Middletown transcript., 1892-01-07
THE STORY OF A GARTER.
HIS relates the painful expert
ence of a young journalist. He

HIS relates the painful expert
! ence of a young journalist. Il
never recalls it without feeling 0
humiliation. But it occurred whel
he was tender young thing. full o
the sap of sentiment. It is doubtful
whether you or ], in a like dilemma
would have acted less unwisely thar
be. Selwyn was the name of the in
genuous youth-yivian Selwyn. Yol
will observe it is romantic Th
ladies would call it love of "a name
and invest the owner with superlativ'
qualities Of attractiveness. Selwyr
was indeed well-favored youngster,
nor was he unconscious of If. Had b,
been SO. and had his parents named
him John or Peter, in place Of Vivian
perhaps he would have conducted
himself differently in the affair with
which / am now to make you ac.
quainted.
One morning in June young Selwyr
awoke in his hall-bedroom on Wes
Thirty-fourth Street, New York, anG
realized that he was out of employ
ment. Fresh from college, he had
gone at newspaper work with an
exuberance of zeal that landed him
outside The office of the morning daily
with which he had the honor of being
connected. II happened in this way,
and the story is not new to worker;
on the press.
go up to the house of Mayor
-" said the city editor. and ask
him why Commissioner - doesn't
clean the streets"
Now, it will occur to you that Com.
missioner was the proper man Of
whomsto ask this question. That is
true in way, but if a dust is to be
kicked up, the newspapers like to
raise it in clouds, and in this particu-
lar case the thing was quite feasible,
because street-cleaning was sore
subject With the politicians, and
Mayor - was an extremely irasci-
bic and cynical old gentleman. As a
reporter who would write up all that
choleric man had said, expanding
the terse into the verbose, censure into
expletive, and emphasis into down
right abuse, Selwyn was just the man
for the " assignment"
It is astonishing what you can do
with book of synonyms after an
interview. The next morning Mayor
took up his paper 10 see if Selwyn
had reported him correctly. The ex-
perienced eye of the Mayor had OBJ
served the callowness of the youth
despatched to get his opinions upon
the exasperating topic of street-clean-
ing, and in consequence he had been
very short with his inquisitor, and
even sour and churlish. The Mayor
had, of course, made a few remarks,
ont guardedly. Imagine, then, his
stupefaction when he read something
like this in scare head. lines at the
top of the first column
Hot Shot from the Mayor. He
"Opens his Batteries onsTammany Hall
Fixing the Responsibility for 'our
Augean Streets. Pot-house Politi-
clans and Shameless BoodIers A
Hint to the District Attorney. Now
the Fur will Fly"
The matter Of the article justified
the headlines, and the Mayor had uc
sooner run his eye down the double
loaded column than he elapped on hi;
hat, kicked his feet into goloshes
grasped his gingham, and shot out ol
the house in the direction of the Ele-
waited Road. Half an hour later he
was down in the newspaper Office
pounding out denials with his faded
umbrella, ard vowing he would sue
editor, publisher, and the whole office
for libel, When young Selwyn made
his appearance he remained long
enough to be put in possession of the
facts and to leave abruptly.
Upon our journalist awaking the
following morning the whole disagree
able affair recurred to him, and fol
about five minutes he was wretched
indeed. But pleasanter recollection
rose up, and jumping out of bed ht
took from his bnreau. all things. 6
garter. 1t was of silk, with a clasp o
precious stones, and Selwyn hat
found it on Madison Square the nigh
before. 1t was his intention to ad
vertise the discovery, but he was saved
this trouble. In one of the news.
papers pushed under his door by thu
maid, according to custom, he fount
the following advertisement:
Lost.-A silken circlet clasped will
gems. Please return to Miss Louis,
Allen, No. 3007 Fifth Avenue. A
substantial reward, and DO question
asked.
Imagine the effect of this on q
young man surcharged with senti
ment, who had found the article il
question. "Silken circlet'' t''-what
modest synonym for garter In tht
expression you read the nature of th
wearer- chaste, sweet and refined
To possess the bauble, her tastes mus
be luxurious, and to set store by
she must be youthful and attractive
For reasoning of this sort where
woman is concerned, there is no on
SO apt and unerring as very youuI
man. The garter was of pale-blu
silk, with clasp ofemeralds It wa
an inch wide, and the elastic wa
still strong, though ii showed signs Q
wear. Evi ieutly the owner did nc
keep it for purposes of exhibition
for instance, as a family heirloom