The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-09-15

OF Broadway browns that The exceed
ing sultriness Of the air and the shrill
chant of second Post" which comes up
from the seething street, tell that mid
afternoon has arrived. The Office boy
has sunk peacefully of into slumber in
his little dark anteroom. Mr.. Blake can
see him nodding painfully over O dime
novel, but finds him not more exciting
than his own sample Of literature, an
interesting work on Notes and Bills.
So Mr. Blake again applies himself to
Notes and Bills" for about three min
utes. At the end of that time his eyes
wander, fix themselves gravely on his
feet, close, and then open again very wide
as his head drops forward with jerk.
The young man shakes himself, yawns
frightfully, and gives up reading as UNI
profitable and tending to stupefy.
Mr.. Blake is a lawyer, who is better
known in the boat houses on the Harlem
and OF Woods gymnasium than In the
courts. and whose ideas Of the proper Gull
tivation of muscle are more profound
than his knowledge of law. This is evil
denced BY his sunburned face, his short
crop Of hair, and his general get up,
which is more athletic than legal. But
now the races are all rowed, the crew has
disbanded, the long four oar is drying out
In the boat house, and when Mr.. Blake
goes on the Harlem it is between pair
of SOULS, which propel him along,
Remote, unfriended, solitary,
but not slow This Is all very we'll, but
not to be compared to the rush of con-
tending crews. His occupation gone, and
the town deserted, he Is beginning to
mediate vacation
To him thus engaged enters from an
inner Office one whose neat attire, smiling
face and strictly legal auburn whisker
proclaim the rising young man
tom, the judge wants you. Put on
your coat; there's swell client inside"
Mr. Blake makes the suggested addition
to the rather sketchy attire which the
warmth of the season demands and the
privacy of his den permits, and grumbling
enters the awful presence, which sits en-
shrined in an Office more dark and more
dirty, If possible, than the others, and
lined with shelves full of books, which
are in turn oppressed by large tin boxes
and vast bundles of papers. Being re-
mote from the street 1t Is comparatively
quiet; its windows open into narrow
alley, from the depths of which arise
the direful accusations and recrimina-
tions of bootblacks, who gamble for PEN
MES in its shady seclusion. The great
being who glorifes this dismal place
is a bald old gentleman, who sits at
most untidy writing table In the center
of the room. He is type Of the old style
American citizen. He dresses in black
broadcloth; he wears a chin beard; and he
says ''sir'' very frequently. Mr.. Blake
looks at the top of his chiefs head as he
enters the room. 1t is very smooth and
white, and reminds him Of billiard ball,
as 1t has done many times before. But it
does more; for as it is quite white, and
not lively pink, he knows that the judge
is In good humor.
''Mr. Vanvoorst, let me introduce Mr..
Backbone Of our young gentlemen, sir"
says the judge with a flourish. Mr.. VAN
worst and Tom murnur their delight at
meeting, and the latter, taking seat at
the invitation of his superior, looks to
see what manner of man the client is
On examination he appears to be young
man Of 20 or rs. of an inoffensive blonde
type, and with no indications of either
great physical or mental vigor. and his
clothes evidently are from an English
tailor. Is 1t necessary to add that they
do not fitf But the London clothes and
the blonde whiskers give the man some
thing of the Anglo American air SO pop
ular at present. Mr. Blake, who does the
thing much better, is at least satisfied,
though not lost ip admiration. and thus
gives the judge all the better attention
as he says:
"Mr. Vanvoorst has come to me- sir,
upon business of peculiarly confidential
and private nature. and after mature de-
liberation / have decided, sir, to call on
you for assistance in matter which re-
quires extreme delicacy and tact, sir; and
it is knowledge of the fact that you, sir,
are frequenter of that fashionable So
ciety which, however deteriorating in
some of its phases, nevertheless imparts
a certain tact and ease which the incest
intellectual culture too often fails to-a--
yes, sir. 7
Mr.. Blake, utterly in the dark, muir
murs, You're very good, I'm sure" Mr.
Vanvoorst smiles feeble encouragement
The Judge continues:
Twill, without further preface, put
you In possession of the facts as Mr.. Van
worst has appraised me of them. You
are aware that the elder Mr.. vanvoorst
has long been much respected client of
mine. though since his retiring from bust
ness some five years ago, have seen very
little of him. 1t appears that In the early
part of this summer-correct me II am
wrong, Mr. Vanvoorst-yes, sir.-during
visit to Cape May, the elder Mr.. Van
fOO46t AACb u WAA0W AhAy STANDARDIZATION
me see MN John Brady" = reading
from slip of paper before him--"Ann
McGuire--bless my SOUL that can't boz
oh, see" And the Judge changes the
paper In his hand for another, explaining
with much action that he has made mis-
take. The top of his head is little pink.
but he goes on:
Mrs. Mackenzie-yes, sra person of
fine personal appearance and insinuat-
ing address, and, II may Judge
from description, not destitute Of in
tellectual charms. Without entering
into detail. may say that this person has
succeeded in completely infatuating Mr..
Vanvoorst. who has been for many years
widower; he has followed her from
place to place, and she Is now actually
visiting at his residence, where she I'M
doubtedly means to establish herself per-
manently as Mrs. Vanvoorst."
The younger Vanvoorst Interrupts:
Eyes, by George; was half afraid to
leave the old gentleman alone this morn
ing, for fear she'd marry him before got
back"
The Judge does not like to be inter-
rupted. and he grows trife pink again.
After raproachful pause he resumes:
''It is. of course. most annoying to
Mr.. Vanvoorst's family that such state
of things should exist-that their father
should be thus at the mercy Of person
who is an unprincipled adventuress--for