Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-06-26
downright, 1851

York society, after his leaving college, that /
had assumed a responsibility greater than
knew. A handsome, willful young man, full of
animal spirits and disposed to sundry family
weaknesses of temperament and taste, was not
q person to steer easily among the rocks and
shadows of metropolitan social life. But then,
Arthur had natural right to claim my protec-
tion and counsel, as / was his only near rela-
ton. / was the sole male representative OF his
mothers family, as he was of his fathers fam
lily and name.
We two were alone in the world, as it were,
and the young fellow soon endeared himself TO
me, living L did in an old-bachelorish and
selfish way, in chambers, with nobody to care
for but myself. And when we had been to-
gether for a few months almost wondered
how had existed without this brisk young
chap To stir me up, once in q while. with his
eccentricities, overlooking spirits and unac-
countaole vagaries. For Arthur had his queer
streaks, Notwithstanding his youth and health
ful temper.
Only on one thing did stand firm with the
lad; could invite nobody to a partnership in
my chambers. / never knew anybody that
would be willing To admit To the freedom of
daily intimacy, Arthur had his lodings in
the OxOnian and had mine in the Aberyst-
with. Both were satisfied with that arrange
ment Arthur made II point, at brst, to re-
port 10 me at least once a day say lat hrst,"
Tor, after a while he formed new acquaintance
"a good many OF them, in fact, and how could
forever by him gay and volatile young fellow
like Arthur
So the lad Tell into the habit of dropping in on
me about the time of day when he knew that
should be making my lelsurely toilet, or clad
in dressIng-gown and slippers, getting ready for
bed. We were all late To bed and late TO rise,
we Chesters, and Arthur like his grand
father tiny brother Alfred), who used to say
that he hated 10 stir out OF doors until the at
mosphere had been well aired, that it some
times gave me a little thrill TO hear him run on;
and when, going into his rooms at the Oxonian,
one day, gaZed around and, taking in the az
tistic disorder of the apartment, exclaimed
'.you luxurious dogr' He only laughed and
said: "You would say that there was no Ches.
ter in me if wasn't"
OF course, that shut me up.
But we grew TO be very deeply and sincerely
attached to each other. For my part L saw in
him the traits and characteristics of genera
tions of the ChesterS duplicated and rtdupli-
Gated in the most bewidering and kaIeido-
scopic way. Family failings and family virtues
were all pretty well known to me. They had
been dinned into my ears ever since boy hood
And now it sometimes seemed to me, while
laziiy studying the character OF my grand
nephew, that all the tricks of speech, manner
ard mind of the family, coming down to us
since the landing OF the first Chester, in 1929,
were the heritage OF the handsome young fel-
low who was the last OF the line.
But, although i counted that day lost on
which the lad did not lounge into my rooms on
his way down town TO the office where he was
reading law, or. more likely ON his way home
from the Athenian Club, somewhere towards
morning, and although people did say that
Arthur Spenser seemed to- think that the sun
young man actually had one or two intimates
who, like myself, were elderly and OF the stern
sex. did not wonder that everybody liked
Arthur, he was so frank and winning in his
way; he had such an open and candid face
lighted with wide inQuisitive eyes, that move
us To say: Nov here Is a young fellow who has
nothing to conceal"
And SO when he and my old friend Crosby
struck up queer sort OF friendly alliance,
was very glad and not at all surprised Crosby
was one OF those mature men with no past and
with a most wholesome future, into whose
hands one may trust the best and purest OF
youthful natures, masculine or feminine AS
Crosby and We're both in the literary line of
life, circumstances threw us much together
He wrote books and wrote stories and essays
Tor the magazines. And Arthur was wont to
say, in his haif-in-jest half-in-earnest way that
his Uncle Bob knew everything and that MIR.
stood the tie that bound the old fellow and the
young one together. But ii was clear 10 me
almost akin TO veneration; and. after a while,
when Arthur turned ON me, with unap-
pealable statement, "Mr. Crosby says so,''
knew il was useless to prolong the discussion.
Crosby, however, had wife and children
and, having given these hostages To the future
he could not afford the time to cultivate any
mans friendship. When he was not grubbing
away at a new novel, for which, am bound 10
say, the public waited with eagerness, he was
playing slave under the silent watch OF the fond
domestic eye; Tor Mrs. Crosby was worldly
minded woman who believed in making the
most Of everything, including her husband; so
Arthur's moments OF basking in the sunlight
Di poor old Crosby's kindly nature were few and
neeting.
hate to be startled. I suppose every other
selfish old bachelor sympathizes with me
IA that aversion. And when, one cold and
1rizziy morning in March. as 1 had turned over
for my second sleep, a laundering knock came
at the door of the adjoining sftting-room
called out, rather Grossly: Who's there?' Only
jingling past the house drowned all nearer
sounds, and so, still more GROSSLY slipping into
my dresslnggown, went to the door. 1t was
Arthur, uneommonly early Tor him, and look
Ing greatly excited.
What is the natter" 1 pettishly asked
"Have you lost your pocket book; YOU are al
ways losing your pocketbook; or has your dog
An attack Oh the mollygrubs? You look as if
Fon lad been up all night and had a head on"
stricken way. Don't make Jun. please. Mr.
Crosby has goner'
Gone. Gone where!" demanded.
"Thatsi it. Nobody knows. He's mys;eri-
ously disappeared"
why, bless my life! Artie! you shock me-
Mysteriously disappeared! Let me see IL was
only last Wednesday that saw him at the re-.
ceptlon at the Academy of Design. And this
3n saturday! W hat makes anybody think he
.'WeIl, you see, Uncle Bob, he went over tn
his publishers, Wednesday afternoon to read
some proofs, and finding that they were pretty
.ioul. as believe you call ii, he carried them
home with him, intending to read them that
night, after the art show. Mrs. Crosby SAYS
amer leaving her at the door of his house, he
went down 10 the All Night Club to get a cisar.
and she hasn't seen him since. Nobody mas
There are the proof-sips on his study,tabIe; YOU
Win his proofreading; not a line touched and
the printers swearing mad ever since Thursday
morning. Its dreadful TO contemplate
hich? the profanity of the printers? Or
the disappointment Crosby?'
wow dom joke, Nunky. I'm sure Won cam
not believe what say IL you talk SO lightly
about IL. And old Crosby was such a dear Old
chap. Everybody liked him.
you need not talk of Crosby In the mast
tense, Arthur, my boy, as IL he were dead No
Go not believe that he has really and truly
disappeared, never TO be heard from. 1t is one
oil his larks, you may depend upon il For
underneath the benign exterior that always
attracted you and other light-minded peopie
Old crosby had a lurking devil in him thai
would lead him q pretty dance il he only once
bad his way" ~
Arthur protested that could not mean wba,
4 said and 10 pacify the youngster / dressed
myself as quickly as possible, and, without so
much as a cup of coffee TO keep away the chills
went straight to the Crosby family mansion
eirs. crosby, with an air OF injured and be-
tIayeo confidence that nettled me, spoke calmly
OF the mysterious disappearance of her husband
The story that Arthur told me was substantiaIIv
true. IL differed from that of Mrs. Crosby in one
particular: Mr. Crosby, on that fatal Wednes-
lay night, had gone around the corner after
cigar. not TO the All Night Club. But think
lug that Arthur knew more about some of
crosby habits than Mrs. Crosby did, / forebore
semark.
IL was clear case. We dallied with hone
and fear for a few days. Then we concluded 10
let the thing get into the newspapers 1t had
been hushed up among Crosby's friends until
that time. When the news became public
property, IL was surprising 10 find how much
more other people knew about old Crosby and
NJ fekxs