Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-07

can have these Yoti viii want secretary-you
can have me. You will want an auditor-you
can have my brother"
he wrote down the names on the foolscap, I'M
Siocum- super-Mare Improvement Company
Qimitedl. -
!" There be continued, holding the paper
from him, and gazing at his I hsndlwork With
about directors. OF course, you two will 60 on
the board?" "a
q Certainly replied Harry.
Well; we will get the other names in the
| course of time. L will just get this printed
| 100 eco in 90 shares of iO0l. a piece, and we
viii register the company. when we have foated
"How long will that take?'' asked, to show
that was more or less a man of business, in
spite of the charming levity for which was
| noted.
"Oh, month or so. In the meanwhile / will
4 draw up proper prospectus, while you two gem
| uemen can get on with the hotel, the theatre,
and all the other little matters OF Slocum."
\ After great deal more talk and a little more
sherry, our interview came to an end and We
| were bowed out of the Smithie presence.
Now, old man." cried Harry, when we
| were in the street, "we must get to work in
earnest. Go home, pack up your portmanteau,
and will call for you in halt an hour. We
must 60 down TO Slocum Tonight"
He hurried me into a Hansom and, before
had time to think, found myself busilv AZ work
| at the drawers of my wardrobe. 1 had got
through about third of my packing. when
\ harry rusne0 IN, anu crleQ,
| "My dear boy, the luckiest thing in the world.
When left you just now-whOm do you think /
metz"
Il am sure don't know"
| "Why, Bing, the best fellow, and the first ar
| chitect in the world. hailed him at once and
| he's coming down to Slocum with us. He has
arranged to meet US at the station. There, what
do you think of that?"
| An hour afterwards, and Bing, Harry, and l.
were going down by the express to the nearest
station for Slocum. Our new friend with a
small, fat man, who seemed, like rolling stone,
to have gathered no moss. From his cOnversa-
ton learned, that although an architect by
profession, he was much giving to playing
|" Hamlet" and s. Macbeth at the provincial
theatres-when no one was looking.
"YOu see" he said to me, as we flew along the
| rails at mean rate of forty miles an hour, 80
| don't care much about architecture. What
like is good pit and an sppreciative gallery.
Entire nous, never did a thing in my life in the
scene in " Hamlet"
"Dear me-" observed "are you not a little
nervous about building such an important place
(or rather such an important place as the town
Is eventually to become) as Socum-super-
swell; was at first" replied Bing, stroking
his chin with his hand thoughtfully; "but. YOU
see, Harry persuaded me to have shot at 1t :"
"Of course" cried Harry, "why, its the simp-
lest thing in the world. All you have got to do
is just to sketch the sort of thing it ought to be-
and then send for some bricks and a couple of
"wefl," said Bing, still thoughtfully; "you
know it's rather more than that. OF course you
would like 1t done properly" and he turned to
mel admitted that was certainly my desire
quite so, you could like ii done properly. Well;
then fellow under those circumstances, mind
you-under those circumstances, 1 repeat-a
fellow ought to furnish a heap OF plans. You
will want a section plan, and a sort of ground
plan, and-and heap of things OF that sort"
.Well; we can get lots OF paper, can't WEI"
"Yes it's not that care so much about, ." re-
Piled Blng, ''almost any paper will do. Do you
know, really think you had better get another
fellow, do, indeed. will start the theatre for
YOU, if you like, but think it will be better to
get another fellow TO design the rest"
Harry secuted the idea OF aid from without as
absurd and pernicious. Bing was his friend,
and he wanted to do his friend a good turn
Would his friend be SO stupid-nay, MORE 50 UNI
grateful-as to reject ''the pot of money, so
freely proffered to him. Bing gradually gave in
before the warmth Of our arguments (fOr after
while felt myself forced to add my entreaties
To Harry's), and at last consented "to have a
shot at it." BY the time that Bing's scruples
had been overcome, we reached our railway
journeys end. Gathering up our baggages, we
deposited them in the SlOcum coach, and after
two hours drive, arrived at our destination.
We took up our abode at the wretched inn and
prepared, by discussing hearty supper of eggs
and bacon (the only food to be obtained in the
place., for the labors of the coming day.
Had the space at my command could fill
pages and pages of thispaper with the story OF
the rise of Slocum. Bing somehow or other
managed TO design the hotel, and friend of his
sent us plan of the pier. The first was all
window, the second no foundation. The result
of these little blemishes in construction was
this: the hotel was nearly blown down by the
wind, and the pier was quite washed away by
the sea This last accident we considered
pity. as il rendered the name of our principal
terrace, Pier view, meaningless, and / might
even say absurd.
noble and handsome, my account at my bankers
was becoming small by degrees, and beautifully
less. Already my 40 ,O0ol. lad dwindled down to
next to nothing.
".Never mind, old man." said Harry. when |
mentioned the melancholy fact to him; 50 You
will get 1t all back again. Smith is floating the
ssompany-when 1t is tiCated you will be paid
look at the place-say, ISN'T il improyed?'
SlOcum certainly had grown since our arrival.
We had built houses and a hotel-we only
wanted few people to live in them, and the
thing would be complete.
"LOok here, !" said Harry, &c have got first
rate notion. say, why shouldn't we give pic
mic down here Of all the people we know? 1t
would be great fun and do ms deal of good it
would get people to talk about the place. The
company can pay for the atfair-when it
flOated.'
No sooner said than done. must admit that
Alice's perfidy, and the dreariness of Slocum
even in its new apparel had rendered me mean-
choy, and hailed with delight the notion of a
little gaiety. We made arrangements with the
railway company to run a special train right up
TO Slocum, had chef down from town to look
after the food, and pyrotechnist to manutac-
ture some fireworks.
Never shall forget the day. 1t really was
very jolly. There were about a hundred of us
present, pretty girls who stroled about the
muddy beach, and hungry matrons who looked
sharply after the dinner. In the afternoon we
danced on the new croquet ground, and at night
We had grand display Of feu Dart fee. 1t was
very jolly indeed.
am sorry to say that our entertainment did
not do the town itself much good. In spite OF
the cheering of the grand piece in our fireworks,
the device % Prosperity to SlOcum' i'll seven
cOlOrs, the place received no visitors. returned
to town tired and dispirted about a week after
our picnic, and with my return my story rapidly
reaches its conclusion.
was sitting once more in st. James's street,
when 'my" man brought me a letter. 1 opened
it eagerly, and read it. 1t is as follows:
-Street, +. E., sth June, 1S-.
"MY DEAR SIR,
According to your request, have been
through the accounts of the proposed "SlOcum-
super-Mare Improvement Company (Limited)."
They amount TO 80 1881. lbs. I'd. have included
my own charges in the total, as / find il utterly
impossible to float the proposed company owing
TO the present tightness OF the money market.
Believe me to be, sir,
'Yours most faithfully,