The Red Cloud chief., 1882-02-02
CHARLIE.
An Episode In the Annals of the MagJ
Club.

CHARLIE.
An Episode In the Annals of the Mag
Club.
The Mari We modcStlv called our
selves. We were a club of Young lit.
"rary aSpirantS and, aS nearly every
" Magian' had articles in print, held
our heads pretty high. After fifty wears
experience I've come 10 think that no
such obnoxious creature lives as 4 man
rehearSing, socially, his public role oi
journalist, punSter or critic; hut then IL
seemed a fine thing TO scintillate sparks
of ones latest magazine brilliancy, in a
friendly way, upon ones fellow immor-
tails. We had only a single member
who vas absolutely without literary pre-
tension. lie got in because | Wa pres
idcnt and had introduced him that.
too, Just at a moment when an Initiation
fee WAS welcome. Ned DeniSton WAS
his namc-a chap out from England for
a Yorkshire firm, correspondents of the
house where was serving q restless
term at bookkeeping, being meanwhile
eaten up with lOnTin%S after authorship.
Well, D"niNton was our stupid, good
naturcd fellow, who spoke little. being
ovcrawcd by our accomplishments, but,
as he said: "Thout il foiD t hear clever
chaps diScuSSin'.'
One night we voted a prize for the
best original story. A silver cup WAS
decided upon and the subscriptions
footed up 80 literally that the confidence
of each individual Magain i'll his own
powers WAS clearly set forth. The even
ing came for the competition, and
ThippS, a reporter on the ~TrUmpcfcr,
led off with an anccdotc about a darkv.
The mimUrry of negro dialect set Dcni-
son laughing 50 flattcringly long and
loud that rhippS condc>ccndcd To open
conversation with him. asking when he
H~oNpcrtcd To return to England.
ABBOT t back end % next week.
SAYS DcnI~ton; whcrcat the fellows
roar and Dcniston innoccntly joins in,
rcmarhin~:
Yes; that was a %foonny tale ABBOTT
darky. and wccl told. too wccl told"
The cup stood in the middle of our
great table, Just before my presidential
chair, II "liStcnrd with snowy chasing,
bore an inscription beginning GrfcHtia
grrha. and. for the occasion, was filled
with flowers.
Next followed little IIopkinson, n
Young journalist, the mildcSt man
among Us. with the description of n muir
der in a city den; tragic il WAS, soaked
in the drr@S Of crime and ghaStly with
the lights of the station-housc.
That i a reel horrid tale" OK
; claimed Dcnist"n. Il whoap it's not
Iruc.'
lIopkin>on produced 4 police report,
written up by himself, in an old copy of
his paper As proof of his strict adherence
Ia facts.
The club set up n sort of deriSion, but
pcniSton read the article and an
nounCcd:
Its a here i print, true As gospel"
Poor old DEM" said /. Now. or
der. and the next
II proved a catch from Tom Smart
An old farmer. on a Sound steamer,
about returning To his home in the hills
of Vermont. WAS arrested on the charge
If passing counterfeit money. He worc
that he WAS innocent. and implorcd Tom
Smart Ia see safely to her home ''hcraS
lies in the Statc-room thar. SIR Ton
gave the h"mely pathoS of the old man.
parting words: Take care on her. sir;
see her safe home. She WAS Il kinder
run dcoun. Yer see, an brung her ter
York ter CIT her doctnred up. an neouw
she's purifier nor ever. Take care on
her, sir; cit her home. an Heaven bless
YER
AftcuAmuch sentiment and artistic mis-
leading Tom says:
4 There, rcpoSing on the state-room
couch. bathed in 4 glorious sunset light
that filled the air with visions, | found
- Qlcre he pauScS and looks around.)
"Old mans pretty daughter" saws
DeniSton. eagerly and deeply Interested.
Smart doesn't stop for gucSScS from
lis older hands, but Shrewdly ends hy
saving:
Il found the old mans kitchen clock
and chuckcd the COMPOUNDED thing over
board
$3.50 is the verdict. Nobody
laughs very much and Smart tries TO
look ~ if he docsn'tcarr.
But Dcniston i pleased and saws: ..
thout il was all reel. YOU told it so hon
est luikc. Its reel wonderful
= Then comes the Youngest man in the
company-GuS y Van RenSlcr-iuSt
nineteen. with a story of his life in Paris.
that amuScS us greatly and draws loud
applause
DcniSton remarks: That would he a
foine tale. lad. cf 'twarn't 50 indecent"
At this we all laugh still more. and
Young Gus feels proud IF his experience.
and swcarS the worst oath he knows that
it's every word true.
Next was heard Major Boon. the old
t>i of us and the most distinguished
socially. odd Boom W. called him.
because lie WAS 50 pondcrouS and alto
rethcr such n big gun. He gave HIM
self out rs the hero of n tiger fight dur
ing service in India. His success was
nearly assured when he threw in, I'M
luckily. an account of the Indian basket
trick in choice style, but taken directly
fEm a certain book of travels. Some
WV recognized the stolen rhetoric. and
..Old Boom sat down amid Kisses.
There were long stories and short,
broad stories and flat, until we were
fairly tired out and the contest Uo"~~t-
The committee asked an hour for lear
inc their Judgment and rendrihS an
impartial verdict. During t. tile we
-, smoking and slipping .niS las. an
exercise that no good ever neg
lected. discussed tho sto
- OF courS7d, and DeniSton was entbn.
had bee'praise of several. He ciappeJ
siastlys on the back. and said:
lilo. L dunno which of We deserves
the best. We war all so good
.SppsaSked' eondescendingIy: WHY
Q You try Your hand, Denistono"
Me: says Deniston. Why 7
could niver think o soornat ia say and
ef l did L couldn't say it." Hcre hn
laughed at himself with the rest Of nS
and added: Its wonderful TO me hoo
. mum tells a good tale all - 80