Part 37 (1/2)

”T'ankee, Ma.r.s.e Cunnel, t'ankee,” Neb replied, pocketing the tip. ”Oh, warn't it gran'? An' yo' climbed de tree, arter all!”

”s.h.!.+ Clear out, you rascal!”

Neb did not go at once, but, with the boldness of an old and privileged retainer, stood there, chuckling. ”Climbed de tree!” he gurgled. ”An'

so did Miss 'Lethe!”

With this he slapped his knee, and, laughing boisterously, left the room as the embarra.s.sed lady of the house stepped out of her concealment.

”Ah, Miss 'Lethe,” said the Colonel, ”good morning.”

”I expected you back from Lexington last night, Colonel.” She looked at him reproachfully.

”Stayed over to celebrate, my dear,” the Colonel answered. ”Stayed to celebrate the victory.” With a beaming face he advanced upon the lady, plainly planning an embrace.

But she eluded him. ”Wait a moment, Colonel. On what did you celebrate?”

The Colonel laughed. ”Oh, I didn't forget. I celebrated on ginger-ale and soda-pop.”

Miss Alathea smiled with happy satisfaction. She eluded him no longer, but, herself, went to him and bestowed the kiss.

”I doubt if my stomach ever recovers from the insult,” said the Colonel, delighted by the kiss but remembering the mildness of the beverages which had marked his jubilation. ”Miss 'Lethe, a julep--a mint-julep--before I perish.”

With a smile she crossed the room to where, upon the side-board (a side-board is an adjunct of all well-regulated libraries in old Kentucky), a snowy damask cloth concealed glorious somethings. With a graceful sweep she took it from them and revealed three juleps in their glory of green-crowns. ”Look, Colonel!”

”Three! Great heavens!” the Colonel cried, delighted. He took one and disposed of it in haste.

”I mixed them myself,” Miss 'Lethe said.

The Colonel drank another, but less rapidly.

”Remember,” she said, warningly, ”three and no more!”

”Yes, yes,” he granted. ”I must save the other one.” It was difficult to sip it, for Miss Alathea's juleps were like nectar to his thirsty palate, but he restrained himself and drank of this last ambrosial gla.s.s with great deliberation, trying to make it last as long as possible.

”What are all those bundles, Colonel?” asked Miss Alathea, pointing to the packages which old Neb had brought in.

”They're for Madge. She bought them yesterday.” He sighed. ”Ah, will you ever forget yesterday?”

”Oh, don't speak of it!”

”Can't help it.” The Colonel waxed enthusiastic at the mere memory of the great occasion. ”Whoopee!” he cried. ”What a race it was!”

”To think,” said Miss Alathea, ”that I--_I_--should enter a race-track!”

”To think that _I_--should stay out of one!”

”It was all your fault, Colonel,” said Miss Alathea. ”In your excitement after the race you grasped my hand and I was compelled to follow.”

”How strange!” exclaimed the Colonel, slowly, with a slight smile tickling at the corners of his mouth. ”At times I fancied you were in the lead, I following.”

”Colonel,” said the lady slowly, ”perhaps I might as well confess. I've made a discovery. The sin isn't so much in looking at the horses run--it's in betting on them. That's where souls are lost.”

”And likewise money,” said the Colonel, nodding, gravely.