St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-05-04
THE LOST WAGER.


ataSic Culmination OF the Career
Of the Living Dummy.
Fortune has queer methods of dis.
erl6uting her favors, and the way she
showed her partiality for Gustavus
Chuler was to give him a rich father,
1he head of the Chuiers was not only
an alderman Of the city of London and
swarden OF a great company. but he
was also in the running. as Gustavus
somewhat fgurstively put it. for the
mayoralty plate. In attending to his
many offces, Chuler, senior. so sue.
ceeded in exhaasting the labor marke,
that nothing was left for Gustavus to
do but play pool, billiards. stroll, down
Pall-Mall, and take 20 himself other
sOul-stirring and vigorous recreations.
In this walk OF life he was ably aided
.And abefted by a companion in leisure
named Nathaniel Blossom. an ingen-
tous inventor OF expedients. not to
catch Time by the forelOck, but rather
70 push him along. BY stroke OF
fate. it happened that Gustavus, one
6ne morning, came across Mr.. Bios
som in Bond street, and after remark
ing on their happy conjunction, invit.
ed Nathaniel TO walk with him. Some
way down the street the pair stopped
before the plate-grass front OF Tomp-
kins, their trusty and trusting tailor.
Behind the window. in addition to the
''newest in tweeds." there had lately
been arranged miniature Madame
Tussaud's of stOny-faced waxen figures.
Il say. Gus" said Mr.. Blossom. in a
mics Tompkins has got in his window!
That's the way our money goes. old
fellow, to clOthe those wax beggars." I"
Considering the many vain over
lures Mr. Tompkins had been making
70 Nathaniel for the settlement OF his
last little account, the providing Of
raiment for dummies could only by a
stretch Of the imagination be said to
affect Mr.. Blossoms eXchequer.
Il do believe" went on Nathaniel,
''that our respected creditor puts them
In the window to stare us ont Of count
onance- There is one in the middle
whose CLASSY eye goes through me. He
seems to say: Now, pay up. Nat or
into court you go.' / can't stand it l
must quit the scene. Conner
.'Stop minute" cried Gustavus,
OBTAINING him. Have you ever no.
ticed, Nat, what resemblance even \
living man bears to a dummy when he
is standing in tailOr's Window /
would bet ten pounds that could stand
there all day and never be taken for
any thing but dummy"
1T is possible" answered Mr.. Bios
som dryly; but for all that, III take
you. Ten or twentye"
..By .Jove." exclaimed Gustavus.
"yOu didn't think meant it as = bet,
Nat?"
II certainly did. dear boy; but Of
course il you say you didn't Why
Mr.. Blossom made a movement with
his hand, and blew in the air. as If he
waited Mr.. Chuler's rashness to the
clouds
mo" replied Gustavus, firmly; Il
am not going TO slip out of il that way.
Having made the bet stand by il,
and, win or lose. I'm your man. Let
il be ten.
''Done! cried Mr.. Blossom, joyous
ly. And now, friend OF my soul. the
goblet sip; lct US seal the compact In
the flowing bowl Let an agile han
som convey us swiftly through the
madding crowd to Italia's son, the
dark-browed TavaliO, who is compelled
by circumstances over which he has no
control to conduct a restaurant in the
Strand. There we will carouse."
That night, due to the receipt Of
mysterious messages, the friends Of
both Mr.. Chuler and Nathaniel Bios
som assembled in unwonted numbers
ut the house OF entertainment presided
over by the dark-browed Tavalic.
Amidst the greatest excitement. Mr.
Blossom set forth the subject Of tn.
bet. and placed Gustavus in the posi-
tion of man of mark. A committee
was hastily formed to promote the un-
dertaking; and il was resolved that tn,
time allowed for Mr.. Chuler to CARR
out his impersonation of the Living
Dummy he one hour. and the place.
the window OF the suffering Tompkins.
who, under threat of the loss Of the
whole custom Of the gathering. was 80
give his consent Then the party grew
exceedingly merry. and the bosom's
lord of Mr. Chuler sat SO lightly on its
throne that he insisted upon standing
champagne all round.
During the early part Of the next
day, Nathaniel Blossom received pri-
vate information that bis friend. Mr..
Gustavus Chuler. had. AFTER much Ia
bor. won over the tailor to his cause,
and that at three o'clock the same aft
ernoon the sartorial. Tussaud's in
Tompkins, window would Be augment
ed by his living presence A post
script further informed Mr.. Blossom
that the Bet would be declared ..off- IL
there were any 6 r;Dacing through the
window. = 49, aNtsS
A triae after three o'clock that aft
ernoon a curious ,pr0ceeding might
have been witasssea IN Bond street.