ADELAIDE STAYS AT HOME WITH HER FATHER.
Mr. Bombs did not go to Chicago alone nor as soon as he intended. He planned to go at the first breaking out of the Centennial, which was to be on the day when Chicago was exactly one hundred years old. The city was expected to be in an unusual state of ferment from the beginning; and many things were going to be done to herald the coming glory of the Jubilee week, among the most important of which was to be the much advertised re-burning of the city.
“King Pang is trying to keep his fires to the front; but his ‘ads’ will cost him something,” laughed Bombs scornfully; “for there are others and others and they are going to make a big show of everything, from a razor-back porker to a Golden Rule Mayor. It will be tedious.”
“Everything ‘from a jackass to a lyre,’ as the Romans say,” remarked Miss Drawling.
“Yes, and you might spell it l-i-a-r,” sneered Bombs. “I don’t believe Pang will be there.”
“Then why do you go so soon?” asked Mrs. Schwarmer. “You will die of te-di-um—not te-deum. There! Mr. Bombs you have spoiled me. I never made a pun before in my life. I had rather make a pie than a pun.”
They all laughed and Bombs said he “must obey his royal father’s mandate, and find out all he could about Pang’s trade, with or without King Pang’s aid.”
“Perhaps if you will wait a little we will go with you and try to divide the tedium into shares,” suggested Mrs. Schwarmer, whereupon there occurred a large amount of social banter which finally ended in a declaration from the ladies that if he would wait they would surely accompany him; and a declaration from him that if they would surely accompany him, he would surely wait.
“And you, Miss Adelaide, and Mr. Schwarmer—you will go and take shares with us, will you not?” asked Bombs.
“Say no, father. We don’t want any stock in the Chicago Jubilee. Let’s stay here together,” said Adelaide.