Life — February 14, 1901 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

INEFFECTUAL BAIT. Barley: \ see JANE GARGOYLE HAS A NEW TRAY, Snartey ¢ WHLy SWELL HAVE TO BAIT IP WITH SOMETHING MORE ATTRACTIVE. THAN HERSELY IP SU% EXVECTA TO CATCH A MAN. The Secret Chamber. Cc UPID entered softly, in order not to alarm the owner, and looked about him, “Gracious!’’ he exclaimed, under his breath, ‘ Have I made a mistake?” He examined his notes. “No,” he continued, ‘this is it. ‘Heart Number Sixteen Thousand and Nine, District Five Hundred and Thirteen. Horace Kirk, bachelor.’ But what has happened? Why, I never would have known them for the Wp same apartments I visited a year ago!” He now began a slow tour of inspection, scrutinizing and commenting, as he pro- ceeded from corner to corner, “There used to be a lot of photographs on this mantelpiece. He said that they were his champagne accounts, receipted, Nearly every green-room favorite in the city was exhibited. I wonder what ho has done with them all. And pish! A view of the interior of Durham Cathedral—the idea !—where that jolly poker picture once hung. Books —ham-m-m— * Familiar Quotations’ — ‘Browning’ — ‘Cyrano de Ber- ’— fiddlesticks !_ I don’t see any of the old standbys —not one! Nor is there anything new in that line, either. Time was when I would surely have found the latest by Tolstoy or Zola lying here right under my hand, No decanter on the sideboard! The tobacco in this jar is as dry as powder! And the full-length panel of Oh, dear ! Kittie Kissington (the little rogue !) is gone! oh, dear! It doesn’t seem like the same place at all. Positively—I smell perfume instead of stale smoke! And what’s this—a glove?”’ He stooped and picked something from the floor. “A five!” he ejaculated. He sniffed at it. ‘ Perfumed— scented like the atmosphere, too,” he continued. ‘ That explains the whole affair. There’s a woman in this heart ! Of course. And—and I believe I see her over there, on the couch in the corner.”’ Cupid tiptoed across the room, but his precautions were in vain, for, as he approached, the girl on the couch smiled brightly at him. “ Well,” she said, ‘‘ you sec I am here.” “Yes,’? responded Cupid, somewhat puzzled, ‘I se But how did you get in? I’m certain that he didn’t ex- pect. you." | “Oh, I simply got in all the easier, on that account,” she replied:_..tIn fact, while he was looking one way, I slipped in by another. I’ve been here only a week.” * “I suppose he knows all about it, now,” hazarded Cupid, rather gruffly, for he was both astounded and apprehensive. “To be sure!’’ she exclaimed, gaily. ‘‘ Don’t you notice the change? He has thrown out just piles of stuff, to make the place fit for me. There never was a girl here before, you see. Really, it took him a whole night to clean house. He didn’t sleep at all. Poor fellow! But I'm going to repay him much more than he has lost, and I'm « happy.” “Yes, yes,’ said Cupid, impatiently. ‘*No doubt you are. It is evident that you are very cosy in this nice corner—I see that he has fixed you up a sort of sanctum, nicely cushioned and screened, But tell me—what has he comicbooks.com