grief, and
holding onto a rope which is tied to her daughter's ankle to prevent the
latter from running out on the front piazza, and throwing kisses at the
titled foreigners.

"You will find these cheap skates everywhere, John, rushing hither and
thither, and sniffing the air for the odor of burning money."

Hep's goat at the quarter and going strong.

"They're all over the place, John," he rushed on; "the street cars are
full of Earls and Baronets, traveling on transfers. There they are,
John, sitting in the best seats and reading the newspapers until an
heiress jumps aboard and hands them her address, with a memorandum of
her papa's bank account.

"Then they arise with the true nobility of motion and ask that a day be
set for the wedding.

"Why should it be thus, John? We have laws in this country to protect
the birds and the trees, the squirrels and all animals except those that
can be reached by an automobile, but why don't we have a law to protect
the heiresses?

"Why are these titled zimboes permitted to borrow carfare, and come over
here and give this fair land a fit of indigestion?

"Why are they permitted to set their proud and large feet on the soil
for which our forefathers fought and bled for their country, and for
which some of us are still fighting and bleeding the country? Why? Why
do these fat-heads come over here with a silver cigarette case and a
society directory and make every rich man in the country fasten a
burglar alarm to his checkbook?"

Hep's goat at the half by a length.

"A few days ago, John, one of these mutts with an Edam title jumped off
an ocean liner, and immediately the price of padlocks rose to the
highest point ever known on the Stock Exchange.

"All over the country rich men with romantic daughters rushed to and fro
and then rushed back again. They were up against a crisis. If you could
get near enough to the long-distance telephone, John, you could hear
one rich old American guy shrieking the battle-cry to another captain of
industry out in Indianapolis: 'To arms! The foe! The foe! He comes with
nothing but his full dress suit and a blank marriage license! To arms!
To arms!'"

Hep's goat at the three-quarters by two lengths.

"Why, John," he exploded again, "every telegraph wire in the country is
sizzling with excitement. Despatches which would make your blood curdle
with anguish and sorrow for the rich are flying all over the country.
Something like this: