Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-05-15

Summerson, who was very tall and excessively dignified, gave comic squirn. Then his eyelids futtered, and with the tips of his lips he murmured Better" as he glided along.
 "Pooh," said Dalrymple to himself; getting touchy, suppose, in his old age. How longevity disagrees with some of us mortals.''
 He nearly always took a bottle of seltzer before breakfast, and this morn ing old Andrew Ca servant who had been in the club many years) poured it out for him.
 ''I hope you're all right again this mornin', sorr," said Andrew, with his Celtic accent and in an affable half whisper.
 "All right, Andrew" was the reply. ''Why, you must be thinking of some one else. I haven't been i'll. My health has been excellent for long time past"
 "Yes, sorr," said Andrew, lowering his eyes and respectfully retiring.
 That last ives, sorr," had dubious note about it's delivery that almost made Dalrymple call the faithful old fellow back and further question him. ''All right again?" as if ever he had been all wrong-oh, well, poor Andrew was aging; others had remarked that fact months ago.
 A different servant came to announce breakfast. There were only about five men in the dining-room as Dalrymple entered it. All of them gazed at him in an unusual way, or had late events led him to think that they did so? At the table nearest him sat Everdell, one of the jolliest men in the club, a person whose face was nearly always wreathed in smiles.
 Good morning." said Dalrymple, as he caught Everdell's eye.
 Good morning." The tones were replete with mild consternation, and the look that went with them was sm;qeless to the degree of actual gloom. Then EverdeQ, who had just finished his breakfast, rose and drew near to Da1- rymple.
 ''Pon my word," he said, ''I'm de- lighted to see you all right again so soon."
 "All right again so soon?" was the reply. "What in mercy's name do you mean?"
 "Oh, my dear old fellow!'' began Ev- erdell, fumbling with his watch-chain, ''it was pretty bad, you know, yester- day"
 "Pretty-bad-yeste
 'I saw you in the morning and for an hour or so in the afternoon. Perhaps no one would have noticed it if you hadn't staid here all day and poured those condolences into peoples ears about De Pommereul. You didn't ap- pear to have drank O drop in the club; there's the funny part of it. You went l back again. All that you had to drink (except some wine here at dinner, you remember,) you must have got outside. wasn't hero at ten o'clock when De Pommereu1 came in. I'm glad wasn't. You must have been dreadful. If Sum. merson and Joyce hadn't rushed in be- tween you and the count Heaven knows what would have happened. As 1t | is"
 At this point Dalrymple broke in with cold harshness: Look here, Everdell, I always disliked practical jokes, and I've known for a number of years that you're given to them. You've never at tempted to make me your butt before, however, and you'll have the kindness to discontinue any such proceeding now.''
 Everdel1 drew back for moment, frowned, shrugged his shoulders, and then muttering: ''Oh, if you're going to put it that way!' strode quickly out of the dining-room.
 Dalrymple scarcely ate a morsel of breakfast. After he had gulped down some hot coffee he repaired to the reading-room. As he reentered 1t @ waiter handed him several letters. One, which he opened first, was marked immediate" and had been sent him from his own house by an intelligent and devoted woman servant there who had been for long period in his em- ploy. This letter made poor Dal- rymple's head swim as he read it. Written and signed by MT. Summerson himself as chairman of the house com mittee of the club, it ordered him to ap- pear that same evening before meet ing of the governors and answer to 8 charge of disorderly conduct on the previous night. Then it went on to state that he (Dalrymple) had been seen throughout the previous day at the club in state of evident intoxica- tion, and had finally, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock p. m., accosted and grossly insulted Count de Pommereul in the main drawing room of the Gramercy.
 "Disorderly conduct;' ''evident in- toxication;'' ''grossly insulted Count de Pommereul' These words were trembling on Dalrymple's lips as he presently approached Summerson him. self, the very gentleman who had signed the letter, and who stood in the hall ar rayed for the street.
 "What-what does it all mean?'' gasped Dalrymple. 'I-I never was intoxicated in my life, Lawrence Sum- merson; you ought to know that! I played euchre, last night, up in the card-room, from nine o'clock to twelve with Ogden and Folsom and yourself. If there's any practical joke being got up against me, for Gods sal1e-'
 "Wait g minute, please" said Sum-