Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-10-16

cts as valuable repeater" / tell you
there's not much moss on it. The last
of each month / roll it to Uncle Lom-
hardy, and the first of the next he rolls
it back-for consideration. Regular
game, you know. In fact. it's by such
games that many of us ''gay young
dogs oil the springs of life and keep
our places IN the social treadmill.
Pockl ting the watch with sigh,
left a few letters in the top drawer to
amuse my landlady and her staff, and
departed to negotiate the loan.
Finding Mr.. Lombardy affable to the
extent of $40 ! resumed my way down.
town Oh foot, partly because Its En-
glisA, you know" to take long tramps,
more because twice ten is twenty, and
20 cents means for me two sandwiches
at Delmonico's, with the privilege of
welding my toothpick in front after-
wards, wearing an air of repletion, as
though to say: ''Yaas, | find after all
sDe' gets up the best lunch; tried the
shedders to-day"
Dropping in at Mr.. Cerberus' | or
dered in my best style of languid-don't-
care-for. expense manner, about thirty
five Jack buds, sentto Miss-er-Pussy
Blacksmith with Mr.. Simone Sans
Idee's card" and his hearty maledic-
tions lowering over his offering.
s'WOuld you find it convenient to paw
for these now? Mr.. Cerberus says he
does not care to extend the account"
stammered the obsequious clerk, with a
sickly smile. Poor beggar, he doubt
less objected to the dunning business
as much as |.
Certainly" said. handing my
hard-earned pile over the counter.
''But tell Mr-er Cerberus," | added
severely, ''that if he thinks best to dun
me, one of his oldest customers, in this
beastly way, shall transfer my patron
age to some other dealer"
''Most annoying, am sure sir" muir
INJURED the clerk; ''but he has SO many
outstanding bills and large amount to
make up. Much obliged. Good morn
ing. Door, Billyr
This pleasant send-off decided me. l
would propose to Pussy in the evening.
lf-and / felt little doubt on that head
If she accepted me good! Her father
should pay the usual price for a we'll
born son in-law. If not, I'd cut the
whole thing and join my cousin Tom on
his Colorado ranch, as he SO often
urged.
Come and live mans life out
here" he wrote, in his breezy western
way. Don't fool away your best
years dangling after a lot of snobs,
who'd drop you like an adder if they
knew the state of your finances. I'll
find the cash and you the brains if they
haven't melted away IN hot bathrooms.
You used to be good fellow two years
ago. Join me, and I'll make you rich /
one as well.
perhaps I'd better 90 anyway" NUT
tered. turning in at the office. Il don't
seem to fancy being Pussy Blacke-
Smiths husband"
1t happened to be the day that Tom
my Prior, most egregious little cad,
son of the firm, set up lunch at Del
monico's to celebrate his triumph at
Sheepshead Bay the day before
Poor Tommy, he was always running
about tipping jockeys, who filled him full
as paper of pins with points, " took his
money, laughed at his simplicity, and |
This time, however. success was his,
everybody was good fellow, and he
gave us lunch that swallowed his
winning three times over, though there
was only four of us, Tommy and l,
Charley Davis, and Coleman Jackson,
an immensely popular man, though he
was rather quiet, and acted as a sort of
check on US at all times.
The lunch was the usual thing-the
same expensive wines and delicacies
forced out of season; the same delicate
tritling with our friends characters and
peculiarities, slightly repressed by Jack
sons keen gray eyes fixed on the speak
er.
We were all very jolly, / particularly
SO. Not being the hero of a novel, /
had no presentiment of evil, no subtle
warning of my downfall. was wildly,
gay, SO much so that Tommy
observed as we were sauntering back to
the Office that if I'd not stuck SO persist
emily to Rhine wine and seltzer he'd
call it wine; as it was, perhaps he'd bet
ter say woman .'She's consented, /
betr' he cried, shifting an engagement
near by.
(Which shall congratulate first, Old
S check-book, Miss Pussy,
or you, Sans Idee?n
Neither" | said. turning sharply to
end his nonsense. ''You are mistaken
-" When my foot slipped on bit
Of banana skin. saw jackson grasp
at my arm, fell, striking my head on
the curb, and knew no more.
When l came dizzily back to my
senses / was in my own miserable
room, with jackson sitting by the win
dow reading. He rose as | stirred, put |
fresh ice on my throbbing head, gave !
me medicine, shook up the pillows, and !
made me comfortable with the deftness
Of woman, refusing to answer my few /
srish questions further than BY SAYING |
had had slight conclusion of the 8
brain, ne and Prior had brought me /
home, and the doctor forbade ali talk
ng; then with a CHEEKY smile he re- t
;umed his place at the window, leaving
ne prey TO agonizing thoughts q
Prior in my room with his ratty little :
,yes taking in the details, gloating over !
he evidences of my poverty to be /.
worked up into lurid tale to amsAe
he club. q