The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-04-11
THE SCAPEGRACE.

work naturally regard with "a good deal
Of interest," those who manage 10 dodge
this seeming necessity.
What are these mysterious mOrtals,
we say, who toll not, neither do they
steal, who have no property, nor any
apparent source Of income. yet they
wear clothes, eat meals and sleep under
good roof like the rest OF us?
We have II habit Of speaking with
contempt Of these people. as though
they were beneath US in the social
scale. Are we not really in secret n
little enyious Of their originality and
courage?
II one should, for example. try the
simple rule Of put yourself in his
place
You, now, who make living by
some occupation, commonplace but re-
liable, suppose you were to wake to-
morrow in u strange place, without
money or friends, and with all work
prohibited would you dop How
would you arrange about breakfast,
and subsequently, about dinner, and
suppe1 and bed, and then numerous
meals and beds thereafter Would you
not be frightened? Would you not be
at a loss what TO do? Well that is
where you would show your inferiority
TO those Of whom we speak.
1t must be admitted that they could.
II they wished, earn u plain. honest
living rs we do; whereas could we. by
the exercise Of our wits exist week.
after their fashion? En- effet, there
you have the whole matter.
Before l undertook study of these
singular beings, had always thought
OF them as a class by themselves, pur-
suing, for the most part, similar
methods. To live without work con-
stituted in my mind professional
law or the ministry. wronged them.
i did not appreciate their fecund origi-
flaim.ty. There is no profession that Is
COMMON 10 them all but each has his
own. complete In itself, unique and
delicate as the miniature carved work
of the Japanese.
To tell Of them is to tell OF indi-
yidaais. not OF the class.
Il, There was one who recently came to
live ut the very respectable boarding
place OF the present writer. He was,
ms the naturalists would say, an excel
lent experimentation young, good
looking. well dressed and correctly
hammered. There are some OF this
class who have low habit OF making
n pretence of earning a living. They
will maintain an office with 'Real
Estate or Commission, or something
of that kind on the door To no such
stupid vulgarity did Mr.. Richard Kerth
descend. Not even II suggestion OF
work cast q cloud upon his title Of
gentleman"
had know something of the previ-
Gus career OF Mr.. Kerth, and when he
took possession Of two Of the best
rooms in the house FASTENED to make
his acquaintance. He treated me with
easy condescension. and soon offered to
borrow money Of me.
did not loan Mr.. Kerth any money.
1t was, indeed, for long time source
OF quiet satisfaction to me that while u
number OF others, in plain view on
all sides, were being taxed for the
support of this American peer, / was
exempt. But one day as was being
measured for an overcoat, my tailor
asked me what / knew about Mr..
Richard Kc-th, and told me that he
owed fifty dollars on suit Of clothes.
/ answered Shearsby that / thought he
had better charge it up to profit and
loss. He Immediately proceeded to do
so. The overcoat which ordered was
more expensive by $5 than l had ex-
pected, and possibly about nine other
Of Shea-sby's customers suffered q
similar amount OF indirect taxation.
As time passed, I gained more and
more of Mr.. Kerth's confidence. l
knew just enough about his past per-
formances to make him think that my
silence was useful commodity, and
he sought to purchase 1t with frank
ness. He was however, 10th to be-
tray his secret all at once, but prepared
me beforehand by various significant
hints to appreciate better its mysteri-
ous nature.
One evening, when he was smoking
one OF my cigars before my fire, he
said: i am getting very hard up;
I must raise some money"
said: How will you do itP"
have method OF my own" he
answered. (which apply whenever |
am in need OF ready cash"
What is 1t likc?"
He smiled with tho smile OF sphinx
as he replied:
II call il q system OF absence
On several occasions he made use Of
phraseology similar to the above.
For example, once he said to me: 81
get good enough living out Of not
being in certain places at certain
times" Further he would not ex-
plain.
About this time his creditors, OF
whom the crop seemed perennial.
began TO press him close, and 1t was
evident that, unless the ready cash
should presently come to his rescue, he
was lost--that is. lost In the same way
that he had been lost many times be-