Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-08
N. G. J. MARABON."
By THOMAS DUNN EScl.lsu.

IN. G. j. Marabon," his name stood
Oh the class roll. The rules of the COL
lego required that the name of each stu.
dent should appear in full and mine was
there as Gabriel Pierce Bclfort. His
was the sole exception, and why il was
10, us Ill the case of Lord Dundrcary's
puzzle, ''no fellow could find out. -"
When n. G. j. came he declined to COM
ply with the rule and desired TO give his
reasons, conidentially, 10 the faculty.
That august body, being as curious rs
Shcir juniors, met in secret conclavc to
consider the case and listened to the pcti-
eloner. His excuses were sufficient and
they accorded the exemption. But
when he emerged triumphantly from tho
faculty chamber, just as the door closed,
ehere WAS terrible burst of laughter in
ais rear. This piqucd our curiosity still
more. The secret seemed to DC impenc
rnbc. N. G. ]. himself was rs mute rs
An oyster in the matter, and we dared
not pump the professors, though VIC al
ways pronounced them to be old pumps.
However, N. G. j. turned out to be no
md oil good fellow. lie was MS strong
y bull and as agile as cat, and after
nc had thrashcd half dozen who had
undertaken TO haze him and proved him
lelt to be the best batter in the ball field
nc became popular. He used to tell n
great many stories OF life in North Caro-
nna, from whence he came, and always.
40 matter how funny they were, with n
grave face. So we nicknamed him North
odrolina Joker Marrowbonc, and it stuck
,r part of it, and we addressed him in
differently as North Carlina, or Joker,
" DlarrowOone, rs the within struck us.
md he took either i'll good part.
Marabon and became quite Intimate.
We were ...chnms, passed through our four
years of college life together and were
graduated ut the same time. Then he
went back TO North Carolina aud took
hp the study of law and in three wears
lime was called TO the bar We kept up
correspondence, though we did not
meet. About two years after we had
aiken our degree he came to New York
md our letters continued. He was quite
itch and liked New York and club life. T
was not quite so we'll Off, and lived in
orantford our county town, rarely goin.
away, even for vacation. L was quite
surprised then when one day, a short
while after began practice, he walked
INTO my Office. Of course I was glad to
Zee him, seated him in my clients chair
md produced n box of cigars fromc one
81 the drawers. We each lit IL cigar
when we leaned forward
''Bel, he said-hc always called INC
10 for short--'I'm in a mess of trouble
md must have some advice. sI thought
IF you and rs l know you are not so
great fool as you look ran up here by
shc ten o'clock train to consult you"
''Well," said l. not much flattcred by
part OF his speech, and determined to re-
surn him a Roland for his Oliver. ssthc
conference of two fools is not likely to
imount to much but what is it?''
at involves Il secret" he said, (which
you must consider professional. BY the
way, what kind Of cigar is thisae
'Kcy Wcst," replied laconically.
II thought so. Wig don't YOU smoke
Havana?"
''Can't afford it,"
''Cant, eha Well partly rs fec and
partly out of regard for yours truly. l
shall send YOU n hundred Of the RICH. sort
Is soon us get to town again"
"All right, I'll accept them; but am 7
to wait for your story until the cigars get
herc?"
"No. You see I've been expecting to
marry The lady has confessed she re-
eiprocates and all was sailing along
moothly when up pops an obstacle"
"Who is the lady, Marrowbonc2"
''Aliss'Edith Keteltas. You have heard
OF herr"
81 should think l had Daughter of
old keteltas who made his money in-no
matter how he made it--he did make il.
The lady is Il belle, beauty, his n
hoircss and every ono speaks well OF her.
Permit me to congratulate you. But
what is the obstaclc?r
'Take notice that all this under the
rose. The obstacle is this / shall have
TO give my full name when l get married.
In fact, she wants to know it now. What
Yha1l doe"
"Dol Why give it, of course. Why
not?"
"But how can ever do it. You don't
know yet, but when you do you will see
that it is quite impossible. should never
bear the last of it. The newspapers re-
porters would get it. The little boys
would shout it on the streets. 1t would
be In the comic papers. They'd sing
soHgs about it at the minstrel shows. Il
is too dreadful to think Of"
'What on earth can you ineans You
seem excited. Take another cigar"
''Thank you, will. Are you sure
there is no one in hcarings"
"Not SOUL"
"Well-N stands for Napoleon"
GA good enough name. What is there
dreadful in that?"
.sAnd G stands for Caesar"
''The two together are odd, but not so
very"
: Sand well, is for Jchosophat.
Now every one nearly mis- -pronounces my
name any how, and I put it tdSyou, as a
friend, if can go through life as
Napoleon Cesar Jchosophat Marrow
bone"
, I had to laugh-I couldn't hclp it
not SO much at the name as at the in
tense misery and despair in the countc-
nance of Marathon When roco,,o-ol