The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-30

/ oslr MIDST. w men aaO SAT ICF some
hours in the atmosphere of my room.
which had a suggestion of east wind
\ in it, could have eaten a chrome Of
| the fruits of New Jersey
Il went downstairs and found my
| landlady. II was then about dinner
! time. l said that ! was tired of lodg-
! ing, and would like to board. She re-
piled that she did not give meals.
There was bony austerity in her man.
ner which led me to believe that sl,s
did not even take them. | returned to
my room and passed the evening there.
Then went to bed and had a night
mare in which l pursued tel,derioia
steak with fried potatoes for miles and
rniias. and did not catch it.
Friday dawned very late that week.
/ know, for lay awake waiting for it.
1t was the payday of the newspaper
which had printed the Boston article
II owed me one dollar more than thirty
dollars. As walked down town | re-
solved to be frugal. / would break my
fast economically on half of that sum
and would lay the other fifteen dollars
aside. | was informed that the paper
did not pay till one o'clock. Then l
went out and watched the city hall
clock: and if its hands had typifed the
progress of municipal reform, they
could not have moved slower. | never
knew one o'clock to come so late in the
afternoon. But it did come at last:
and then l was informed that nv
check had been sent by mistake to
certain II. Fielding, of Kalamazoo.
and that when he sent it back could
have it.
Yet there was hope. My friend
whose admirable nature l have de-
scribed-was due to arrive in New York
that afternoon. He had been visiting
friends in the country. went to his
Office. A clerk said:
Mr.. Softmark has been removed TO
his home in South Jersey
Removed gasped.
"'Yes, SIR said he. He has been
taken down with inflamma tory rheuma-
tism in every joint, and they are
afraid he will die
II went to nv room and meditated.
l passed another night in chasing that
tenderloin steak. Then / arose and
left the room. If / remember rightly.
went out through the keyhole, but
that does not matter. l certainly could
have done SO. ! felt thinner than a
during that interval had not been bar
rem of results. / had formed plan
/ knew no one in the city personally,
but l had a very good line on gentle
man who had heard of me, and was
aware of the vast and ancient respecta-
bility of my family. had resolved to
go to him
tell the story of my woes? Not much.
That wealthy and successful gentle
man appreciated success in others and
l knew it. / went tc a telegraph office
and stole blank form. i had a gen.
uine telegram in my pocket, and 1
copied all the operators marks from
that upon the form. It looked severely
technical when | got through with it.
Then | wrote this message:
a. Come at your own terms; four hundred
per month and expenses J. :. & CO.
II think | need not inform you that
those initials did not represent any
firm existing on this globe. l took the
telegram to the genial gentleman All
the way TO his Office l endeavored TO
impart to my cOuntenance the appear
ance of success and self-satisfaction.
1t was hard. for 1 was feeling thinner
than the tropic of Capricorn which is
en- imaginary line reaching around the
earth. 1t seemed to me that | blew
into the Office, and when 1 sat in
chair facing him, | was afraid another
draft would blow me out.
His desk was Uttered with money,
and the sight of it inspired me. l in
troduced myself in manner calculate
10 convey the idea that | was doing