"Retaining my hand, he looked at me inquiringly for an instant, and said, Oh, yes; I know; this is the painter. Then straightening himself to his full height, with a twinkle of the eye, he added, playfully, 'Do you think, Mr. C——, that you could make a handsome picture of me?' emphasizing strongly the last word.
"Somewhat confused at this point-blank shot, uttered in a voice so loud as to attract the attention of those in immediate proximity, I made a random reply, and took the occasion to ask if I could see him in his study at the close of the reception.
"To this he replied in the peculiar vernacular of the West, 'I reckon,' resuming meanwhile the mechanical and traditional exercise of the hand which no President has ever yet been able to avoid, and which, severe as is the ordeal, is likely to attach to the position so long as the Republic endures."
The American Boy's Sports Series
BY MARK OVERTON
12mo Cloth. Illustrated. Price 60c Each.
These stories touch upon nearly every sport in which the active boy is interested. Baseball, rowing, football, hockey, skating, ice-boating, sailing, camping and fishing all serve to lend interest to an unusual series of books. There are the following four titles:
1. Jack Winters' Baseball Team; or, The Mystery of the Diamond.
2. Jack Winters' Campmates; or, Vacation Days in the Woods.
3. Jack Winters' Gridiron Chums; or, When the Half-back Saved the Day.