The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-16

tressing singularities Of his attire, Of which
decayed boots and frayei collar are the
most pronounced. l couldn't understand
why man with his comfortable income and
high talent wouldn't take the trouble TO OBJ
serve the properties.
1t happened that my curiosity was salts
fed about two days after the Glovefit ex-
perience, when Tom met me one night at
the Fifth Avenue hotel and carried me home
with him
Not dressedi" he exclaimed with a roar,
when offered TO go to my room first
"Why, hang it, old boy. what sort of style
do you think we live in? Wouldn't Dolly
just be funked at nay bringing home fell
low in a claw hammer to dinnerl Come
along just as you are, for III be shot II I've
got in my whole wardrobe as good coat as
you've got on"
The same old Tom! The same easy, rat
Ting, careless, shiftless scapegrace as ever
thought l, and prayed for grace TO take
what Tom called "picked-up meal without
a vince. A sea-coal fire cracked prettily in
the fat. The furniture was inexpensive, but
there were plenty of red curtains and cush-
ions about, giving the little reception-room a
bright, sunny, cheerful air. There were
lots of books on the curtainei shelves and an
extravagant number OF foreign publications
on the tables, seeing Tom had to pay for
them And Mrs. Dolly, in gray cashmere
and cherry ribbons, was just the sweetest
contest, cheerfulest little domestic sprite inn
aginable. She was unaffectedly glad TO see
me, and when / sail something about the
trouble to good housewives of unheralded
guests said, with the brightest smile:
"Oh, Idon't mind it at ALL which is lucky,
for Toms perfect reprobate in such things
We'd been married just one week when he
actually brought to dinner-and Monday
at thatI-his dreadful chief. | was so NOR
titled. But he was as impuient as you
please Let this teach you, my dear, he
said, never to set a meal before your hus-
band that in quality-or quantity-wont
be sufficient for any friends he may ask to
share it And so now, Pm always ready"
And in fact never enjoyed dinner mora
in my life 1t was served on plain wedg-
wood by their single domestic, but there was
a rich white soup, deliciously broiled blue
fish, porter house steak, with mushrooms
and green peas, brace of canvas backs,
some unapproachabls salad-and custard
pudding fit for my late lamented master,
Sam Ward. And we had Santerno claret,
champagne and curacao.
swell, we don't usually have cham, Tom
admitted, as we were sitting over our coffee
and cigars, and asked if he called this 6
"picked-up" meal "And, in fact, l be-
lieve Dolly had intended the fish for break
fast But like to live pretty we'll. and SC
does she; and, hang it; why shouldn't wel
pay my bills"
thought of Toms dilapidated wardrobe
of Mrs. Dolly's cheap dresses: Of Tom, Jr.
at public school and ambitious to go t.
college; Of their secluson from the pleasant
people who would have gladly known them
and wondered whether the Rickracks' way
of living wasn't as wrong as the Glovefits'
Tom seemed to read my thoughts, for b
said after while:
II suppose, in your grandfatherly way
| you'd like to read me a lecture on extrava
| gance, old boy, and warrant you would il
you'd heard of this dinner instead of eateI
| it. But you can be as frank as you please
old chum. Nothing to say? Well let m,
answer the disapproval I can see in you
| eye. The truth is Dolly and l have takel
| DUN vivimus vivamus' for our do
nestle motto; and, moreover, we dom
starve the belly to bedizen the back
That's all. We've a contempt for the mean
sordid souls who set the best before stranger
and put up with scraps themselves. w
| live well every day, and nothing We cal
pay for is too good for us. And if weir
warm and comfortable, what do We car
for the mandates of fashion and the carpini
| Of the worldi We are as happy as We ca
be, alone in our little fat"
"But the future, my dear fellow" said
doubtfully.
"Oh, that's all right" said Tom, gleefully
"you see I've got my life insured for $50, 00(
and a policy that will pay me $50 week i
case l meet with an accident or am disabled
So you see Dolly's all right, and l can spen
the rest Of my income with clear cor
| science"
But" l objected, astounded at this sou
Of forehandedness, suppose you can't pa
the premiums in your old age, or can't max
a good iying!"
why, you see, I'm sure Of doing that til
| Pm so or so, and after why" continued tn
easy going economist. airly, ave present
ment that I'll die before I'm S."
Was there ever anything so foolhardy a
this! Yet how many of my fellow citizen
| live and die on the same principle; get onl
the creature comforts out of life, and flo
an added sting to death in their remorse q
the beggary they leave behind. Glovef
was little worse than humbug, but WASH
Rickrack q criminals