The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-01-13
TRIGGS' CAT.
BY EDEN PHILLPOITS.

| III 10 OH tttNi iSOis WAN SNAN -
undercurrento OF cunning enough
to overreach himself, don't you know
And that is what he's done with me.
But he laughs best who laughs last.
and 1 laughed last
Pm not one of those stupid chap
pies who pretend the worlds an
empty egg shell, and thateverythings
been done, and there's nothing new,
and nothing to see or learn or profit
by. Pm always open to new ideas
and like to understand things as |
60 along. People think I'm an
awfully narrow-minded, empty head
ed johnny but I'm not.
may as well write this story out
while Pm in the vein and have the
details all fresh; but l don't for
moment suppose you'll believe it,
because nobody ever believes any
thing nowadays, don't you know. Its
bad form.
Well, l came down to breakfast
one afternoon just as chippy as
could be-reduced to the last stages
of chippiness, in fact. l shuddered
even at the sight OF dry toast; and
if dry toast makes you shudder,
then you're properly chippv. My
man Symes removed a loathsome
omelet, and suggested fragment of
kippered herring and a brandy and
soda. Symes knows what it is to be
chippy himself; but his is a mere
animal chippiness, don't you know:
mines mental.
There were three letters on my
table. One whas pink and scented
with "Cherry Blossom; the second
came from my tailor; the third
the really important one-from
Triggs. 1 burnt the pink note
without opening it. What's the use
of reading worrying letters when
you're chippy7 But | studied the
tailors letter, because his communi
cations always amuse me. This was
fac simile of many others have had
from him. My tailor is a mean
hound, don't you know. He tries to
get sentiment into his accounts. He
whines and whimpers, and, l believe
drops water about on his bills to
make me think he has been crying
over them. AS to the missive from
Jimmy Triggs, it was short and
simple. He wanted me to 60 down
and shoot birds and things, and stop
week or two al his place in
Surrey.
1 laughed. We were within a
week OF the new burlesque at the
Gaiety. My stall was booked; the
gardenia l should wear wasi already
in bud somewhere; and yet Triggs
wrote thus. But still, at another
time, l should have humored Triggs
and run down, because was ment-
ally chippy as l said before, and
wanted tone.
The thing had weighed heavily
on MY mind for month. It's quite
TOO extraordinary the number OF
things a chappie's mind will hold at
one time don't you know. Mines
simply crammed with ideas about
yachts and plays and racing and
money and society and clubs and the
Services and politics and religion
yes, really-and of course girls.
Girls get into every johnny's mind.
They wriggle in, God knows how
and you can't keep them out.
Chappies have gone in for being
monks and hermits, and lived in
caves, and given up socity, and sat
and moped. like eagles at the 800
dom you know, and worn hair shirts
next their skin, and teetotalled and
starved, and kept skull to talk to
when they felt depressed; but it's
been no good. They've only
chucked themselves away and lost
their chance, and got horribly self
righteous: and wasted their lives,
and missed being family men.
Every Johnny ought to 60 in for be-
ing family man, don't you know
after a certain time in life. But the
thing is to find the right woman. It's
better to keep single than start
being a family man with the wrong
girl.
A girl was worrying me, and lad
been for an age. To explain the
thing l must 60 back bit. Pm
fairish Judge of girl, don't you
know; and when met Edith March
ant got very keen over her from
the first. 1 told Soper about it al our
club, "The Vampires" Sopers a
tool, and hasn't any depth, but
sometimes he'll say a good thing
even wise one, by accident. |
know he's a liar, and would sacrifice
his best friend on the altar OF joke
but Soper daren't play it low down
on me, because l know thing or
two about Soper that isn't generally
known, don't you know.
He said: My boy she's engaged
at present to chappie in the War
Office; but that's nothing; she isn't
very much gone. Cut him out.
Marry her by all means. It's fair
deal. She has beauty and brains;
you have coin.
Soper is vulgar little cad. but
there's often grain OF sense in what
he says. | pointed out that l
loved her, as far as could judge
and that true love casteth out all
baser considerations of talent or
beauty. He replied that he didn't
know ANYTHING about love, but that