MR. BREWSTER DELIVERS SENTENCE
At about the same moment that Professor Binstead was his in Mr. Brewster’s sitting-room, Archie Moffam sat his in a drawing-room on the from Miami. He was that this was too good to be true. His brain had been in something of a these last days, but this was one that failed to from the welter.
Mrs. Archie Moffam, Lucille Brewster, was small and slender. She had a little face, set in a cloud of dark hair. She was so perfect that Archie had himself to take the marriage-certificate out of his pocket and study it furtively, to make himself that this of good had actually to him.
“Honestly, old bean—I mean, dear old thing,—I mean, darling,” said Archie, “I can’t it!”
“What?”
“What I is, I can’t why you should have married a like me.”
Lucille’s opened. She his hand.
“Why, you’re the most thing in the world, precious!—Surely you know that?”
“Absolutely my notice. Are you sure?”
“Of I’m sure! You wonder-child! Nobody see you without you!”
Archie an sigh. Then a his mind. It was a which came to his bliss.
“I say, I wonder if your father will think that!”
“Of he will!”
“We this, as it were, on the old lad,” said Archie dubiously. “What of a man is your father?”
“Father’s a darling, too.”
“Rummy thing he should own that hotel,” said Archie. “I had a with a of a manager there just I left for Miami. Your father ought to that chap. He was a on the landscape!”
It had been settled by Lucille the that Archie should be to his father-in-law. That is to say, of into Mr. Brewster’s presence hand in hand, the happy pair should for an hour or so, Archie around in the while Lucille saw her father and told him the whole story, or those of it which she had from her for want of space. Then, having Mr. Brewster with his luck in having Archie for a son-in-law, she would lead him to where his of good him.
The programme out in its stages. When the two from Mr. Brewster’s room to meet Archie, Mr. Brewster’s idea was that had upon him in an almost fashion and had presented him with a son-in-law who in almost equal parts the more of Apollo, Sir Galahad, and Marcus Aurelius. True, he had in the of the that dear Archie had no and no private means; but Mr. Brewster that a great-souled man like Archie didn’t need them. You can’t have everything, and Archie, according to Lucille’s account, was a hundred man in soul, looks, manners, amiability, and breeding. These are the that count. Mr. Brewster to the in a of and geniality.
Consequently, when he Archie, he got a of a shock.
“Hullo—ullo—ullo!” said Archie, happily.
“Archie, darling, this is father,” said Lucille.
“Good Lord!” said Archie.
There was one of those silences. Mr. Brewster looked at Archie. Archie at Mr. Brewster. Lucille, without why that the big had its toe on some unlooked-for obstacle, waited for enlightenment. Meanwhile, Archie to Mr. Brewster, and Mr. Brewster to drink in Archie.
After an pause of about three and a minutes, Mr. Brewster once or twice, and spoke.
“Lu!”
“Yes, father?”
“Is this true?”
Lucille’s over with and apprehension.
“True?”
“Have you this—this on me for a son-in-law?” Mr. Brewster a more times, Archie the while with a the of his new relative’s Adam’s-apple. “Go away! I want to have a alone with this—This—wassyourdamname?” he demanded, in an manner, Archie for the time.
“I told you, father. It’s Moom.”
“Moom?”
“It’s M-o-f-f-a-m, but Moom.”
“To rhyme,” said Archie, helpfully, “with Bluffinghame.”
“Lu,” said Mr. Brewster, “run away! I want to speak to-to-to—”
“You called me this before,” said Archie.
“You aren’t angry, father, dear?” said Lucilla.
“Oh no! Oh no! I’m to death!”
When his had withdrawn, Mr. Brewster a long breath.
“Now then!” he said.
“Bit embarrassing, all this, what!” said Archie, chattily. “I to say, having met in less happy circs. and what not. Rum and so forth! How would it be to the old hatchet—start a new life—forgive and forget—learn to love each other—and all that of rot? I’m game if you are. How do we go? Is it a bet?”
Mr. Brewster by this to his feelings.
“What the do you by marrying my daughter?”
Archie reflected.
“Well, it of happened, don’t you know! You know how these are! Young once, and all that. I was most in love, and Lu to think it wouldn’t be a scheme, and one thing to another, and—well, there you are, don’t you know!”
“And I you think you’ve done well for yourself?”
“Oh, absolutely! As as I’m concerned, everything’s topping! I’ve so in my life!”
“Yes!” said Mr. Brewster, with bitterness, “I suppose, from your view-point, is ‘topping.’ You haven’t a to your name, and you’ve managed to a rich man’s into marrying you. I you looked me up in Bradstreet yourself?”
This of the had not Archie until this moment.
“I say!” he observed, with dismay. “I looked at it like that before! I can see that, from your point of view, this must look like a of a wash-out!”
“How do you to support Lucille, anyway?”
Archie ran a the of his collar. He embarrassed, His father-in-law was opening up all of new lines of thought.
“Well, there, old bean,” he admitted, frankly, “you have me!” He the over for a moment. “I had a of idea of, as it were, working, if you know what I mean.”
“Working at what?”
“Now, there again you me somewhat! The was that I should of look round, you know, and nose about and to and till something up. That was, speaking, the notion!”
“And how did you my was to live while you were doing all this?”
“Well, I think,” said Archie, “I think we you to a for the nonce!”
“I see! You to live on me?”
“Well, you put it a crudely, but—as as I had anything out—that WAS what you might call the of procedure. You don’t think much of it, what? Yes? No?”
Mr. Brewster exploded.
“No! I do not think much of it! Good God! You go out of my hotel—my hotel—calling it all the names you think of—roasting it to the band—”
“Trifle hasty!” Archie, apologetically. “Spoke without thinking. Dashed had gone drip-drip-drip all night—kept me awake—hadn’t had breakfast—bygones be bygones—!”
“Don’t interrupt! I say, you go out of my hotel, it as no one has it since it was built, and you off and my without my knowledge.”
“Did think of for blessing. Slipped the old bean, somehow. You know how one things!”
“And now you come and me to my arms you and you, and support you for the of your life!”
“Only while I’m about and to and fro.”
“Well, I I’ve got to support you. There no way out of it. I’ll tell you what I to do. You think my hotel is a hotel, eh? Well, you’ll have of opportunity of judging, you’re to live here. I’ll let you have a and I’ll let you have your meals, but of that—nothing doing! Nothing doing! Do you what I mean?”
“Absolutely! You mean, ‘Napoo!’”
“You can for a amount in my restaurant, and the hotel will look after your laundry. But not a do you out of me. And, if you want your shoes shined, you can pay for it in the basement. If you them your door, I’ll the floor-waiter to them the air-shaft. Do you understand? Good! Now, is there anything more you want to ask?”
Archie a smile.
“Well, as a of fact, I was going to ask if you would along and have a bite with us in the grill-room?”
“I will not!”
“I’ll the bill,” said Archie, ingratiatingly. “You don’t think much of it? Oh, right-o!”
