The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-01
A MIDNIGHT EPISODE.

You do not often see q room like Yer
b~ruggen's. / spent the afternoon there
the other day and you could not perceive
a single inch of the walls. There were
book shelves on every side; book shelves
jutted out into the room itself; n upon
many Of the shelves the books were
ranged two deep-and such books! Never
in my life did ! feel SO feloniously in
1 clined as upon the occasion Of my visit to
verbruggen.
"If l were you, w." I said, ~ should
search my visitors when ] babe them
goodbye
He only laughed go~od-naturedly, and
then he calmly offered to loan me any
boob l might take a fancy to-. OF course,
l refused, because IL l borrowed one of
v~erbrupgen's books l should certainly
never return il to him. There are circum-
stances, you know, in which one n
trust ones self, and TO read one of Yer
bruggen's books without injuring the vol
ume one would have to wear a surplice
and q new pair of white kid gloves.
Japanese paper, type which does lot
make ones eyes water, but does make
ones mouth do SO. margin, rough edge,
fooled bindings, etc. i gloated over all
these things; | Toasted my eyes upon orig
nal etchings and inserted engravings on
China paper till light failed us, and then
We sat on either side of the comfortable
fireplace and talked about the books till
the clock stuck 6. / dine ut 7:3O, and l
rose to GO, but Verbruggen would not per-
init my departure without something to
keep the cold out, and he gave me a glass
Of virgin sherry, which was particularly
delicious.
But he helped himself from another de-
canter.
1 did not say anything, but somehow or
other ! resented il, and, having finished
my sherry, / stretched out my band to-
ward that special decanter of his. He is a
very old friend, SO / could do it without
o~ffense, but, to my establishment, he
calmly pushed il out of my reach.
"A visitor / had, Pumper," remarked
rerbruggen, ''once tried that special trip.
pie of mine-he had reason to repent it,
was puzzled: curiosity is my master
passion. 1 looked at my watch;l had got
ten minutes to spare. "Give me the story,
w." said.
He helped himself to another glass.
drank ii off, and smacked his lips.
"The fact is" said V~erbruRgen, 'sthe
stuff you see I'm the decanter Is laudanum,
mad ron the very best Turkey opium
Shade OF Thomas DE Quincey!l stared
AT Verbruggen i'm horror.
"You needn't worry yourself. Pumper,''
Inns had IN do II. and he attained N oood
old ACE, I'm o,,ite conable of takinu carr
~ rvself AMI now ri tall vo, the story
and in cut n rs short as nossihlc. land.
anum my fr;end as vnn're nronahlx
awarc' has n necmi,arIy nastv asto TN,
stuT az mine Is s~tr1pUIv iiavored will
seville orange necI and it;s sweetenod n
the nalate n n,,ch resembles c,racoa4 r,
was n venr and a MALT ogo 7 was s;t,;no
smoLino here ahout an So,r af,or MI
n;rht. th;s i-oca ntor a,as ~ .ha sah," H.
front Of me.
~ had inst receivcd an CARLY co,y n,
,be s,,nnressed works ~ certS;n Ei;za.
hetban noets. I read every hooL. sir he
fore i Mace II on my sheiyes'" said Yer
| h%r,rouen. and al that noment I WA,
,iaenfv interasted I'm What i was abo,,t
Suddenlv I heard The door 81 the roon
onen' locked nm and + saw n nowerfm
rneBa,1a huroiar av;jan,Iv. shnr
crowhar was IN one hand and with m,
raised forcfinuer OF the other he in,noscs
.iicnca nron rra
..Cuv,nor said tho mn, IN mo I, +,
hoarse u,h;sn.r az 90, L;cL mn n rou, III
h.a;n go 49,
81 nm s;x,v.av. I had m ;,t.,,;o,
wba,avar ~ icLin, M n row 7 knew
nerfectIv we'll that / sbouId have N,
ihance IN y str,ggIe yv;th an ARMED bur
ylar' Idetermined IN grin and hear II.
yo,, bo soatado' I said 10 mn,
,oc,uroa, ys;sor ma,;onin, hin, 20 IN
easy chair which Won now adorn'
..rhe man rinned. sCuy'nnr be said
Il wants yer watch. and Yer money. nm,