The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29
Mr. Clerkinwell-A clearinghouse
EDiSoda.


Episode.
Mr.. ClerkinweIl-In. " Though it was only
a small white card neatly written ana tackled
in the side Of the mirror Of the hatrack, says
writer in the New York Tribune ii was the
hrst thing that caught the Nomad's eye the
hrst day he entered the hall. And when he
went out at the end Of twenty minutes. after
negotiating for Three Pair Back he noticed
! the card again. only this time It had been re-
! yersed and read. Mr.. Clerklnwell-Out'
When the Nomad came to settle down IN
MS new quarters be became deeply Interested
IN the announcementOf the coming and going
Mr.. Clerkinwel. Sometimes Mr.. ClerkinWell
was Out; sometimes he was In. and his habits
seemed to be irregular, and he would be Out
at unconventional hours and In when ne
would not be looked for. The Nomad even
| became so interested in the Clerkinwell move
ment5 that he consulted Maggie about him.
A folne man is Mr.. Clerkiawell,' said
Maggie. He has the front room on the
same f1ure wild yourself. He kapes the card
IN the mirror SOS to save me the work OF
running up and down the stairs If anybody
calls to see him. ''
Then he has a good many callers, does he?'
suggested the Nomad.
Nlver wan, answered the girl decisively.
None tall. But he might have, he says,
and he don want me to be after killing me
self galnvanting up and down the three
NIGHTS to see II he do be In or out. l wish
they all done he does "
One evening as the Normid reached the
head OF the last flight he met an elderly man,
| tan and straight, with a gray mustache,
which curled up at the ends. There was an
anxious troubled look on the old gentleman's
face.
Pardon me sir" he began, I am Mr..
| your neighbor"
The Nomad tried gently to suggest that
| the honor was the other way but Mr..
| Clerklnweu waved away the idea as obpox-
| ious to him.
Did you, he continued. happen to notice
small card in the hall mirror with my name
on lt:-but of course, you didn't
But did notice it,
Indeed said Mr. Clenkinwell how OBJ
| serving. Perhaps you noticed, too If it said
Mr.. Clerkinwell-Out,' or Mr.. Clerknwell-
In"
1t says Mr. Clerkinwell-In'
oh, dear-thats right I'm in, l Just
came in. but l couldn't remember il changed
IL or not. I'm glad it's right, because it will
save me trip down all those stairs. Good
night, sir" and Mr.. Clerkinwell disappeared
in his loom.
After this the Nomad saw more OF Mr.
CIerklnwell. and even penetrated his room.
on his invitation, and talked with him of
many things. But Mr.. Clerkinwell always
seemed to have nervous, preoccupied air
which the NOmad traced readily to his appre-
hension lest the card in the mirror was wrong.
Usually after coming in it took at least one
trip and sometimes two back to the hail to
satisfy Mr.. ClerklnweL that the card was
right.
1t was the same way when he went out; he
always came back; from the stoop at least,
ana sometimes from the corner. Often when
ne came IN the Nomad, to save him the trip
back, would go down for him to make sure
| that MIR. Clerkinwen was In not Out and
never did the Nomadic eyes fail to consult the
card carefully when their owner passed
through the hall; and sometimes when going
out the Nomadic legs would again ascend the
| Three Pair when 1t was feared that the card
was wrong Not that anybody, MIR Clerkin-
| well himself or any one else. ever did find the
| card wrong Mr.. ClerkinWell could no more
| pass the hatrack without turning the card
| than he could walk through the door without
| unlocking IT; but the thing had taken hold
! upon the unfortunate Nomad even as it had
! upon Mr.. Clerkinwel.
| But though drawn into the net he still re-
| talned his reasoning faculties to a certain ex-
| tent; SO one day he ventured respectfully to
| ask II the labor and mental strain of keeping
| the card right were not somewhat out of pro
| portion to the number of visitors received.
| MIR. Clerklnwel thought not
Let me see, he mused let me see. was
| 1t two or three years ago that Mai Harrodan
called declare, it's almost four years.
| well, we'll; how time flies. But, Hess me it
| was only last summer that Mrs. Inkster wife
| OF my dear old Schoolmate, Dick Inkster of
| Philadelphia called on me. What do you
| think OF being out when a lady calls on yOu?''
| The Nomad expressed his adherence Of
| such an untoward and calamitous concatena-
| ton of events.
so you see " added Mr. Clerkinwell. cheer
| fully, they do drop in occasionally, and you
| can't tell when others NAV come. And when
| they do come Ma gle can see at a glance if l
1 am OUT or IN.
1t happened three.dags ago as the Noulad
| was preparing for bed that he heard heavy
| tramping on the stairs and along the hall
and low voices and people going in and out
| Then Maggie raped at his door and said.
| Mr.. Cletkinwell has been after being took
| sick on the street, and they brought him
| home in ambulance; and he wishes sir if
| it's not too much trouble. to see you in his
| room
| The Nomad hurried in Mr. Clerkinwell
| was IN bed, and the doctor was bending over
! him.
live had bad turn" said Mr.. Clerkin-
| we'll, feebly. They wouldn't stop to let me
| change II as they brought me in. Won't you
| please go down and attend to it for me? Re
| member, Mr.. Clerkinwell-In.'
! The Nomad did so. When the doctor went
| out he said: He's very sick man"
The Nomad saw Mr. Clerkinwell again In
! the morning. He opened his eyes YEARLY
| and uttered the one word, In" The card
was still right when the Nomad went out
! few minutes later. When he came back at
| night it was wrong, as he read plainly in
! Maggie face, So he reached up and righted
| it" Mr.. Clerkinwell-Out"