The record-union., 1894-12-22

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| ana ploodleSs lips, which quivered as a
resentful dogs will play up aud down
! before It's swapping teeth. glided swiftly
TO the side OF the railway President and
made movement as il to throttle him.
But something seemed to instantly divert
his attention.
No! No, l won't-not this time, Laun-
cey Eve just slipped out OF the asylum,
ana must be back To tea. Tea and toast,
ana toast and tea! Who has better fare
Not me; not me! They tried to make
me believe-lawyers'u all sizzle, Laun-
cey your company won't pay me for
that property of mine you took Nom
sense! Bah ! Absurd It's my family,
not the Great Central, that's robbing me.
But Well beat 'em, Launcey Come up
TO dinner, as you used 10, Lauucey, old
boy. and We'll make you President of
these United States, Bring along my
property in your inside pocket. Case
'I99,' you'll remember. Bismarck. Wash
lngton, Gould, the RothschildS, Susanby
Manthony and all the nobs are at my
table! Come up for Christmas dinner;
dow
With this. Case 799 who was beyond all
doubt demented, sprang upon a marble
table and executed a merry reel, after
which he Went cheerily about the room,
picking at the incandescent lights as
though they were SO much toothsome
pantom!me with the weird refrain Of:
lea and toast, toast and tea! Who has
better fare? Not me. not men'
1hIS astonishing performance had mo-
mentarlIy diverted Launcey Pellew'S at
tention from the increasing drafts and the
almost continuous opening of his office
door, and when he next looked or
thought he looked, about him, his Office
was mass of sable forms and white
faces.
Clutches. walkiDg-sticks and invalid
chairs ratified and clattered and creaked
weird ntlSere2'e, and Shutflings, snuff
filings and groanings now and then rose
higher still, at times swelling into an al
most heart breaking dirge.
Launcey Pellew, with mighty weight
at his heart and choking sensation in
his throat, struggled, or Imagined he
struggled, to eXtricate himself from his
dreadful environment and To summon
help.
1t was of no avail. He noticed that
though his head rocked and his legs and
arms beat wildly, their most violent ex-
ertlons We're ef1ecuveless as the play of
shadows. lie was sure that he called out
VocIterously Tor his secretary for differ
ent directors, for familiar heads OF de-
partments, and particularly for huge col
ored porter, Bob; but while he could hear
his own voice laundering demands and
that, beyond his own lips, it was sound
less. 1t was as though his material body
and actual voice were in fierce activity
within vacuum.
The hosts who were croWding in upon
him apparently had no cognizance OF his
agony OF helpIesSneSs or of his tremen-
dous struggllngs and ShoutIngs. He was
sure OF this from their remarks and their
actions. Hundreds, IL seemed even thou
sands, clad IN the hideous embiems of
mourning and with the most startling
ly white faces he had ever looked
upon, crowded about him, calling out the
numbers OF their claims, as though he
hao himself prearranged this extraordi-
nary settlement meeting; and vet there
was always room for more.
The little widow in black alone kept
her seat before him, and it seemed as
though her glowing eyes would pierce
burning points OF flame through and
through his very body and BRAIN She
remarked casually:
You see, Mr.. Pellew, / mentioned
that L had noticed others on the road"
'Oh, they're not all in yet" chirped
the father of Cyrus. They're in all th'
rooms o. tn buildin'"
And a settin' twelve deep on the
stairs" added Cyrus mother.
AM switched in punches long th'
westibules and portycoes," came heartily
An entaIaded up the avenues, away
up through Harlem and Bloomingdale,
to the asylum. Coming to dinner with
Launcey and me, no doubt More the
merrier. Tea and toast and toast and tea
Delmonico fare for them and me % ecstat-
ically cried Case 799, heaving a basket of
stock report tapes at the unfortunate rail-
road President, which almost obscured
him for moment in wreathS of blanched
ana curling ringlets.
Again the mighty sable throng crowd
ed and surged about and before him.
Two little children, seemingly guided
by two invisible forms, halted before
him and looked long, earnestly ana pitt
fully i'll his face,
"Lookth like kind man." lisped one
timidly. wonder if he's dot any little
folks as he loves like papa and mamma
did fore they dot killed on his railway 2"
wy he's dess like Santa Claus, Sis ~
said the other surprisedly. "Us DON'T
have no more Santa Clauses now.
does us, Sis? Mebby he's doin' u be him
this ChristmasW
His nose is leetle hooked; but not
just like the DEVILS" said a man with an
arm and leg gone, as he hobbled inuuis-
itively by.
"My lawyer says he's got hoofs. Let's
seer? SAID another claimant, bringing
down the iron ferrule OF his Cheap wooden
IT,
And mine, that he's got horns ~ cried
another claimant behind him, reaching
over the crowd and rubbing the mag
mates head thumpingly with his icy
hickory crutch.
Whatever anybody thinks he is" Of
fered deep bass voice from somewhere
IN the eVer-Shlfting mass, land Whateyer
he pretends to be, lOe know what he is.
We've got him now. He'll settle, or
Well settle him !"
The railway President by mighty eff
fort here arose, or thought he had arisen.
and essayed to speak.
hundreds OF sticks and crutches were
instantly raised as If to strike him down.
'Oh, let him talk" pursued the bass
voiced claimant "He was always a
beautiful talker. He can talk all night,
When he's done it'll be cash, all the same:
or we can take him away i'll pieces
We've got time. We've all had plenty of
time since we or our kin got smashed"
The railway President treinb bled vio-
lently. 1t was not the sort of audience
he was accustomed to. He thought of all
his old stories. Not one seemed applica-
bic. These desperate folk were there for
what he could not give them. Even
Genius is palsied when the genius of ap-
probation IS lacking. But he finally
stammered:
My-dear-peoplev
THAT'S something like it," said the lit
tie woman in black suappily.
AT this tender and blessed season of
the year"
I'VE revel in tea and toast, and toast
and teal" interrupted Case 779, sagely
poking at imaginary toast over the ex-
piring fire in the CRATE.
The most sublime spectacle of human
greatness is ever found In consideration
and charity"
A profuse Precipitation was now trick
ling from the railway Fao,