The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-22
| the glass, before he drank 1t, with {.

greeaD.e miller, was gentleman
He was, SIR" said the player.
Zone of Natures noblemen.'
He'd have scorned to have come
anear a place like this" said the mill
er. He could ha' kept his carriages
and his horses if he'd ha' minded to-"
"He had soul above ostentation,"
said Mr. Pelham Vane.
He'd got soul above you," said
the drunken miller ''You friend O.
'Gomery BASKETS? Why, he wouldn't
ha' looked at you
The player made a step forward, with
his right hand clawing at the breast of
his tight-buttoned. threadbare coat.
This is the first OCCASION" he said,
in his slow-rolling, noble tones, ION
which have heard poverty and mis-
assemblage of English gentlemen"
ripper" said Mr.. Bonner. the linen
draper, 'tif you don't know how to be-
have yourself. there's them as does"
Gall, the saddler, stated audibly that
he blushed for Ripper. ''And hope, sir,
said Mr.. Gall, addressing the player,
''that you'll have one with me. sir, if
its only to take the taste out of your
mouth"
81 thank YOU. sir.'' said the play
actor. Scotch hot. Mr.. Povey, if you
please. have the pleasure of taking
it at this gentleman's expense. " The
host handed him the mixture, and he
bowed round, glass in hand. Gentle
men," he said, Il hope. as sweet VIII
has it, that we shall drink down all I'M
kindness So far as | am concerned, [
can assure you that no word of praise
of my dear old friend Bassett can offend
me. | knew him, gentleman. in his
boyhood. l watched his dawning
genius. l stood by him in the hour of
his success; and to me alone is intrust-
ed the secret of his retreat. | was, and
am, so poor as you see me, his bosom
friend"
Look here, l doH't care" cried the
drunken miller, rising and struggling
with his friends who endeavored 10
keep him down. Pm not going to st
still all night and hear this teller bounce
and brag and talk nonsense. Him a
friend of BASKETS? | tell you to your
face" he cried, shaking his fist a: the
player. ''he wouldn't ha' looked at you,
or spoke to You, or anything like you.
Don't tell me"
Mr. Pelham Vane saw that the gen.
eral feeling of the assemblage was with
him and against the miller He felt
that it would cost him but little to be
courageous.
1T would i'll become a friend of
Montgomery Bassett's gentlemen,
he said, therefore, Ito wrangle in his
name in the parlor of a public hosiery.
Scotch hot, Mr. Povey, if you please"
A hand was laid upon him from behind.
Thanks, dear boy. At this gentle
mans expense, Mr.. Povey."
A commercial gentleman from Lon
don, young man of much experience
of life, and highly respected in Mud
pool for his business and his social quail
tiles, WAS seen at this juncture TO draw
forth a memOrandum-bOok and TO
scrawl line upon blank page. This
he tore out, and having folded it threw
it across to the drunken miller.
Cant make it out" said the miller
to his neighbor ''Wass he say?'
The ncighbor, with raised eyebrows,
gazed at the brief scroll and whstled
Then he whispered behind his hand to
the miller, and the miller laughed
scornfully.
Il say, mister" he cried, reaching
out a hand toward the player, per
haps you'll say you are BASKET in a
minute. There's a cove in the room to
back you"
The actor glanced round swiftly, and
for Il moment his watery glance rested
on the young man from London, but
he said nothing.
That Bashet?' cried the miller
"Look at him."
For once in his life Mr.. Ripper created
a sensation, and every man in the room
stared from the actor to him, and from
him to the actor. Mr.. Pelham Nane,
adding little cold water to his grOg
to reduce its temperature, took it at a
gulp and pushed the gaSS toward the
landlord. 1t was noticed afterward
how pale he grew and how his hand
shook at this juncture.
That's Montgomery Bassett, is it?"
cried the miller, jeeringly, with his
head craned over the table in the di-
rection of the commercial man from
London.
Yes, SIR" Numbered the PLAYERS
voice, Il am Montgomery Bassett.
Myself am Naples. Ruined by the de-
vices of my only child. cast forth so
low that wrens make prey where eagles
dared not perch. | thought my spirits
were stronger than my shames, but 1
am vanquiShed.
And the great tragedian. turning,
flung his arms upon the mantel-piece,
and dropped his head upon them, scat
tering pot or two. and making havoc
with dozen of long chu. ch-wardens.
The company sat and stared at ali this
with 4 look at once amazed and guilty.
The saddler was the first to recover,
and he, rising from his seat, put his
hand in his pocket, and. Withdrawing
it, dropped something with a Jingle in
the landlords palm. Then he cast his
head with a shamefaced, sideway nod in
the direction of the fireplace over which |
Mr.. Montgomery Bassett leaned with |
heaving shoulders. and, with another
shamefaced jerk directed to the COM |
pany at large, he took himself out of the |
room. The iron-monger rose also, and |
from his pocket drew n something |
which jingled into the landlord palm |
Then arose the drunken miller and
went through the same pantomime, |
and in minute or two the room was !
clear of everybody but Mr.. Montgomery
Bassett and the landlord. Mr. Bassett's
shoulders were still heaving convulsive-
ly, and his head was still resting on the
mantel-piece amid the debris of the
long church-wardenS. when the land
lord touched him on the arm. and the
actor, slowly gathering himself ir:o an
erect posture, picked up his hat. and.