The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-31

rights. and one of them is certainly the I'M
disputed tenure of his solitary dress-suit.
This was communism, was it? This was
the upshot of those fine theories! Here was
l, plodding, Woodworking fellow, who had
economical in all sorts of ways to keep him
self in the condition of gentleman, the
prey of lazy vagabond who spent his time
in Guarreling with the universe instead OF
making his living like other men.
Where could he have worn my clotnes9
What need existed of his making an appear
ance in faultless evening attire among his
shabby Bohemian coterie?
Time passed while was in the clutches
of this painful dilemma. Should send an
excuse to the Thatchers, or commit the glar-
ing improperly of going to the dinner in my
rough morning clothes? Even if Tom and
his father overlooked the fault the fair Lu-
lu would observe it with feminine fastidi-
business, and make up her mind that was
altogether sunk below her ideal. But had
no messenger to send, and l determined to
90 and avenge my wrongs by telling every
body the reason of my being in TINS plignt.
There was no end to the clever, satlrlcal Cd
servations on Paul and his fantastic theories
7 made myself on the way to Mr.. Thatcher's.
| found that the family had already sat
down to table, and l was at once ushered
into the dining room Mr.. Thatcher nodded
to me and held out couple of fingers; Tom
was brusque and gave my clothes an odd
glance; but the fair Lulu was gracious and
a thousand times more lovely than ever.
| had no eyes for anyone else until she
said sweety. "Mr. Brisbane, let me intro
duce you to Mr.. Forbes"
looked up. l needed all my self-com-
mand not to cry out. There sat Paul oppo-
site, well dressed, calm, easy, assured, re-
turning my glance with humorous express
sion on his handsome face.
elbow are YOU, Brix?" said he. "You
were late in coming home tonight"
Lulu looked at me with interest so
YOU and Mr. Forbes are acquainted?' SAID
she.
.Brix and are brothers," Paul answered
for me in his genial, heartfelt way. "BriX
has redeemed my lost faith in mankind. 1t
is distinct blessing to me that BriX is
alive. Poor wretch that am, without any
of the rewards which sweeten lonely des-
tiny. 1t has done me good to know man
like Brix. l may say l was stranger and
he took me in" Il waited breathlessly to
hear ''naked and he clothed me-" but he
broke off with half laugh and smiling
glance at mel, and then he added:
s.Yes. Miss Lulu, BriX and / are friends
Lulu smiled at him. She evidently con-
sidered it a fellowship like that Of Fame ct
la bette.
sat dumb My wit was generally too
early or too late. / knew not in what form
to attack Paul-whether to expose him as
wolf in sleeps clothing, or humiliate, sting
and wound him by satire. | could not, how
ever, find a chance to speak; l sat ike an
awkward boy. Of course my dinner was
spoiled. / made mistakes with my WINE,
and Mr.. Thatcher came to my relief with
officious instructions that he did not intend
the Clos Vougeot to go with the salad.
Wherever | failed Paul shone. He was well
dressed, whereas l was ill dressed; he was
chatty, even brilliant, whereas was salky
and silent. discovered that he had spent
a month with the Thatchers in Italy. 1t
was easy to see how they regarded him-a
man not too young, far from rich, yet who
had seen and possessed the best part OF the
world-a sort of Ulysses. was rayless be-
side him. When finally rallied and made
some trifing observations they fell nat,
while Pauls least remark was pondered and
treasured.
pleaded all engagement, illness, some
thing, and left the house as soon as we rose
from the table. | went home and sat up
moodily until Paul came in. l foresaw a
climax of emotion, wrath and the end of our
friendship. He entered just past midnight
with a jaunty air.
nv shoulder. ''By the way, Brix, had l
Thatchers's tonight, we would have tossed
up for the dress suit"
Tossed up?" retorted fiercely 'This
is distinctly too much
''What is too much"'
81 have not been backward in comforting
whatever benefits 1 could grant consistent
with my own self-respect," | gasped, "but
for you to wear the very clothes II
'You don't mean to say, Brix, that you
L. .<J-.oI Tho, IF waist
coat and trousers?'
wanted to be rough with him; l wanted
to express with the utmost force my rage at
the affront, the wrong he had put upon me.
But he had so surprised manner, he seemed
SO panied by my selfish and arrogant beha-
vior. he retired so ingenuously into his phil
osophical theories concerning the inaliena-
BILE rights of one man to the possessions OF
any other man, he looked at me SO reprOach-
fully and evinced such disappointment at
my decline from the lofty plane OF disinter-
estedness On which he had placed me, that
began to believe that I really was selfish
brute.
He went on to tell me that he had loved
the fair Lulu for more than year, and that
it was his intention to offer himself to her
the very next evening, when he had prom
Used to act as her escort to concert
"You shan't wear my dress clothes" l
gasped violently.
He bemoaned his destiny like an artless
child; he complained of the cruelty of the
world. l had disappointed him. 1t was
but one failure the more, but the worst
failure of his fife. He had no money to buy
drees clothes for himself, yet If he presented
himself next evening to Lulu in his shabby
yelveteen, it would be such palpable shock
to her sensibilities that he would be liable
lose the ground already gained. But worse
than his disoppointmhnt in love was his
disappointment in my disinterested afec-
ton. He ought, he said, to have accepted
my offers of friendship, counting upon them
no more than upon Spaniard's courteous
but uD meaning formula, "TO do ese q la
disposicione de r." He should not have
put my incorporating egotism to this
test.
was amenable to such treatment. "Oh,
take my Clothes" 1 cried wildly. Take
ANYTHING. Don't think of me or any OF my
claims in the least. I've got a better neck
Put them on tomorrow night. Let Lulu
believe they are yours. Look your best in
them. Win her if you cam"
Paul wrung my hand.
'Brix,' he returned with fervor, Il will"
He did so. He went out next evening
faultless in my attire, and returned trium-
plant; Lulu had accepted him. Old Thatch-
er had found no fault with him, and the
thing was to be an engagement.
/ found a certain morbid pleasure in max
ing Paul a wedding present of the clothes he
was wearing. l am the sort OF man who
cannot stand up against destiny. and is
forced to accommodate himself to the inev-
liable. Paul was extremely grateful, and
upon the breaking up of our menage,
which followed hard upon his engagement, I
insisted upon making me present OF the
skeleton