The herald., 1894-05-02
A RISE IN TROUSERS.

was about to leave my Office to 20
out to breakfast when the office boy
brought me leaf torn from the block
which is always to be found In the ante
room Of newspapers offices and upon
which was written, Louis Demare,"
i knew the man well. We were fellow
townsmen and had come up to Paris to-
gether. Fortune had frowned upon him.
/ would like to say that I was out, but
the fellow knew what he was doing,
coming at such an hour. He would only
have to wait on the sidewalk until hun
ger should drive me out Iresigned my
self to admitting him.
"Show him in, Martin, said to tho
boy ''As the gentleman has probably
come to borrow, here is some money. If
ring and ask you to lend mo some,
give this to mo and say that it is all you
have.
You're dead right to be fly with
if he was on his uppers, and his pants is
terrors.
Demare came brislSly into the office.
"Well, old boy" he said before I
had timo to open my lips, II have come
to borrow. But this is an exceptional
case. am not going to say that have
not had good meal for week, nor
that 1 need 80 louis to pay q debt of
honor, nor so francs to pay for car
riage ride for two want just louis,
for / need precisely that amount. Just
one and twenty francs. 1 have enough to
match that and pay for my breakfast in
the bargain, and he really showed me
three 90 franc pieces. This louis l will
return to you this evening before dinner
time AS my demand may seem little
extravaganza, / will help you out by
promising that if / do not bring tho
money back before tonight you may in
struct your boys to kick me off the prem
Uses if ever show myself here again.
Shall l sign that agreement? You know
that l would not for the world cut off
the source of so many benefits by not
keeping my word. regrct that / can
not tell you exactly what disposition
am TO make of your louis. can only
tell you that 1 ann to use it in CONNER
cial enterprise that is a daisy--you hear,
jim dandy!'
The fellow made me laugh in spite of
myself. was completely disarrned.
gave him his louis and truly believe
i should have invited him to breakfast
with me if he had not been so meanly
dressed. But with such trousers it was
an impossihility.
Promptly at O'Clock the boy an
nounccd, with show of respect:
"Mr. Demare
Faithful to my agreement" said he
gayly. Hero is your yellow boy. AS
know you are busy, I will 60 but not
without thanking you most heartily"
WAS your Jim dandy SUGGEST" I
inquired.
Decidedly, said he, showing me a
handful of money.
"Allow me to compliment you,"
said. you must have been playing the
races -
II am not foolish enough for that"
he replied.
noticed he wore new trousers, which
must have cost him 81 or SIS. That ex-
planned the increased respect of the Of
fee boy. Surely the fellow had not
wasted his day
The next day he brought me an ar
ticle ON some of our city institutions. 1t
was interesting and I accepted it.
When he went cut, noticed that he
wore new trousers and different ones
from those he had worn the day before.
Two days later he called for the pay for
his article. He came up to shake hands
with me on going away. Mechanically
glanced at his trousers-he had ON
third pair, and they were perfectly new.
met him often in the succeeding days
in the office and outside, and on every
occasion he wore fresh pair Of trousers.
Curiously enough, he always wore the
Same coat, which was shabby in the
extreme.
gradually contracted the habit of
looking at men, trousers After vague
examination, lasting for several success
sive days, of the neither garments of all
the employees about the office from the
proofreaders down to the janitors,
discovered to my stupefaction that none
of these persons Of slender incomes wore
JllC SulilO pdlI VI tIOuccIb bWO Qdyo III
succession. Some of them even changed
twice day.
l became convinced that I was the
victim of special hallucination, and
resolved carefully to conceal my NAL
ady, as it would have rendered me ex-
tremely ridiculous. Still felt that it
would affect me greatly, as it would in
duce melancholy and become a mono.
mania.
Still the trousers filed before my eyes.
They were of all colors and Of all shapes.
Some fitted their wearers, others were
little too small or little too large
They were evidently ready made goods,
but what an enormous quantity Of trou-
sers my diseased imagination seemed to
have seen!
I seriously thought of making my
will; but, persuaded of my infrmity,
knew it would be worthless and would
only lead to exposure With the great.
est secrecy consulted specialist--not
a specialist in trousers, but in mental
disorders lie showed 10 surprise at this
form of mental disorder, talked Of neu-
rasthenia, overwork aud so on, and
charged me louis.
/ began to feel that my days were
numbered. Every one remarked the
change in my health. One Of the con-