Omaha daily bee., 1884-04-19
SMITH, H BORE.

lett a spruce young Dachelor ana II
was now a staid, flourishing married
man..
SPY the way" 1 said, after q general
exchange of yarns and experiences, ''just
to finish up with, tell me about our old
friend Smith, whom we use to call the
BORE"
My companion, Jones, laughed hearth
ly at The mention of the old name and
said: "But do you mean to say you have
never heard the yarn2 Well, / wa very
nearly letting the cat out of the bag
straight off, but as you evidently don't
know anything about it, fill your pipe
again, and I'll tell it to you. Mind, it's
a bit egotistical; but since you've asked
me to tell you the story you must not
accuse me of blowing my own trumpet or
of talking about matters which modest
men generally leave to other people to
talk about. You'll be astonished when
you hear the end of it."
So 70 refilled our pipes and Jones be-
gan:
"You know that Smith was always a
great friend of mine, that is to say he and
l lunched in thecity every day at a famous
| old coaching inn in B~ishopsgate street,
which has some time since gone the way
of most of the famous old London coaching
inns. Smith was a very good fellow, but
he had a weak point, and the undue
prominence of this weak point at all
places and under all circumstances caused
him to be looked upon as an insufferable
bore.
"Smith's hobby was Roman England.
Now, had it been anything else-say
pictures, or orchids, or old china, or curios
II should not have been so unsympathe-
tic, but as | was never of a very romantic
disposition, having been brought up from
an early age in that most prosaic and I'M
sentimental of worlds, the city, Smiths
in~terminable jargon about Roman En-
gland at times even overcame my pa
thence.
cat last it was intolerable. No matter
what topics of absorbing public interest
were in the papers, no matter how seri-
ously / wanted to talk with him upon
business affairs, Roman England asserted
itself, and my weakness in showing my
self a patient listener only served to fan
his flame. So l missed one day at lunch,
l missed two, and when l met Smith in
the streets as l was sure to do after these
absences, I had to fabricate an excuse and
make q promise to be at the usual place
the next day, and when the next day came
it may be imagined how l had to bend
beneath q concentration of the bore
| which should have been flung upon
| me at the meals / had missed. At
length / resolved to cut him altogether
and sneaked up and down byways and
alleys, for fear of meeting him, like a
felon.
81 saw no more of him for quite a year.
One day, however, in the month OF July
l met him.
"'Why, Jones, old fellow!' he ex-
claimed, shaking my hand heartily, L
made sure that you were dead, or that
you had retired upon your fortune, for l
hear your firm has been making tremend
GUS strides lately. Now, old fellow, for
the sake of auld lang syne, take pity on
me; I'm a lonely bachelor, as the wife
and daughter have gone to the seaside.
Come and dine with me, and I'll put you
up for the night-change my address, you
see.'
"But the awful vision of may hours
in Roman England stood before my eyes
in its old horrible shape; and I told him
land l hope as an act of self-defense
| that it has been pardoned me-that 1
was going to start the next day for my
holiday.
"Later on, however, l did go for my
holiday. I had been very hard worked
during the past year, and l felt in need
of genuine rest and recreation, that rest
and recreation which are denied those
who employ their annual breathing space
in hurrying and scurryipg over countries
and towns at lightning pace, and whose
time is occupied in packing and unpack-
ing, in catching steamers and trains, in
squabbling with landlordsan paying long
bills.
81 found what / needed at Boulogne.
where / had as much gayety or solitude
as / chose, the finest of air, and was within
easy hail of business; and very thorough
ly l enjoyed myself. Time sped by very
pleasantly.
Everybody knows that bathing at
Boulogne in our Englishman's sense of the
word is dangerous. That is to say, there
is a nasty undertow out about in q line
with the sand bar at the jetty head, which
has proved fatal to many a strong swim
mer, and strong swimming therefore is
almost out of the question, although the
patrons of the bob-up, and down. stand.ln-
a%-circle style of bathing are as safe here
as anywhere else.
"He whothinks to have a good breather
against the dancing, crested waves is de-
ceived, as the notes of the guardians
tin horn warn him directly he starts out
ward.
81 was walking on the jetty inc fine
bright morning after my bath, thinking OF
nothing in particular, unless it were the
lobster and outlet panee breakfast await
ing mo in the restaurant de la Jetee,
when / heard the sweetest of voices almost
in my ear:
"Well, mamma, it's time to battle, 80
come along"
81 naturally turned round and beheld
one of the f%airest, freshest specimens of
English girlhood that / had ever imagin-
cd or seen depicted on canvas. She was
dressed in a light dress of pink something
or other which set off her supple,
rounded figure to its very best, and q
white hat (chip hat, is it2) formed a pleas
ant contrast to the clusters of wavy brown
hair which fell on her neck and nestled
ABOVE the gentlest and healthiest of
faces.
every well, my dear Enid, said man.
ma, a big, resolute- looking lady; 'but
pray be careful, for the sea is high and