“How do you like my choice, dad?––isn’t she a darling? Why don’t you ask to kiss the bride?”
Joshua Barnes breathed with difficulty for a moment and his eyes blinked. Slowly he looked for confirmation in the faces of the newlywed Gladwins, and when they both nodded and smiled, he returned his glance to Sadie, who had turned very pale and was beginning to tremble.
The mustard king shook off his son’s arm and gathered Sadie to him with a bear hug.
He kissed her ten times in succession and then let 308 her down in his chair and patted her shoulder. Joshua Barnes was so happy that tears glistened in his eyes. He continued to look at Sadie for a long moment before he turned to his son and gulped:
“Whitney Barnes, you scoundrel––have you been keeping this from me?”
“Why no, dad,” came the laughing answer. “I telephoned you about it last night, and you called me”–––
“For the first time in my life I made a mistake, Whitney Barnes,” his father checked him, “and you both have my blessing a thousandfold––provided you will take me in as a boarder.”
“Done!” exclaimed Whitney Barnes.
THE END