Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-28

@ Club the other night,
lm 'there's nothing I
:: !: :: :: !:
| wouldn't give to pos
Ml MA sess q little Of what is
| 81 IVA commonly known Is
rV~ tact.
| H0LFh ''You were ct the
| d Snoopkins' ball. were
| you not2I remember, be-
cause on that occa-
sion intropuced you to my friend Coolers
from Boston. It Is with him that the melan-
choly story I have to tell You has to do
To begin with, ought to mention what
is strictly the fact, that Coolers is one Of
the most steady and reliable men have ever
met. My assertion to that effect is worth some
thing, because l have known him intimately
| for many years past In all that time, though
We have been of on many lark together. 1
never knew him TO be perceptibly AZ
ected by stimulants, although he would par
take in moderation.
about one week befo.e Lent began sue
ceeded in getting him on here for little visit,
and to make things as agreeable for him as 1
could / introduced him to q few OF the incest
people l knew. Among them were the
Poopsbys, who had staying with them a New
| Orleans girl, Miss Tomkyns. who, in the natural
course of events. accepted the invitation of my
friend Coolers to dance the cotilou with him
| at the Snoopkins party.
On the night of the party Coolers and went
| together and everything went admirably up to
the time that supper was announced. During
supper l saw nothing Of Coolers, nor thought
OF him at all. My own partner. Miss Minor,
waS engaged to some one else-I have forgotten
| whOm-for the after-supper german, and was
| In the act of relinquishing her to him when
Coolers partner, Miss Tomkyns, walked up on
| the arm of another man and asked me where
Mr.. Coolers 1t was in the hallway between
the supper room and the drawing rooms-the
cotillon was on the point Of beginning-and L
was somewhat posed.
81 will look him up at once I said. and
started off to search for the delinquent, aiming
| for the supper room. because no better OBJ
| jective point occurred to me.
THE supper room 1 found almost deserted,
save for the presence of half dozen old buffers,
| long past the frivohty of dancing, who were
| discussing glass of Madeira together, while
| one OF them WIS telling a story which II was as
| well that the young men did not have an OPP
portunity Of listening to. But over IN the
| farthest corner was a table OF some size, at
which 1 saw my friend Coolers seated. Max
ing my way past the group of old gentlemen
| and the WATERS reached Coolers and touched
| him on the shoulder, Remaining as 1 did so the
| surprising display of edibles and drinkables as
sembled before and about him. At his right
and left were two half-emptied bottles of cham
payne, quarts, while his plate was semi-encir-
| cled by constellation of dishes containing a
profusion of terrapin, duck, chicken salad,
| lobster salad. chicken croquettes, ice cream,
cake and all sorts of luxuries. As subse-
quently learned, he had given two of the
walters dollar apiece, and this was the logical
result.
"Goobers paid no attention whenI touched
him on the shoulder, SO L said:
d" Dear boy, Miss Tomkyns is waiting for
you
'In response Coolers simply turned his head
In my direction with an expression OF cheer
| fulness intense n to b0 understandable
words and replied:
The doose you say
"'Yes, dear boy repeated. The german
has begun and you must come at once!
"'Don't bozZer me. said Coolers, amiably.
"'But Miss Tompkyns is waitingn l pro-
tested.
| "Let her wait and be ID said Coolers
with undiminished affability. .HavernuZzer
glazzerwine wiz-hic-me, ole Teller
Then it dawned upon me all at once that
my friend Goobers-Goobers the steady man,
the impervious to temptation by stimulants-
| was full. / made a last effort:
"'Goobersr l whispered aloud in ais ear.
| Coolers, dear boy. You must brace up. Miss
ner for the german and L cannot answer for
| the consequences if you do not come at once y
"Goobers helped himself out of the bottle at
| his left and gazed upon me with the superior
smile of one who is too happy to be disturbed
| by the trifes that agitate ordinary humanity.
"'Whashushay name wasy he inquired, evil
IDENTIFY rather from motive of politeness than
from any particular interest that he felt i'll the
subject under discussion.
..'Miss Tomkyns. you know said again
despairingly. She is waiting for you to dance
with her.
".Thash shettles it, replied Coolers calmly
| as if relieved entirely from anxiety on the sub
ject. Il never dance wlZZer young woman
whose name begins wiZZer L. Promise given
to revered and deceased parent. Havanuzzer-
WHINE?
by this time perceived that the case was
hopeless, and it had occurred to me to consider
how best / might get out of the scrape myself
1t was rather desl crate, and an inspiration of
the moment induced me to have recourse TO an
expc,lient at once unique and original. l found
Miss Tomkyns still on the arm OF the man who
had taken her to supper and lost no time in
relieving him of the precious freight, which he
willingly relinquished.
my dear Miss Tomkyns,' said as we
moved on, Il propose to confide in your honor
| as a lady, and ON that ground l request that
what have to say shall be diyulged to no one.
Have your promise? Well, then, the fact is
that my friend, MIR. Coolers. begged me to ex-
press to you his apologies for not fulfilling his
engagement as your partner in the german to-
night. The fact is that, as l know from years
| Of acquaintance with him. he is the most alb
stemious of men as regards stimulants. This
| evening he drank two or three glasses Of wine,
and the unaccustomed beverage so went to his
| head that he seized with an entirely unrea-
sonable apprehension regarding the matter. In
short, though his fears were evidently imagi-
| nary. he instructed me to tell you frankly that
he felt uncomfortable from the champagne of
which he had partaken and that he hoped you
would forgive him if he had thought it judi
cious not to appear.
Now, L thought that rather creditable for
an finland effort at truth telling, and was
very much pleased when l perceived that the
explanation was well received. There is nothing
like facts after all; they are positive luxury
to indulge in. As it turned out had the pleas
ure of dancing the german with Miss Tomkyns
and found her an admirable partner.
1T was nearly am. when got back to my
rooms, and, much to my satisfaction, found
Coolers there, fast asleep. The next morning
he told me that his latest recollection was of an
amiable policeman who helped him to Chamber
over the spiked fence of the British legation,
though there was some doubt in the mind of
the officer as to whether he was or was not as
sisting q person subject to British authority
into United States territory, whence it might
subsequently be necessary to extradite the de-
linquent.
But my embarrassment in the case is two
fold. Coolers declares that 1 have ruined his
social reputation IN Washington. He says it
with a sigh, not blaming me especially, but
rather Miss Tomkyns. who gave it all away de-
spite her promise. Also, it seems to be pretty
generally understood that /, for what purpose
/ know not, made Coolers intoxicated on the
only occasion when lie was ever known to take
too much. So conclude that the only possible