New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
THE SCAPEGRACE.

Whag arg , nn;tber do they steal who have no
mroncrtv nor any apparent source OF income, racr
| they wear clothes, eat meals, anu Se'p
| a GOOD roof like the rest OF us -, .ortounnt
We have a habit OF speaking with con ath 70
| ~ tbosa neonle as though they were oehea. - s
in the social scale Are We not ie nd SSonrasep
II one should. for example. try the simple ru'e
of put yourself In his place, . GONNA
You, now, who make living oy son'e go, ,ysr,
t I'm ,,,aIa to,norrow in a strange place, with9u'
money or friends and with all work prohin,sor
what would you do9 How would you dinner.
and supper and q bed, and then numerous ts;oht
and beds thereafter? Would you not ne =, ~ az >
cned Would you not be at loss wrav o 20 in in
We'll that IT tso whe Of whom SU% we spek
H. must be admitted that they could, II oaes
wished, earn a plain, honest nving ~ 10 onr Wits
exist a week after their fashion? En- chet '"eie
sou have the whole matter: =, those singular
Before undertook study OF Inv, amr'. "a = class
p,, themselves nurs,linq. for the most part, slm-
lar methods To live without work cons.s;u;s" , ~
my mind professon-like law ., i Thar fecund
ar;oina1itv There is no profession thai is com
mon TO them ali. but each has his own, conplr.e
in itself, unique and delicate as tne n'''ia''''
| carved-w0rk Of the japanese. ..,, 80. Of
| To tell Of them is to tell Oi ihdi'io"i'' NV "
| the class.
There was one who recently came to 1--we at tne
very respectable boording-place OF IN pr an
| writer lie was as the naturalists woua sly az
| excellent specimen-rather young, Soo ,r, are
wei-drcssed, and correctly hammered. tns ~, at
some of this class who have low ha"i1 tn ~. vii
ing pretenGe of saf fh Real Estate
mission or something Of that KIND en- The Rc a@GF
To no such stupid yugaaty SUGGESTION ass ION Of work
cast cloud upon his title Of sen,emiam gentleman: c,rcer
had known something Of the preyi;%"s Of two
| of Mr. Kerth and when he took possession VI W. W.
| of the best rooms in the house fastened 10 naIe
his acquaintance. He treated Inc with easy con,
| descension, and soon offered to porro" lnoneS
did not loat Mr.. Ker;h any money It was
| indeed. for a long time a source OF quiet salts
faction to me that while number OF others, IN
| plain view on all sides, were being taxed ior b be
support of this American peer, was exempt. But
| one dav. when was being measured for an over
GOAT, my tailor asked me what knew aooa' e Hr:
| dollars ON suit OF clothes ] answered Shearsby
that thought he had better charge II up 70 pfone
and loss He Immediately proceeded 70 90 40,
The overooat which | ordered was more ekpehs,l,e
by five dollars than | had respected. ana possioS
about nine other of Shcarsby's customers suffered
| a similar amount of indirect taxation
As time passed / gained more and more or MI
| Kerth's confidence. knew just enough ABOUT
| his mast performances TO make him think that my
silence was useful commodity; and he sougnt 10
| purchase it with franlness. He was however;
10th to betray his secret all at once but prepared
me beforehand by various significant hln's 10
| appreciate better its mysterious nature.
| cigars before my fire, he said: Il am Gcttihg
very hard up must raise some money"
| said How will YOU do il" .,
Il have n method of my own" he answeren.
which apply whenever | am in need of ready
cash"
What is it like l.,
replied:
II call it a system of absence
On several occasions he made use of phraseology
similar to the above For examPie once zee, ne Of no,
being in certain places at certain times fuf'her
he would not explain.
About this time his creditors, OF whom inc Ilup
seemed to be perennial, began to press him Close
and it was evident that, unless the ready cash
should presently come to his rescue, ne was i2s,-
that is, lost in the same way tnat ne han tbn
money came, however. and he proceeded, with
the skill of practical debtor. to make small
This being accomplished, he was at ease again !:
and one night over bottle OF wine and cigars, he
told me how lie had raised the money
1T wasn't much he said carelessly~ I'VE we or or
six hundred | manage to raise that sum a'one
Sonr times a wear. II you understand how to
make il go-good as twice that you know Now;
III tell you; have Pack East .h.t numpe ane c
Wits WrII I wonder. / am the black sheep of the
outflt-scapegrace, you know ana 90 you imagine
tbev would ever give up bean for mo: II ala nor
come at 'em with something worse than gun !,
Why. sir. the whole bloody layout is so mean, ana
thew hate me SO. that, give sou my WORD. IL
was roasting in the lowest depths o. pn to and
ISL oTe wns done 30. sir! That's the kind OF
Sit they arc But l nothe they come up
pfeiSS aicieS rho ashes from hi high priced cigar
into the fireplace with an Impressive gesture;
Then from his desk no producedseverai let'ers anu
a large book labelled "Journa
Here it is, =" he exclaimed, throwing the book
down on the table in front OF me kie eIa,,
Kcrtb's Ready Letfer-Writer, Or the Art OF Hold
ing up Your Relations Ad here are sample
he added dro PPM ' bean at my end
o "s' The transaction. Read j the book first-the
last batch of letters copied here 1 always copy
em as to keep track of maj nIac cong Thcb no
l Grifin, Cleveland. Ohio ny dear Uncle-'
NV mothers only byther," interpoated the
, scapegrace-" Presbyteriat elder-hardware mcr-
'"" read on: :. I suppse you will be devish
? glad TO learn that hqe at last decided to turn
face homeward IN ered b or wandering Inc ana
! start in couple of wtlSs unless hear from You
in the meantime. Alot Of California stock will
{ think / can fix fol both of us to get let in on
thing out of it. w are BIZ BIZ. and nd Jimmy - -
rolling up his eyes" his sons, whom he is bring
I ing mp in the, wa they should go-pious youths
S of sixteen Or therebouts
. " Il expect theSvonld enjoy the races and some
), a month in Clejand, and perhaps may locate
, there. Some d the fellows are making up a
e party to go to hin1 90 I If had had couple Of
6 only Just enoug}o take me home. Your affection
d ate nephew-RiGrd.'
Gold chills bn down his back when he read
that letter sal Mr.. Kerth. Here is his reply.
lie prays for te salvation of my soul. and in
closes a checkP pr two hundred. See? Read the
. | next one"
4 Uncle"
=, Fathers tother,' the scapegrace explained :;
v old bachel9 great swell. lie never saw me,
s | and has an ia that am very wild ard wo0lly
n like evcrythlg west of the Croton Aqueduct."
It | read a|follows Dear Uncle Respected
9 brother of b parent take my pen in hand to
d let you klSy that two weeks from date ] shall