New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27
TONASSON.
THE TALE OF A MATERIALIZED PIGMENT

While was falling in love with Miss Kenyon
and becoming engaged 10 her, Was 10" inu.n
tossed about in a maelstronl Vi nc" .i io ,t
,jve any consideration TO the rest oil the WORM !,
but no sooner did | leave the he use an dcctP''u
man, than ! was overwhelmed by an aPPdliii,s
Thought 1t was such crusher tha' l hau 10
stand still in the street and bilnk pack al inc
stars for several moments before | could muster
the courage to go on. 49,
There are no, less than 800 of them, J. re-
marked 10 Sirius, meaning. not the heavenly.
ladies but my friends on earth; ana hHo"
that every one will feel himself called upon 10
attempt 10 say something funny ABOUT H.
Then there suddenly came To my mnd inc many
il-timed tests which had been wont TO n' i ol,
love- matrimony and kindred SUBJECTS Liz ~
lrewsome procession of spectres, they d"pioSe44
past shaking their CORY locks at me- un'ii 1
shuddered and cried aloud: ,
Alas that | should have laboled these many
wears to give myself the name OF lecl'se a'9 !
woman-hater that am now the maddest oil lovers.
Nix conservation at the deplorabe outiooh was
so great that for a moment was tempted TO 'u i
hack and propose to Mabel that we should put 'ne
engagement in escrow, so 10 spcah, un'I IL could
90 ont and reconstruct my reputation: II l c9u.u
only obtain temporary IeprleVe. during Which 10
make a public exhibition of some sackcioth ana
ashes, my punishment might DC nid"e ii7''i "
more easily endured ,,.ho, 7 Nv
planned 10 her the awkward SITUATION III "n ~,
was placed. To do this had to confess 10 my
Women in general and rather supposed tha' sne
would take me severely TO task but, on inc con-
trary il seemed to please hef. 3 ,ooni,c
Sne agreed very readily to MY plan oil Keepins
the engagement profound secret for me pI ;t
Luckily the same idea came TO me as. I'll ni7i anx
said Miss Kenyon and SO l did not 'eH any
What! no one at all ?"
Not a single living soul! s. hove told
Now look here, Mabel, YOU must nave 'oiu
vour mother because YOU said a moment ago -,
WHY, of course. Arthur You would not ASK
me to conceal i, from her, would you on, Won had
Certainly not; bnt you declared 'n'' YOU ''''''
not told apvhOdV. Who else
men are! No one else at to allmeScsp' AMY
Amy Lorne Good heavens. nm lilo that
There, if you propose to speak 10 me hNe '''"'
and look like that or,,. was
taken aback at our plan being upset at "'c
Unset. What do you mean, Mr. seeley ,or ~
you think We can't trust Amy L9ln ~ rSsIiabc in
a matter of this kind as-as-l am mySeH. ~ ~; -
am lust glad it has happened tins way ~ 80 -
miserable tradition among men that women "a"
teen secrets Now sir, at the end OF mon,l,
want Won to investigate and see whether any u"s
knows ANYTHING about this engagement. ; nHU'
YOU will have TO confess 'hat Houi
win remark Just here that during the i I'VE
or six weeks that followed hear1 no ii. W.
know ledge in any quarter OF the ehEaHt,'' ~ ~
from which was obliged to admit that po'h 'iic
Young ladies had discrectly kept their c0unseL
This part of the circuit was thus closed pI' ~
NV own end of the line there remained more
dangerous opening. II was here thau va" as
CONNIE led to evoke the aid OF lomass.'l' Whose
volatile career forms the real topic OF tiS Hail"-
tive. ; 40. o,d my.
cominrs-in were observed by half dozen PoPc;
and the peculiarltes thereof regularly oon''"'''
The boarding house where | resided was Vfry
much like club, or fraternity. Ooo' 10.
Rollin admitted none but single men, ana 1ncS,
onlv ON our unanimous vote. Most Of us had
been living at the house several years. ana we
had become very clannlsh AS S' n or
WAYS and habits. For myself. bad always lcd a
life in which there was not the Least elehch', Oh
secrecy and very little. indeed. Of privacy. MY
room in the evening was a faForl'S lesoI. ~,
gossipGas and smokers II was well known iH"s
! boastcd of having no women lrlchus ana %,
acknowledging no social obligations. so II went
ont il was either 10 the theatre or 10 some one
of the clubs of which ! was member Not ont
of curiosity, but from mere good-natule ana poAle-
ness the fellows were accustomed 10 call on me
10 account for all my absences, and /, nothing
10th, would give full explanation ..
Thus far had contrived by the use OF vaii 3,s
The situation was gradually becoming critical.
Miss Kenyon and had agreed that we were not
TO see one another oftener than twice week, and
vet from one cause or another, ii came about
that | found il necessary 10 call almost every
evening OF course, 1t was inevitable Una,
general suspicion should begin TO brew; ana
presently made up my mind that nothing less
than some heroic form OF mendacity would save
One EVENING" think it was about the fourth
day after the engagcment-I came down the
stairway of the house where ! lived. with the
intention of going ont TO see Mabel. but IN the
hall came upon several Of the fellows.
Where are you going ?" cried the chorus
Over TO the Ivanhoc. | answered, promptly
1t was the club where generally PLAYED whist
will 20 with YOU said Tom Vernon, reach
ing for his hat and stick.
This was awkward, as ! had really
no intention of passing anywhere neal
TO go there Then Vernon insisted upon poin'ln-
ont TO me various good whist players who were
disengagcd, and I was compelled TO malign then
skill to avoid being drawn into a game NJ las
shook him off. and was about 10 leave. when one
of the members Of the club asked ne TO accom-
pany him TO the theatre to see a certain acto
whom he knew I admired greatly.
am sorry" ] said, but have an important
engagement
He came down the steps into the street with me
Which way are you going p he asked. o.,
TO my rooms" | said, knowing that The
theatre lay in the opposite direction. ,
hate 10 90 alone. said he; Il think vii
walk over to the house with you. and see if
cannot get company"
There was nothing to be done but to 20 bach
20 the house, thus wasting another precious guar
ter of ar hour, which might have spent wit
Mabel. When came inside. there was the SAINT
observant crowd in the hall.
| ran upstairs 10 my room. and devoted few
seconds to thought. Having neither ready
tongue. nor fertile Imagination, devices whicl
might have come cXtcmpOrc TO another had to bs
carefully worked ont Of me. When ! came int
the hall again. was prepared 10 answer any
chance questions that might be flung in my drcc
ton.
What was the matter with the whist game .
asked one of the men near the door
No good players" answered. Then stopped
for n moment under the gaSlight. produced
package of letters from my pocket and opened
one at random.
Does any one know whereabouts on South
ave the Hotel Brookside is?" asked.
None of them knew How should they.
There is a friend Of mine from Ncw-Orlean
stopping there said; his name is Tomasson
I must look him IN"
tom Mason ?"
mo. TomassOn."
Is there any pedigree that goes with a nam
ike that ?7 asked Harry Waller.
!" IT, is an odd name" | assented and he is
very peculiar fellow" Then becoming en-
boldcned by the sight of ursuspecting credence il
ever face added, recklcsslv: will brin
him round and let YOU compare him and his name.
was stopping 10 replace the letter in which
had pretended TO look no Tomassons address il
I'D IIillhnlSn no is Of d