Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-08

ony of role was through no lack of desire
for variety on my side. 1t is useless to
struggle against proverb; even when we
were children the tyranny of this one lay
upon US, or rather upon me. jacks fertile
brain conceived mischief; 1 obeyed orders
and supported him as humble ally. He
got all the fun, only the other part accord
ingly remained for me. At school 1T was
always the same; he invariably went off
with the horse; /, as invariably, was chased
from the wall. The like monotony
pursued US into our professions. Jack was
to be barrister. Now, as every one knows,
barrister is not supposed to have briefs
until he is at home among the Fl ties. This,
therefore, was exactly the holiday profession
in which Jack was sure to shine. If idle
ness or extravaganza was hinted at in refer
ence to our man o. law, our relatives only
laughed and said, 'Who expects anything
else of Jack?" And Jack, am bound to
confess, faithfully fulfilled every expectation
entertained OF him. l was put into the
medical profession, which, like all things
terrestrial, possesses more than one side,
most of its many sides being obviously un-
pleasant. And 1 was required to work
hard, to practice economy, ana to push my
way unaided.
For nearly IL months 1 had been in prac-
tice at the bracing water-place of l.,
when Jack, without the form Of an invita-
tion on the one hand or of warning on the
other, presented himself as my guest. Now
1 had borne our separation-fond as truly
was oi the handsome, dashing fellow-with
really laudable resi- ignation, sustained, more
over, by hope that it would break the
spell OF our relative parts, and l rather dis
trusted this sudden burst of fraternal de-
votion. The not inexperienced Another
glanced at the love-quickening power of
money, which, if indeed the inspiring
motive, would be ayowed frankly and
promptly enough, L knew, for neither
reticence nor lack of boldness could
be entered among Jacks failings. Many
have been my conjectures whether the very
excess of his audacity did not account for
the way he led fate and folks captive
Everyone that came in contact with him
succumbed to some magic he possessed. His
speeches OF frank insolence-and they were
many-wers only laughed at; those in au-
thority over him received sublimely con-
temptuOus disregard for their wishes and
almost applauded. He could be winning
as we'll as insolent and audacious, and when
winnIng, he, to speak with Oriental hyper
bole, slew his thousands. 1. the chief suf-
ferer from Jacks charm, was rs much under
it as anyone. He was a tall, strikingly
handsome fellow, with vanity and to spare
for every inch, and showing consciousness
of personal attractions in every lounging
free gray eye. When he descended upon
me, upsetting my bachelor quiet, throwing
my mild landlady into CONSERVATION
by his demands, and asked care
lessly, "Well. old chap, how are
you getting on?'' was gratifed in spite of
doubts. and futtered about to wait on him
almost as busily as Mrs. Rand. My re-
quests to the good woman had been modest,
even diffident, and mild as Mrs Rand to all
appearance was, she had ignored the MD
jority, and assented to few Enthusiastically
under protest, SO that by this time she might
have exhibited me at any show OF model
dodgers, sure OF my winning the first prize
Tor docility and general unobtrusiveness.
Never did l venture to ring my bell ex-
cept at stated times as a signal-not for a
summons OH no!-merely as the signal of
my presence. Jack rang half dozen
peals before his first meal, flung his boots
into the passage to be cleaned "at once
g 10 the afternoonD, and shouted down the
stairs for hot water; that brought, Tor Il dif-
ferent Kind OF soap; that procured, for an
other towel; and expressed his thanks in
sarcastic inquiries as to the date of the
busters last appearance in that bedroom,
aud whether the uses of lookingglasS
were clearly understood by the household.
Trembling and alarmed, i looked on and
listened; but my landlady and her maid
flew cheerfully to attend to Jack, and even |
felt reelection of glory from my relation |
ship TO so troublesome guest in Mr. Rand's |
increased respectiulness.
1t was lovely summer weather and, our
evening meal over, we sailed forth to