The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-09
MRS. MILLER.

John B. Mckinney, attorney anu coHhSetor ~
law, as his sign read, was, for many reasons,
fortunate man, and for many other reasons he
was not. He was chiefly fortunate in being as
certain opponents often strove to witheringly
designate him, the SON Of his father since
that sound old gentlemen was the wealthiest
farmer in that section, with but one son and
heir to- in time, supplant him in the role OF
county god,' and haply perpetuate the prouder
title of the biggest tax payer on the assessment
list" And this fact, too fortunate as 1t would
seem, was doubtless the indirect occasion OF
liberal percentage Of all Johns mistortnnes-
From his earliest schooldays in the little town,
up to his tardy graduation from distant col
leee the influence of his fathers wealth invited
his procrastination, humored its results, encour-
aged the laxity of his ambition, "and even now,
as John used, in bitter irony to put it. lit is
aiding and abetting me in the ostensible practice
Of my chosen profession, Istless, aimless I'M
determined man of forty and a confirmed bach
elor at thatr At the uJterance Of this self-de-
preciating statement John generally jerked his
legs down from the top of his DESK and, rising
and kicking his chair back to the wall, he would
stump around his Uttered Office till the MANILA
carpet steamed with dust Then he would
wildly break away, seeking refuge either IN the
open street or his room at the oldtime tavern,
the Eagle House, where, he would say. Il
have lodged and boarded do soleMnly assev-
crate for a long, unbroken, middle-aged eternity
of ten years, and can yet assert, in the words Of
the more fortunately dying Webster, that /
still liyer
Extravagantly satirica1 as he was at times
John had always an indehnable drollery about
him that made him agreeable company to his
friends, at least; and such an admiring friend
he had constantly at hand jim the person of Bert
Haines Both were Bohemians in natural tend
ency, and though John was far in Berts advance
In point of age, he found the young man just
the kind of fellow to have around. And so it
was, when summer days were dull and tedious,
these two could muse and doze the hours away
together; and when the nights were long and
dark, and deep, and beautiful, they could drift
out in the moonlight of the stars. and with the
soft complaining flute and 'warbling lutte, LAY
the pipes, as John would say, for our enduring
popularity with the girlsr And it was immedi-
ately subsequent to one Of these romantic excur-
sions, when the belated pair, at o'clock in the
morning, had skulked up side stairway of the
old hotel and gained Johns room, with nothing
more serious happening than Bert's falling over
trunk and smashing his guitar. just after such
anight of romance and adventure it was that, in
the seelusion of Johns room, Bert had some
thing of especial import to communicate.
MACK, he said as that worthy mathematical
spiteful match, and then sucked his finger.
BLAST the ALFRED old torch1 said John,
wrestling with the lamp -hue, and turning on
welcome fame at last. well, you said MaekF
Why don't you go ong And don't bawl at the top
Of your lungs, either. You've already succeeded
in waking every boarder in the house with that
guitar, and you want to make amends now, by
letting them go to sleep again.
'.But my dear fellow, said Bert, with forced
calmness, you're the fellow that's making all
the noise-and-"
why, you bowling dervish!' interrupted
John, with feigned air of pleased surprise and
admiration. But let's drop controversy. Throw
the fragments of your guitar in the wood-box
there, and proceed with the opening PROPOSE
ton
s'What / was going to say was this, said
Bert with a halfdesperate enunciations II m
getting tired of this way of living clean. dead
tired. and tagged out, and sick Of the whole ar
tffcal business
ooh vesln exclaimed John with q +oway;no,
disdain vou needn't 90 any f,1rtte,i I kno17
inst what malady il thro,ttlng voI, Its refaru
@reformi You're eoint, to turn over new leaf
and All that and SION fhe nledoe and nnit c;cars
and go to work. and pay your debts and crawl
tate back into Sunday.school where Won can
make love ~ The r,reacl,e, ds,ehtar ,,odar tIaa
e,iSo 81 re1;,;a, ana sasacrata a. 80
sa.' Z, ~ &c ii w ~ eee! y
eie lineIilose Pstie u etae ehurch oy concessions
at CLASS OF your tnofougn eonVerslon On, you're
gong To-
said Bert. resentfllIIy. stWhaf Baan Ii. You'll
let me fnish~is I'm getting too old ia Ia eter
uaIlv undippifyinp myself with this sine
ing Of 1nidnieht strains nader Bonnvnelrs win
.low.panes' and too old to he keenino mvseIf
IN constant humiliation and expense by the bor-
rowing and strinenp nm of old ruitars tooetbar
Win the breakaca of The sama and The soo,arol