Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-04

WIS CtoNH Ftltdt00U or cOlumDlne.
let something must have happened to me, q
greet many things. Eve been sleeping in my
whlte tie; and then my face! What a shock
ingly yellow. dissipated face. Upon my word,
lt Is pretty affair, my time. one-and-twenty,
to be overcome by wine like q schoOlboy out for
holiday! L cannot express what think of it,.
How am to know what happened last night?
Ask my landlady? No; 1 cannot let her see how
ashamed l. am. Besides, she would only know
the condition In which came home; and that
can guess.
They say that from a single bone Professor
owen can reconstruct an entire antediuvian ami
mall must try and do something similar to re-
construct my existence during the last twelve
or fourteen hours. l must get hold OF two or
three clues
Where can find them?
In my pockets, perhaps.
since was small boy / have always had tn e
habit OF stufing them with all manner of things.
Now this is the time for me to search them.
trenble. What shall find?
searches has traistcOGt pocket
have gently insinuated two fingers into nv
waistcoat pocket. and have brought out my
parse. Empty Hang it,
(Lttts has orercodt from the fOOr.)
On picking up my Overcoat J have found my
pocketbeok. half open, and the papers fallen
from it on the carpet.
eye Is the carte of last nights dinner. Well.
who was there? How many of us? Several of
the fellows | knew of course; but which of
them. Happy thought The menu will remind
me OF Their various tastes and reveal their
names to ne.
Oysters. Well | know that the colonel ia q
tremendous hand at oysters, so / am sure he
was there.
Mulligatawny. That is Capt. Simpkins' soup.
or rather liquid fire, SO Simpkins was there.
Two ofthem.
Roast beef. Makes me think of little Du-
merque. the Jersey man who wants to be a
thorough Enslishman. He was there.
Saddle OF mutton. Tom Horsley, the inyete-
rate steeplechaser.
Charlotte russo. That is Ned Walker. who
published his travels from '.Petersborough to
Petersburg
Now l know pretty well who some Of my fell
loW-guests were. AS for the others
(P1cks up some photopuphS)
HuIlo! were there women at the mess
no, certainly not. Then we must have talked of
women. and the men must have given me
photographs of their female relatives. Strange
thlng to do! especially as 1 don't know the
ladies' Here's an ancient and fish-like per-
sonage i'm blue jersey. DumerQues grand
mother, I'll be bound. Here a stout middle
aged dame, widow probably. ! know Simp-
kins wants to marry widow but why give
me her portrait?
And this-this is charming! Quite in the
modern style-lOw forehead, small nose tiny
mouth, all eyes. and what splendid eyes. and
such lashes! She is fair, as we'll as one can
judge from photograph. And the little
cur!s on her forehead are like rings Of gold.
And so young-a mere child. A lovely figure ;
our fOrefathers would have compared her to a
rose tree, but then our forefathers were not
strong i'll SMILES. She has neither earrings nor
necklace; perhaps that gives her that look of
disdan. Disdain! She knows nothing vet of
life. but tries to seem tired of it. They are all
like that.
Who is she? She must be the colonels daugh-
ter; I've heard that his daughter is pretty girl
must nave expressed my warm admiration of
the photograph, and he must have responded by
giving it to me. Did 1 ask him for her hand?
Did he refuse it? or did he put off his reply?
Perhaps that was why drank too much
Now let me proceed. What further happened?
Let me continue my researches.
(7TieS the pockets or the Orercoat.)
BY lingo! Two visiting cards. The first
Captain Wellington Spearman,
First Royal Lancer DragOOna
The other;
Major Garnet Havelock Cannon,
Rifle Artillery.
Now. what does it all mean? do not know
those military gentlemen. They must have been
guests like myself. How do l come to have
their cards? There must have been some dis
pute. some quarrel. some row. These two cards
mine
1t all comes back to me!
A duel-perhaps two duels!
But ducls about what? Whom did I affront?
l know / m an awful fre-eater when I've drunk
too much. But was / the challenger or the
challenged? l think my left cheek is rather
swollen as from blow; but that is mere fancy
What dreadful fOllies have got myself into?
can make out some pencil marks on the first
card, that Of the captainin the Lancer Dragons
church."
Ali. hostile meeting, that is clear. must
run; perhaps l shall be in time
No, too late. it is half-past eleven.
am dishOnored. branded as coward! No
one will believe me when say that had
Of a duel.
have no energy to look further in my
pockets. Still, one never knows -
Brings out a handterchief)
Handkerchief very fine one-thin cam
bric. But it is not one Of mine There is q
coronet in the corner: How did come by this
handkerchief? Could l have stolen it? i seem
to be on the road to the county gaol
Oh, how my head achesI
Hover is In my buttOn-hOle. How did It
come there? FOrget-me-nOts; their blue eyes
closed, all withered and dropping. could not
nave bought SO humble bouquet at the flower
shop; 1t must have been given me- It was
given me, it came to me from the fair one with
golden curls. Her father gave it to me from
her. Knowing that was about to risk my life
to risk my life for her sake no doubt
Yes, that is it. My fears increase dread to
Know more am afraid to prosecute nv re-
searches in my pockets. l may find my hands
full of forgecme-nots- of blood!
OH All! by JOveI
What now?
This overcoat-is not mine. No, mine is dark
gray. this Is light grew. l have not travelled
through my pockets, but through the pockets of
somebody else.
But then-if the coat is not mine, neither is
the duel.
Not mine the carte
Not mine the photographs.
Not mine the fOrget-me-nO
Not mine the cards.
have not stolen the handkerchief
am all right; thank goodness am all right!
And my romance about the cOlOnel's lovely
daughter-1 am sorry about it, upon my word.
At least. am sorry for her, for fear she will
never now make my acquaintance.