Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08
From All the Year Round

1tR- a. SE together, and he made
NG1&DNA me break the rules SO
!: ! ! !:
I'M TX, ID often that I was never
(A*L .A~frk\ free from punishment
Vhf~N or ever able to come
MN NH within measurable dis
Mlwf lance Of the height of
ri HNYHk my ambition-the good
III WSE1I conduct prize. When /
demonstrated with him
he said it did not matter, only muffs ever got a
promised to give me a sovereign the first time
brought home prize. and, thanks to Barker,
she has that sovereign still.
Later in life we found ourselves in the same
Office in the city. Barker attached himself to
me on the strength Of our old school fellowship
and again made my life miserable. He is q
burlptious, selfassertive, healthy, athletic sort
Of a man, is Barker, while / am modest and
nervous. He forced himself upon me, and then
did the most reckless things Imaginable with
out thought Of what the consequences might
be. He would, even without a ticket, enter a
train In motion sooner than miss 1t. and, what
was worse, il was with him he would drag me
in after him. II / ventured to hint that We
were breaking the bylaws and might be sum-
moned he laughed and said it would be all
right. According to Barker whatever he did
that he should not have done would be all right
and must say he was lucky.
The ticket collectors always took his word
and his money without even limiting that he
had been trying to defraud the company and
porters have actually aided and abetted him by
opening doors and saying, "Come along, sir"
when they ought to have stopped him-but,
then, Barker always tips porters.
He had a tandem tricycle.. too, and he made
me 60 for rides on il with him. As soon as we
were out Of town he didn't care much what he
did. If we passed nice park or a wood, he
would propose that We should turn in and have
n smoke, and when pointed out tina. there was
board up threatening trespassers with prose-
cution. he would laugh. and, as usual, say it
would be all right. He always left the lamp
behind, assuring me that We should be back
before dark. but we never were, and for the
last mile two I used to ride in fear and
trembling, though we were never stopped ]
believe Barker bribed the police.
Luckily, consulted my doctor about tri-
| cycling and he said I was too nervous for it,
so Barker had to find another victim. / Joined
lawn tennis club-Barker said tennis was all
right when men played alone. but that women
| turned it into q babies game. SO thought
should be free from him there-and through
that became engaged to Sophy Bell We had
been engaged some time when we had little
discussion about going to the theater which led
to-but you will see wha. 1t led to if you read
to the end; SO, without further explanation.
will reproduce as much Of il as concerns my
| story.
Really, Algernon, don't much care about
going q. all, j" said Sophy; but there we're tears
| in her eyes as she spoke. and / knew that she
did care. therefore / firmly but mildly insisted
on my point.
THAT is nonsense" said. "You know YOU
have been looking forward to it Tor months.
Three weeks ago you asked me whether had
got the tickets yet"
''Yes, but then" she began, and stopped.
Then rouftv r1coUpfzipD hon h.
had been, she sighed and added: 'Never mind,
deer. I'll go il you wish it,
"Of course, l wish to give you pleasure,
Sophy," I replied. And really the gallery
is"
"Oh! for goodness sake. don't begin all
that over again, she interrupted, speaking with
tartness that surprised me. "It's settled now
and 1 will be ready by $50. Mind you're not
late. SIR
.But. sophy,"I protested. "if 1 come down
for you 1t will cost me threepence each way,
and, besides, there is no time The doors open
at 80 and We ought to be there at least three
quarters Of an hour before that Suppose you
meet me in front Of ST. Paul's at 6. We can
easily walk from there"
She gave mo a glance, the meaning Of which
l could not fathom, then sighed again, and
said she would be there explained to her
Of thsvAy, she could save penny in bus fare,
aSd 70 parted 10 the usual manner.
A. walked home thought that perhaps I
had madc a mistake in ever taking Sophy to the
theater at all Probably I never should have
done SO, but, when we were first engaged. a
man who owed money to our firm had some
times given me orders. They were always for
two, and 1t had seemed pity not to make use
OF them, but, unfortunately, I never told
Sophy that did not pay for our places, and
| when that man died suddenly found myself
pledged, on the strength Of o promise from
him tn take her N aaa ont la laJy
IrreproachAble. Our engagement had reached
| the practically sentimental stage when money
saved should mean furniture bought. and i
hoped she would cordially fall In with nv sup-
| gestion that ON this occasion We should 60 to
| the gallery.
| She disappointed me. am not mean man,
| but do object to paying eight shillings when
you can get practically the same article for two
and could not make Sophy understand thai
the gallery is. practically, Just the same as the
upper circle. She said she thought could
| afford something better, and though told her
| it was not q question of what 1 could afford
but Of where We should get the beet value for
| money, she maintained that looking at the mat
ter in thAt light took all the pleasure out Of 1t
! which is absurd, for what can be more exhia-
rating than the thought that you have made a
better bargain in amusement than your neigh
Dor?
| 1t was this tendency toward obliauity of
| economic vision which made me sorry had
| accustomed her to think was in the habit of
| spending money unnecessarily, aud wished
| had at least told her about those orders II
was too late, however, to do that now. SO met
her outside st. Pauls rs per arrangement, hop
| ing that practical experience of the gallery
would convince her that, considering everything
| especially prices, it was the best part of the
house.
The usual frequenters Of the Irreproachnble
gallery are as respectable as the theater itself.
which, Of course, is saying q great deal, but
| that evening. unfortunately, an Objectionable
Character had thrust himself in among them,
probably by mistake, aud, still more un-
fortunately, he sat just in front Of us. We
had very good places in the middle Of the Sec
ond row, and. as told Sophy, we ought to en-
Joy ourselves thoroughly il we could manage
to ignore our disreputsble neighbor.
Unfortunately again, he would not allow him.
self to be ignored believe he meant we'll,
too, and have no doubt he was considered by
| his usual associates to be the very pink OF
politeness. He had shrimps in q paper bag.
| oranges in one pocket, nuts in another and
either chocolate or chewing tobacco-perhaps
both-in a third. and during the half hour that
elapsed before the curtain went up he not only
refreshed himself with these delicacies, but
| generously offered them to his neighbors
think that II Sophy had taken q shrimp, or
even q NUT much OF the unpleasantness which
| followed might have been averted, but she re.
| fused his kind offers in her most lev tone, and
| the two girls who sat next to him followed her
example.
| 1t was easy to sec that the Character resented
| this; in fact he scowled SO diabolically tina,
when he produced flask Of rum and offered il
1 a. n 49,