, TEE PLACE 163 
 
 AND THE QIBL 
 
 odious? In heaven's name tell me what I 
 
 did?" 
 
 "You thought, perhaps, I never should 
 
 find it out, but you see how mistaken you 
 
 were. I know all about your marriage and 
 
 all about how you deserted your wife." 
 
 "My marriage? Margaret, there is some 
 mistake somewhere. I have never married, 
 and never have thought of marrying any girl 
 but you." 
 
 "Then you promised to marry a girl aild 
 deserted her." 
 
 "Never dreamed of such a thing." 
 
 His earnestness showed that he spoke in 
 all sincerity. 
 
 "Then I don't understand," she said help- 
 lessly. 
 
 "Nor I. Whoever told you this absurd 
 yarn?"
 
 164 'THE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND THE GIRL 
 
 "Bud heard about it first." 
 
 "Bud! Bud! When is this marriage sup- 
 posed to have taken place?" 
 
 "While you were at college." 
 
 "Oh, I begin to understand. You say Bud 
 heard about it first? Naturally he told you. 
 But who confirmed his story?" 
 
 "Your friend, Mr. Farnum." 
 
 "You don't mean to say Laurie told you 
 that lie?" 
 
 "Not in so many words, but he gave me to 
 understand it was true." 
 
 "That absolves me from the suspicion of 
 not playing fair with him then, and I will 
 show you how I have been wronged. It was 
 Farnum who married while we were at col- 
 lege together, and the girl who was his wife 
 and who divorced him is Mollie, the head
 
 Y'HE TIME, THE PLACE 165 
 
 ^ AND THE GIBL 
 
 nurse here. Ask her yourself if you still 
 doubt me." 
 
 "Oh, Tom!" 
 
 It was all she could find to say in her 
 thankfulness and emotion. 
 
 "Do you wish me to leave you now?" he 
 asked, bending towards her. "Am I still a 
 pariah ?" 
 
 "No, I have been cruelly unjust. How can 
 I make amends?" 
 
 Their rocking chairs were in a darkened 
 and deserted corner of the piazza. The 
 amende honorable was exacted by Cunning- 
 ham there and then, and it was eminently sat- 
 isfactory. 
 
 A few minutes later Farnum encountered 
 them. Margaret was leaning on Cunning- 
 ham's arm and they were going in search of
 
 166 'TEE TIME, TEE PLACE 
 
 AND TEE GIRL 
 
 her father. Farnum, astonished, raised his 
 hat and smiled, but she met his inquiring gaze 
 with a chill, haughty stare; Cunningham took 
 no notice of him at all. He looked after them 
 thoughtfully until they had entered the hotel. 
 
 An hour later, grip in hand, and dressed 
 for traveling he hunted up Johnny. 
 
 "Oh, Hicks," he said, "I'm going to catch 
 
 the night train to town, and I wanted to tell 
 
 you that I didn't play a fair game to you. I 
 
 don't need the money as much as I did. 
 
 Here's your roll and here's your I. O. U. 
 I'm trying to make up by giving you a square 
 deal now. So long." 
 
 He hurried out to the waiting carriage, and 
 the vehicle bore him swiftly down the hill. 
 Long after it had vanished from view Johnny 
 stood looking stupidly at the money in his 
 hand.
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY ^ AULl Y 
 
 A A 000 286103 7 
 
 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 University of California, San Diego 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
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