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Tht was not Myra. His daughter
and he had always been the best of
friends and companions, in spite of a
little thoughtlessness on her part
toward him.
"You can't make me believe that,
ma'am," he said tothe fairy, who had
somehow remained iiHhe vicinity, in
visible though she was, ""That isn't
Myra. It's a dream you're giving me."
"Choose your third wish, then,"
said the fairy curtly.
"In a moment, ma'am," answered
Captain Paul
"Why not now?" asked the fairy.
"Because this is mighty good li
quor, ma'am," replied "the captain,
"and I guess when you take this
dream away you'll take the drink
away with it"
"Now, ma'am," he said, when he
had finished, "I'm going to make my
third wish. But I'm going to think
hard before I make it, seeing as .it's
my last I'm not going to get tucked
away in a hole for the rest of my
days. If I w&s to wish what's in my
mind mind, I'm only saying it, not
wishing it I'd wish to be a young
man of 25, handsome; and better ed
ucated than any man I've ever seen,
with Mary at my .side, just married
to me, and a house and land and a
yacht and an automobile, and nothing
to do, and a dozen butlers and ser
vants, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones
Frothingham competing for the hon
or of filling my pipe with Latakia
Grade 1, and a fine cellar of old wine
with cobwebs on the bottles, and
and but I ain't wishing those things,
I'm only thinking about 'em. Like as
not if I wished 'em you'd put the fly
in the ointment somewhere. So I'm
going to have a good think."
"Think, then," said the fairy
harshly.
'I'm thinking, ma'am," replied the
captain. "1 wish I wish I wish just
the thing that is best for me."
Captain Paul opened his eyes and
started up. He was seated upon the
porch of the little house that over
looked the sea, and his pipe was still
in his hand, though.' e must have
been asleep. In the .smoke coils he
thought he saw the disintegrating
form of the fairy.
"Darn it! If I didn't wish myself
home again!" he saig , thoughtfully.
"And and " '
"He won't care. He'san old dear!"
It wasXyra's voice. And suddenly
she wasj standing at, his side, her
arms about his necfc. r
"I said you're a&.ojjkdear, papa,
and I meant it, too," $Jie Cried, hug
ging him. "Come in ajfd hear Elise
recite. Why, paRa, you' look as if
you had been asleep!".
"I guess I have," said Captain PauL
"But say. I got even WjLth that fairy,
didn't I? No, never mind, my dear;
it was jufct an old man's dream."
(Copyright by W. Ck Chapman.")
o o
HOW KIND
"I suppose you write to your wife
while she is away and tell her every
thing you do?"
"No I don't have to."
"Lucky boy! Howsthat?"
"The -neighbors do4tlforme."
