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HAMILTON 9WIFT, JR.
BYNOl'SIS Newcomer In a small
town, n young newspaper man. who
tolls tlm story, In amazed by the
un.iccountnhlo actions of a man
wlio, from tho window of nr fino
house, apparently nun converso
with Invlnlhlfl personaKes, particu
larly mentioning ono "Hlmplo
dorla." Next mornlnu ho dlscov
QfH Ills ntrancp nclKhbor In tho
lion. Uavld Beanloy, prominent pol
itician, and universally respected.
With Ml n:? Apperthwnlto, ho Is on
unseen wltnesH of a purely ImaK
Innry jumping contest between
Iloasley nnd a "Hill Hammcrsloy."
Miss Apporthwalto appears deeply
concerned, 1 ho reirtor loams that
IScnuley nnd Mls'n Apperthwalte hnd
lit pne tltno been engaged, nnd that
tho young lady had broken the
engagement because, of Ucaslcy's
"lackjif Imagination."
Ill Continued.
A
"Poor Dnvld! Outside of his Inw
IiooIch. I don't believe lie's ever rend
anything hut 'Hoblnsnn Crusoe nnd
tho Bible nnd Mark Twnln. Oh, you
should Imve hoard lier talk about It !
'I couldn't bear It another day, she
mild, 'I couldn't stand It I In all the
time I've known lilin I don't believe
he's ever nsked me a Blngtc question
except when ho linked me If I'd marry
him. lie never says anything never
tweaks nt all !' Mio said. 'You don't
know a blessing when you see It,' I
told her. 'Blessing !' she Bald. 'There's
nothing In the man! "Ho hnB no
depths! lie hasn't any more Imagina
tion than (he chair he sits and sits
and sits In! Half the time he answers
what I say to him by nodding and say
ing "uin-hum," with that snme old
foolish, contented smile of his. I'd
have gone mad If It hnd lasted any
longer!' I asked her if she thought
married llfo consisted very Inrgely of
conversations between husbnnd nnd
wife; and she answered that even
innrrlcd life oVght to have some po
etry In It. 'Some romance,' 6ho said,
'some soul I And he just comes and
sits,' she said, 'nnd sits and sits and
sits and sits! And I can't bear It any
longer, and I've told him so.' "
"Poor Mr. Beasley," I said.
"I think, 'Poor Ann Apperthwnlte!'"
retorted my cousin. "I'd like to know
If there's anything nicer thnn just to
nit and sit anil sit and sit with nn love
ly a ninn as that a man who under
stands things, and thinks and listens
and smiles Instead of everlastingly
talking!"
"As It hnppens," I remarked, "I've
heard Mr. Bensley tnlk."
"Why, of course he talks," she re
turned, "when there's" any real use In
It. And he talks to children; he's that
kind of a man,"
"I meant a particular Instance," I
began; meaning to seo If she could
give me any clew to Bill Hammcrsloy
and Slmpledorla, but nUthnt moment
the gate clicked under tho hand of
another caller. My cousin roso to
greet him, and presently I took my
leave without having been able to get
back upon the subject of Bcnsloy.
Thus, once more bafllcd, I returned
to Mrs. Appe.rthwalte'8 and within
the hour came into full possession of
the very heart of that dnrk and subtle
mystery which overhung tho house
next door and so perplexed my soul.
IV.
Finding that I had still somo leisure
before me, I got a book from my room
nnd repaired to the bench In the gar
den. But I did not read ; I had but
opened the book when my attention
was arrested by sounds from tho other
Bide of the high fence low and trem
ulous croonlngs of distinctly African
derivation:
"Ah met man lstuh In a-mawnln',
Blio 'uz a-wuRgln' up do hill so slow!
'Slstuh, you mus' git a raitle In doo time,
ll'fo do hevumly do's cloze Izl' "
v It was the voice of an aged negro;
inil tho simultaneous slight creaking
f a small huh and axle seemed to In-
icate that he was pushing or pulling
n child's wagon or perambulator up
and down the walk from tho kitchen
door to the stable. Whiles, he prof
fered soothing music: over nnd over
ho repented the chant, though with va
riations'; encountering In turn his
brother, his daughter, each of his par
entsLhte WJ'0. 'lls cousin, nnd his
BccofaOr&jjuJhJ one nftor tile other
ascemll'rig tfie samo slope with the
Bamojperllous leisure.
"Lny Btili, honey." ne Interrupted
hls.rlpjpnctjfoaot the, Bocond-cojisln.
"Des koep on B-nrtppln an' a-brenvln'
de fesh nlr. Dnss wha'B go' mek you
good an well agin."
Then., there.. spoke the strangest
yolco that ever fell upon my ear; It
i"p
noJ.Uke aljlld's, neither was It
'aArT old 'person's vojee; It might
turnr
TARKINGTON
-
aUSftprk
have been n grasshopper's, It was so
thin and little, and mado of such tiny
wavers an.l quavers nnd ercaklngs.
"I want " said this ellin voice, "I
want Hill Hammcrsley!"
The Misbby car which had passed my
cousin's house was drawing up to the
curb nea,r Bensley's gate. Evidently
the old nigra saw It.
"Ill dcrl" ho exclaimed. "Look at
diit! Huln' Bill a comln' yonuah des
odzacly on de dot un' to de vey spot
an' Instlnk when you 'quloh fo' Mm,
honey? Dar come Mist' Dave, right
on de minute, nn you kin ret yo' Ins
hunnud dollnhs lie got dat Bill Ham-,
mersley wlf Mm I Conm nlong, honey
chile! Ab's go' to pull you 'roun In
de side yod fo' to meet 'em."
The small wagon creaked away, the
chant resuming ns It went.
Mr. Dowden Jumped out of the enr
with a wave of his hand to the driver,
Beasley himself, who drove through his
open carriage-gates nnd down the
drive on the other side of the house,
where he was lost lo my view.
Dowden, entering our own gate, nod
ded In n friendly fashion to me, and
I advanced to meet him.
"Some day I want to take you over
next door," he said cordially, as I
canto up. "You ought to know Beas
ley, especially as I hear you're doing
homo political reporting. Dave Bens
ley's going to bo the next governor of
this state, you know." Ho laughed,
offered me a cigar, and we sat down
together on the front steps.
"From all I hear," I rejoined, "you
ought to know who'll get It." (It was
said In town that Dowden would
"come pretty nenr having the nomina
tion In his pocket.")
"I expect you thought I shifted the
subject pretty briskly the other day?"
He glanced nt me quizzically from un
der the brim of his blnck felt hnt. "I
meant to tell you about that, but the
opportunity didn't occur. You hee "
"I understand," I Interrupted. "I've
heard the story. You thought It might
be embarrassing to Miss Apper
thwalte." "I expect I was pretty clumsy about
It." said Dowden. cheerfully. "Well,
well " he flicked his cigar with n
smothered ejaculation that was half
a sigh and half a laugh ; "it's a mighty
strange case. Here they keep on liv
ing next door to ench othqr, year after
year, each going on alone when they
might Just as well" Ho left the
sentence unfinished, save for a vocal
click of co.nipnsslon. "They how when
thoy happen to meet, but they haven't
exchanged n word since the night she
sent hint away, long ngo." Ho shook
his head, then his countenance cleared
"l Think, 'Poor Ann Apperthwalte!'"
Retorted My Cousin.
and he chuckled. "Well, sir, Davo's
got something at homo to keep him
buBy enough, these days, I expect I"
"Do you mind telling me?" I In
quired. "Is his name 'Slmpledorla'?"
Mr. Dowden threw back his head
and laughed loudly, "Lord, no! What
on earth mado you think that?"
I told him. It was my second suc
cess with this narrative; however,
there was a difference: my formor au
ditor listened with flushed nnd breath
less excitement, whereas tho present
one laughed consumedly throughout.
Especially he laughed with, a great
laugbtar at the picture of Beasl'ey's
t m
WmmW
Mr
coming down nt four In tho morning
to open the door for nothing on sea or
land or In tho waters under the eurth.
I gave account, also, of tho miraculous
jumping contest (though I did not
mention Miss Apperthwultc's having
been with me), and of the elfin voice
I hnd Just now overheard demanding
"BUI Hnnimerslcy."
"So I expect you must have decld
cd," he chuckled, when I concluded,
"that David Beasley has gone Just
plain Insane."
"Not a bit of It. Nobody could look
nt hlin and not know better than that."
"You're right there I" said Dowden,
heartily. "And now I'll tell you all
there Is to It. You see, Dave grew
up with n cousin of his named Ham
llton Swift; they were boys together;
went to the same school, and then to
college. I don't believe there was ever
a high word spoken between them.
Nobody In this life ever got a quarrel
out of Dave Beasley, and Hamilton
Swift was a mighty good sort of n fel
low, too. He went East to live, after
they got out of college, yet they al
ways managed to get together once a
year, generally about Christmas time.
You couldn't pass them on the .street
without healing their laughter ringing
out louder thnn the sleigh-bells, may
be over some old Joke between them,
or some fool thing they did, perhaps,
when they were boys. But Anally
Hamilton Swift's business took him
over to the other side of tho wnter to
live; and he married an English girl.
"Slmpledorla Is Supposed to Be Ham
llton Swift, Jr.'s, St. Bernard Dog."
nn orphan without any kin. That was
about seven years ngo. Well, sir, this
last summer ha and his wife were tak
ing a trip down In Switzerland, and
they were both drowned tipped over
out of a rowboat In Lake Lucerne
and word came that Hamilton Swift's
will appointed Dave guardian of the
ono child they had, a little boy Ham
ilton Swift, Junior's, his name. He
was sent across the ocean In charge
of a doctor, and Dave went on to New
York to meet him. He brought hlra
homo hero the very day beforo you
passed the house nnd saw poor Dave
getting up nt four In the morning to
let that ghost In. And a mighty funny
ghost Slmpledorla Is I"
"I begin to understand," I said, "and
to feel pretty silly, too."
"Not nt all," he rejoined, heartily.
"That little chap's freaks would mys-,
tlfy anybody, especially with Dave hu
moring 'cm tho ridiculous wny he
does. Hamilton Swift, Junior, Is the
curlousest child I ever Baw and the
good Lord knows He made all chil
dren powerful mysterious I This poor
little cuss has a complication of In
firmities Hint have kept him on hla
bnck most of his life, never knowing
other children, never playing, or any
thing; and he's got Ideas nnd wnys
that I never saw the heat of I He was
born sick, ns I understand It his
bones and nerves nnd Insldcs are nil
wrong, somehow but It's supposed he
gets a little better from year to year.
He wears a pretty elaborate set oC
braces, and he's subject to attacks,
too I don't know the name for 'cm
and loses what llttlo voice he has
sometimes, all but n whisper. He had
one, I know, tho day nftcr Beanley
brought him home, nnd that was prob
ably the reason you thought Davo wns
carrying on all to himself nbout that
Jumplng-match out In the back-yard.
The boy must have been lying thera
In the llttlo wagon they have for him,
while Davo cut up shines with 'Bill
Hnmmersley.' Of course, most children
have make-hellevo friends and com
panions, especially If they haven't any
brothers or sisters, hut this lonely
little feller's got his people worked
out In his mind nnd materialized be
yond any I ever heard of. Dave got
well acquainted with 'cm on the train
on tho wny home, nnd they certainly
nre giving him n lively time. Ho, ho!
flettlng him up atfour In tho morning-"
Mr. Dowden's mirth overcame him
for a moment; when he had mastered
It. ho continued: "Slmpledorla now
where do you supposo ho got thnt
nnmo? well, anyway, Slmpledorln Is
supposed to be Hamilton Swift. Jun
ior's, St. Bernnrd.dog. Beasley had to
bathe him the other day, heboid mol
And Bill Hnmmersley Is supposed to
bo n boy of Hamilton Swift, Junior's,
own ngo, but very big nnd strong; he
has rosy checks, and he can do moro
In nthletlcs than a whole college track
team, That's tho renson he out
Jumped Davo so far, you Bee."
"I'm glad there's somebody In
that house at last with a little
lmaolnatlon.M .
(TO M OONTlMUm&i
Latest in Winter Millinery;
Frocks for
THE story of winter millinery Is
ended except for those beautiful,
frivolous and ephemeral affairs for
dances and the theater, thut are Its
epilogue. Designers must now turn
their thoughts to spring.
The dignity nnd beauty of this sea
son's shapes seemed to demand velvet"
and It tins played the star part among
millinery fabrics. A representative
dress hat, shown at the upper left,
In the group of four hats pictured,
reveals a graceful shaue with droop-
Group of Beautiful Winter Hats.
Ing brim nnd soft crown. It Is
made of black velvet. A soft rope of
ostrich Hues about tho crown ends In
many falling plumes nt the right side.
Shaded otiich in several colors Is
used In this wny on velvet haw In
colors or black. In spite of the velvet
vogue, dnvetine is well represented
In winter hats ann .In model shown
nt the upper right has made a success.
Nnrrow ribbon and fur contrive to
adorn it with the olivet of embroidery,
the fur placed In ornaments at the
.front and sides. At tho lower left, a
black and whlto hat has a peculiar
Ujim covered with embossed white vel
vet with appliques of black hatter'
plush. The applique makes a back
ground for a decoration of whlto buglj
Mzzzxsssrt Jna Tzrv;s&xKz;izzzz:
I'5r
12
. t?r
Frock for Ordinary
beads In llgures thnt conform to the
outlines of the applied plush. TJo
crown Is soft and a spray of curving
feathers provides tho graceful trim
ming. Tliero was n tlmo when peop'lo
were not much Interested In clothes
for their younger girls, It was whoa
they believed In "tho awkward :se."
Girls wero supposed to arrive nt n
period In their development when
nothing could be mndo to look well
upon them, a sort of pin-feather stage,
und their clothes were relegated to
4sbRv BBCt '- V cia?- a. ;wvI.v
ili'-','saa. j. 'N vrSiiM slBBr
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Young Girlhood
--a
the ranks of unimportant things. But
tho nwkward age, like the stone age,
has pnssed almost Into oblivion. When
designers began to specialize In chil
dren's npparel, they uncovered tho
charms of thu half-grown girl.
A frock for all ordinary dress-up
times, nnd n party frock, for tho
.otinger girls, nre shown hero tho
party frock at the right of the two
pictured. This Is merely n new form
of the petal frock, mado of taffeta
silk In light colors. I'aslitonj smiles
-$
ilguln on light blue, pink, Mine, yellow
r.nd green taffeta I'or young folks, and
In simple styles and lines. The party
Srock has a long bodice with alternat
ing panels of plain and wrinkled silk,
ending In n short peplum, cut Into
pointed scallops at t' e bottc i. Tho
bodice Is sleeveless . nd has n bateau
neck line, becoming to slim necks,
with a petal finish aoout It. A pointed
band across the top of the arm cor
responds with the i.eck finish. Tho
skirt Is covered with overlapping
strips of tnffetn cut on one edge Into
pointed scallops. All these edges aro
plcoted. MMie dress la yrettlly llnlshcd
with n small fancy girdle In silver.
The dress at the left of brown vel
veteen Is unusually graceful. It Is cut
Dress - Up and Party Frock.
on straight lines with kimono sleeve
hanging In points below tho elriow
and faced with light crepe de clime.
A narrow girdle of metnlllc ribbon Is
tied nt the left side where- hnngkig
loops and ends Unlsh It. Crepo rte
chlno tabs, simply decorated wlUi
needlework of colored silk flosti,
make a pretty collar for tho neck.
COmtiMT m VBJTMH MWATSf VMSH
Tj;3f!-?ri:xK, &,r fsi!w,ixK;,-it ,m t jM?
&M M nUKM fSl 1Mb. dJST
GhVHAM BONNER.
. COniiOHl II VlttltN MVU UrnON .
THE MOON'S HINTS
Mr. Moon henrd that tho Fairy
Queen wns going to give a party and
he was greatly excited about It.
"I'd like to be present nt the party,"
he said to himself. "I do hope It will
be an evening party.
"I like evening parties, I must say.
Daytime parties aren't nt nil In my
line. No, they're not In my line at all.
"Well, 1 muht bee when tho party Is
to be. Of course, I don't want to hint
or anything like that. But maybe I'll
suggest to the Fairy Queen that tha
evening Is a lovely tlmo In which to
give a party.
"Perhaps she'll take the suggestion
and won't see thnt I'm hinting Just a
little bit.
"Well, I'll try."
So the next time the Fnlry Queen
cume up to see the Blue Mountain Top
Fairies Mr. Moon was Just getting up.
"Good evening, Fairy Queen," he snld,
and grinned his best and most attrac
tive grin.
"(nod evening, Mr. Moon," snld tho
Fairy Queen. "How ure you this eve
ning?" "Oh, nicely, mn'am. Nicely, your
majesty.
"And how are you this evening, Won
drous Fairy?"
"Oh, I feel splendid," said the Fairy
Queen.
"Good." said Mr. Moon.
Then he thought for a moment and
then he satd :
"These evenings nre wonderful eve
nings for nil sorts of things. I don't
mean anything speelnl, but they're tine
for well let us say, entertainments,
recitals, po.ssibly Illustrated lectures."
lie didn't want to sny the word "par
ties" right out for fear the Fairy Queen
would think he was hinting.
"Yes," said the Fairy Queen, "these
evenings nre nice enough for any
thing." Mr. Moon wns n little sad nt that.
The Fairy Queen was not thinking of
her pnrty, evidently.
"Well," said -Mr. Moon after another
moment, "I suppose you ure quite busy
these line evenings?"
"Not unusually so," answered tho
Fnlry Queen.
"No?" snld Mr. Moon, becoming' a "
little bolder. "I had nn Idea you
were."
"Oh, no," snld tho Fnlry Queen, "I've
not been so busy. But I will bo busy
from now on."
Well, this wns exciting. Mr. Moon
could hardly keep from saying right
'This Is a 8urprlse.M
out, "You mean bocnuso of your
party I"
But instead ho said, "Oh, have you
much to do from now on?"
"Yes," tho Fairy Queen answered,
"quite n lot."
"Well," said Mr. Moon, "I suppose
there Is a lot of work to be done at
this time of the year."
He thought to himself that that was
a foolish remark to havo mnde.
Why would any ono be so very much
busier now thnn at any other time?
But still he had said this and so he
wouldn't change his speech now or try
to Improve upon It.
"No, I really couldn't call It work,"
said the Fairy Queen.
"Well, that's good," said Mr. Moon.
"I'm glnd It Is to bo pleasure. I like, to
feel there Is to bo more pleasure go
ing on."
He hnd almost said that he liked to
feel there was going to ho a party.
How nearly he had said that.
lie wns very glad ho wasn't given
to blushing, for he knew ho would huvo
blushed at that hint of his If It had
been a habit of his to blush.
"Well," said tho Fairy Queen after
n moment, "I love to chat with you,
Mr. Moon, but I must bo going.
"And one of tho things I particularly
wanted to say In fact, ono of the rea
sons I enmo to the mountain top this
evening was to Invito you to my par
ty tomorrow evening."
"Oh, Fairy Queen, this Is a sur
prise l" said Mr. Moon, and then he
felt n little guilty and yet It had been
a surprlso to havo been Invited like
thnt all of a sudden. Still he must
bo perfectly truthful, so he said, "I
heard rumors ot n party, your mnjesty,
but I didn't know whether or not It
was a nlght-tlmo nffulr. I am so glad
It Is."
"So glnd you can come," said tho
Fnlry Queen.
But after sho had gone Mr. Moon
laughed to himself: "She hnd come to
Invito mo nnd hero I hnd hinted nnd
hinted and she had not tuken the
hints because she had meant mo to
have an Invitation,' any vayl"
MARV
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