Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-07

What were you saying about the English
while ago."
'Oh, nothing, the English are all right,
onlv-I-''
"What was it you said sbout them?"
''Oh, l only said they swallow well"
Swallow better than other people?"
''Oh, yes, the English swallow good deal
better than other people"
"What is il they swallow best?'
"Oh insults" Another general laugh.
''Prettv hard to make 'em fight, amt it?''
''No, tain't hard to make 'em fight"
"Ain't it, reslly?"
'sNo, tain't hard. It's impossible" An
other laugh.
'This ones kind of spiritless, that's cer-
tain"
Couldn't be the other Ssy-in his case. -
''Whv?"
tDon't you know the secret Of his BIRTH"
''No. Has he got secret of his birth?'
''You bet he has"
''What is it?''
"His father was wax fgger."
Alien came strolling by where the pair
were sitting, stopped and said to the timer:
How are you off for friends, these days?"
"Well enough of. -
''Got good many?"
well, as many as 1 need.
"a friend is valuable sometimes-ss o
would happen if 1 was to snatch your cap
of and slap you in the face with it?"
please don't trouble me, Mr. Allen. I
sin't doing anything to you."
''You snswer me! What do you reckon
would happen?"
Well don't.know."
Tracy spoke up with good deal of de-
liberation, and said:
Don't trouble the young fellow. can
tell you what would happen"
''0h, you can, can you? Boys, Johnny
Bull can tell US what would happen if was
20 snatch this chump's cap off and slap him
In the face with it. Now you'll see.'
he snatched the cap and struck the youth
In the face, and before he could inquire
what was going to happen, it had already
happened, and he was warming the tin with
the broad of his back. Instantly there was
a rush, and shouts of ga ring, a ring; make
& ring! Fair play all round! Johnny's
grit; give him q chance. "
The ring was quickly chalked on the tin,
and Tracy found himself as eager to begin
Rs he could have been if his antagonist had
been prince instead of mechanic At
bottom he was 8 little surprised at this, be-
cause although his theories had been all in
that direction for some time, he was not
prepared TO find himself actually eager to
measure strength with quite SO common a.
man as this rUffian.
In moment all the windows in the neigh
borhood were filed with people, and the
roofs also. The men SQUARED off and the
fight began. But Allen stood no chance
whatever against the young Englishman.
Neither IN muscle nor science was he his
equal He measured his length on the tin
tlme and again; In fact, as fast as he could
get up he went down again, ard the ap-
piaUse was kept up in liberal fashion from
all the neighborhood around. Finally Allen
had to be helped up. Then Tracy declined
10 punish him further, and the fight was at
an end.
Allen was carried off by some of his
friends in very much humbled condition,
his face black and blue and bleeding, and
Tracy was at once surrounded by the young
fellows who congratulated him and told
him that be had done the whole house a
service, and that from this ont Mr.. Allen
would be little more particular about how
he handed Sights and insults and maItreat-
ment around among the boarders.
Tracy was a hero now, and exceedingly
popular Perhaps nobody had ever been
quite popular on that upper floor before.
But, if being discountenanced by these
young fellows had been hard to bear their
lavish concentrations and approval and
hero-worship was harder still to endure.
He felt degraded, but he did not allow him.
sell 10 analyZe the reasons whv too closely.
He was content to satisfy himself with the
suggestion that he looked upon himself as
degraded Dy the public spectacle which he
had made of himself, fighting on q tin roof
for the delectation Of everybody block or
two around.
BUt he wasn't entirely satisfied with that
explanation of it. Once he went little too
far and wrote in his diary that his case was
H., 4t.4 N
said the Prodigal Son merely fed swine, he
didn't have to chum with them But he
struck that out and said, "All men are
equal L will not disown my principles.
These men are as good as 1 am"
Tracy mad become popular on the lower
floors also. Everybody was grateful for
Aliens reduction to the ranks, and for his
Transformation from doer of outrages to o
mere threatener of them.
The young girls, of whom there were half
dozen, showed many attentions to Tracy,
particularly that boarding-house pet, Hat
tie, the landlady's daughter. She said to
him, very sweetly:
81 think you're ever so nice" And when
he said, I'm glad you think so, Miss Hat
tie" she said, still more sweetly:
Don't call me Miss Hattie-call me
PusS"
Ali here was promotionl He had struck
the summit There were no higher heights
TO climb in that boarding house. His popu-
larity was complete.
IN the presence Of people, Tracy showed a
tranquil outside, but his hear. was being
eaten out of him by distress and despair. In
little while he should be out of money,
and then what should he do? He wished
now that he had borrowed a little more lib
orally from that strangers store. He found
1t impossible to sleep. A single torturing,
terrifying thought went racking round and
round in his head, wearing groove in his
brain. What should he do-yhat was to
become Of him? And along with il began
to intrude something presently which was
very like wish that be had not joihed the
great and noble ranks of martYrdom, but
had stayed az nome and been content to be 4
merely an earl and nothing better, with