Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-03-04
Victim Of His Clothes
BY FREDERICK BURTON.


why it was that no had never been able
before to see any thing in the philoso-
ply of pessimism. Still it is not often
| that some consolation can not be found
in situation when o man has as much
us two dollars in his possession. Law
renee found it. He didn't want to go to
Boston, anyway, for there was Bessie,
| the good, the beautiful, the soul-satisfy-
ing Bessie. She was in Now York, and
ut the thought the atmosphere took on
q sudden freshness as If it might have
blown across a garden of roses. Per
haps her little feet-had pressed tho very
stone on which no stoodI Lawrence
patted tho stone gently with his foot
and felt comforted. Ho would run tho
risk Of courts and retreats for the priv
ilege OF finding nor.
Meantime how far would two dollars
carry him? He must have bed and a
breakfast and a shave. Tho bod cost
him half his pile at a ncighboring O.
tel. For prudential reasons he regis
tered under an assumed name, and for
once in this history no calamity is to be-
recorded as the outcome of the decep-
ton. In tho morning q barber took
off Mr.. Draue's moustache for fifteen
cents, and modest meal reduced his
capital to half dollar. Then he bought
n newspaper and sat down in a hotel
corridor to read and reflect. The news
paper was uncommonly interesting.
Conspicuously displayed on tho first
page was an account of tho escape of
q dangerous lunatic from Jenkins Re-
treat
Tho lunatic was supposed to be the
wealthy Mr.. Lawrence Drane, Of
Kansas City. That unfortunate gentle
mans friends had come on to take
care of him and had arrived at tho
Retreat but an hour after the escape.
They Immediately resolved to offer
a reward of five hundred dollars
for his capture, and tho proprietor
Of tho Retreat supplemented that
inducement by an offer Of fifty dollars
from his own purse. Then followed a
minute description of the missing man.
Lawrence felt flattered, but still not
happy.
Every man but the millionaires in
the city is looking for me-" no thought,
and he glanced cautiously over his pa
per at the other occupants Of the room.
His blood chilled at once, for directly
opposite sat shrewd-looking fellow
staring hard at him. The follow had a
copy of the Same paper that Mr.. Drane
was reading, too, in his hand. He was
evidently detective. After moment
of agony the detective rose and came to-
wards Mr.. Drane, still looking sharply
at him.
"Now for q grand bluff" thought
Lawrence. He nerved himself for q
mighty effort, but the stranger paused
awkwardly and said:
&c I'd,
taken. thought you were an old friend
of mine."
And hewalked away. Lawrence liked
to have choked with the excitement
and relief, and no felt that he would
rather be captured than undergo such
another trial. He must get away.
Even his friends would discredit his
story and consign him to an asylum.
But how was he to move? He read the
story again. 1t ended by saying that
! the gentlemen from Kansas City had
gone to Boston on the midnight train
| believing that Mr.. Drane had fed to
| that city.
Again his thoughts reverted to Bessie.
She would help him, but he dared not
| go to Mrs. Bowers house. So he wrote
q note to Mrs. Bowers inquiring II he
might not call on the young lady whom
he knew only by the name of Bessie,
and trust to her kindness to screen him
from capture during the call. Itcost him
thirty-five cents to send this note by mes
| senger. After what seemed intermin-
| able delay the messenger returned with
| this answer:
1.-The young lady you refer to has re-
turned to her friends. For her sake l
refrain from sending this to you by a
policemen. You may not be insane, but
I am convinced that you are bad, bold
GdCenturer. So do not, on any account,
expect any further assistance from me.
EMILY Bowers"
| And what did poor Drane do then?
He went down to the East river and
| wondered II some condemned fool of o
hero wouldn't rescue him If he should
| plunge in and try to be decently
drowned. The men at work whereabouts
didn't look much like heroes, but APP
pearances might be deceptive, and Mr..
Drane gave up the idea. 1t was but a
passing frenzy. His native vigor re-
turned soon and it was reinforced by
the image of Bessie's face that haunted
him constantly. He would seek her If
it took the rest of his life and cost him
his fortune-when he got possession of
it again.
During the rest of the day he wan
dered aimlessly about the docks and in
the quiet streets. His hunger he ap-
peased with a sandwich, reserving his
balance, eight cents, for another meal.
The more he wandered and the more he
thought, the more desperate his situa-
ton seemed; but relief came from the
most unexpected quarter. Just as it was
growing dark whom should he meet but
the original tramp. Each made as II to
run at first sight, then they thought
better of it and stood facing each other.
"Well," said Mr.. Drane.
"Well," returned the tramp, you've
done me up nice, haven't your"
Done you up?" exclaimed Lawrence;
"how about me, you rascal? Have you
read the morning papors?"
Read the papersi Do look as II
had road the papers? II the papers
were two cents a thousand couldn't af-
| nd 20