The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-10-12

How do you dol"
I said that I was delighted to meet-see
s stsnd,nS Mrs 1s.r Slater turned to another lady
Mrs. Raggles, do let me introduce Mr..
Valentine. We were SO afraid that he would
not be able to come"
While / talked as well as I could to Mrs.
Rsggles, / surreptitiously observed my host
and hostess. Mr.. Slater looked uncomfortable.
There was a consciousness in his uneasy man.
ne- that IL l was a sham, SO was he. / feared
that he might give us both away before the
evening was over. Mrs. Slater, on the con-
trary, scared above any feeling of this sort.
Her party was to be a success; that was evil
IDENTIFY her principal object. What a comfort
this was to mel 1 felt safe in her hands. OF
course 1t was as much of an object 10 her as to
me to conceal the fact that / was not a bona tfde
invited guest. ] took my cue at once. Avoid
MIR. Slater; arrange matters in such a way that
Mrs. Slater could engineer me through the
evening. All the time / had a sensation that
in avoiding Mr.. Slater / was avoiding an old
and tried friend. There was something
STRANGELY familiar in his face; in the almost
courtly wave of his land as he directed his
guests to the refrrshment-room; in his pro-
tecting manner as he walked about, first with
one lady, then another. l can not recall dis
ifnctly the events of the evening. l have a
confused impression of lights, flowers, music
and people, much like any other party, yet
with certain differences. Th dressing was
not in par icularly good taste, and the German
was managed in Almost extraordinary manner
At eleven O'Clock the man who was to lead it
came forward with ahat containing scraps of
paper. | noticed that all the men went up and
drew a slip of paper. They examined it, and
retired into the crowd. i couldn't imagine
what this ceremony meant, and | felt sure that
when my turn came I should make some
frightful blunder As 1 thought this, 1 found
Mrs. Slater beside me. She hurriedly ex-
planned to me that this party was one OF a
series of Germans given at the houses of her
friends, ard that there had been some feeling
on the part of certain young ladies because
others had been oftencr asked to dance the
German and drive home afterward than they
had. In order to obviate this a system of lots
had been arranged, by which chance alone
decided the matter. Each young gentle
young lady that he wishes tothe party; but he
is expected to go home with the lady whom he
draws for the German. l hope you under
stand what is expec. ed of you. You dance. of
course" she added, with a slightly stern
manner-the manner of a proprietor. I said
that / could.
Accordingly I drew my lot, and found myself
the partner of aPretty girl, who proved to be
the daughter of Mrs. Raggles.
This is my journal; no one will ever see it; l
can be honest. l impressed Miss Raggles. 1
think l impressed every one that / met. I real
lied thaton the mere making a goodimpressio1
depended my success in the future. To talk, 10
da'ce, to flirt, to eat ice-cream, at the rate of
hAO Va AOQi iAd oa u RiCS-
ent this was my profession. Why not elevate
1t, glorify it, by doing these things better thar
any o e else had ever done them2 There was
an exhilaration in the thought. 1t positively
inspired me. l was in constant demand, and
was presented to almost every o re. Toward
the end Of the evening Mrs. Slater asked me
to sing. I thought It odd for a large party,
but l sang my best. One thing damped my
spirits. Ihadb been standing in the doorway,
when 1 suddenly became aware OF two walters
whn Wara whicDorinr fnnothar OF a chorf
distance In a lullo of the music their words
reached me.
(which did yer say he vast" said one in a
loud whisper.
good-lookin' fellow Looks as if he diIn't
have nothin' in the world to do but stand there
all the evening" answered the other.
"You don't say" calculated the first; ''and
he gets fifteen dollars for DOM the likes of
thata You and he has missed our vocation,
/ could have knocked down the impertinent
fellows, but, after all, what right had [ to do
IL? 1t was all true. "No-blesse oblige," !
muttered through my clinched teeth; and
catching Mrs. Slater's stern glance, 1 went to
do my duty by taking my partner to supper.
At the close OF the evening, Mr.. Slater came
up to me. He was certainly a dignifed-look
ing old fellow, but he seemed unhappy. "WeI,
Mr.. Valentine" he said, with rather a mel.
ancholy smile, tyou nave done remarkably
WIZ OSNA HuAbS bhS ~ VI AZ u
IRVING thing to entertain a party OF this size.
This is the first time we have done it. How
do yousthfnk itwentofa our candid opinion
now.n
Remarkably well,n I said.
I noticed that his manner to me was secret
and confidential, as IL we had entered in. O some
dark partnership of crime.
"Mrs. Slater u he continued tis an ambitious
woman, and it was her idea having you. She
wanted a different style of young man from
thnaa We hava haan aoaIrctoma1 - audi, I
looking at me wi h a sad pride-s'she got it
she got it." -
AS 1 looked at him his face seemed tc
grow more familiar. At this moment Miss
Raggles, who had gone upstairs. to get her
cloak, made her appearance. I babe a hurried
goodnight to Mr.. and Mrs. Slater, and accom-
panied the young lady home. She lived in that
part of Fill Avenue which is on the confines
of both New York and Harlem. She treated
me as a dis: inguished stranger, and ended by
inviting me to call. U~hsuspecting Miss Rag
glesl Her mother had apparently gone h me
hours before. In the Slater set they managed
things in this way.
wonder when l am TO be paid.
JANUARY 22.-I have discovered where /
have seen Mr.. Slater before. 1 stopped at
Stewards yesterday to buy some gloves q was
paid the morning after. The Slater partly and
as / walked down the shop one of the indi-
viduals popularity known as walkers ap-
preached me.
"What do you desire, sir2" 1 heard a pompous
voice say. 'Wher may 1 direct youfn
Gloves" said, mechanically.
"Third section on the right hand, Fourth
Avenue side, sir.n
struck my ear. 1t was Mr.. Slater. At the
same instant he recognized me. A moment
before we had ueen independent human be-
fngs-at the next our consciousness of The
mutual knowledge we possessed of each other
destroyed our comfort. Mr.. Slater walked
awav In nna dfraattOn and II IN onnthar St;Il
It was a comfort TO know where 1 had seen
him before.
JANUARY Ill find that a whole week has
elapsed since I have written anything in my
journal; The truth is, have been too miser-
able. This occupation is degrading. Every
where l go some fresh humiliation awaits me.
The very servants look on me with suspicion.
At one place the butler followed me around
all the evening as if 1 were a thief. 1 don't
think any one noticed it, yet l could not rid
myself OF the feeling that Morton, who hap
pened to be there, looked at me suspiciously
once or twice, Suppose he were to discover
everything and tell it to the club! 1t is too
hideous to be thought of.
AT another house, where 1 had been obliged
to sing comic u and make a buffoon of
myself for two hours, my host-an enorm-
ously rich and initerate person-presented me
with a check for twenty-five dollars as 1 left
the house. l returned it Indignantly, but he
pressed It into my hand, saying, heartily.
= hAh y SOin 1dhC ~ OdSn, ~ LAdy do
well keep It. You lone first-rate this evening
-frst-ratel 'Tain't charity, but because
what you don't is worth more than fifteen dol
lars by a long shot; and when I have pleas.
ure, expect TO pay for it, like 1 do for every
thing else"
To avoid a scene, had to keep the money. ]
am certainly richer than 1 was. 1 have been
able, by my honest exertions, to supply myself
with the luxuries without which 1 can not
exist; and when my present income is doubled
l shall be able to pay something on account
for my board bill here, and settle some of my
other bills. The question that 10Y troubles
me is, are they honest exertions? -s-.
Since the evening at Mr.. Griddle's (the rich
manufacturer who gave me the check) l have
been to several places, at all of which, among
others that l knew, l saw Morton. His man
ner is becoming most unpleasant. He said tt
me the other night, with that s~atirical grin O
his: r
"You're getting to be quite a society man
Valentine. Never used to see you about Sc
much. It's always been my way, but it,
something new for your
1 felt sure he suspected something. Anothe
Inn he said:
"By-the-way, I thought you were going GU
of town to live? As you seem to have changet
your mind, Isuppose it is all right about tn,
Amsterdam .a
I would not dare to join a club low.
stammered out something about talking /