The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-21
A RISE IN TROUSERS

O'Ao " bANhAAaSo Mucu tu0 O11C0 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''
know tho man we'll. We were follow
townsmen and had come up to Paris to-
gether. Fortune had frowned upon him.
1 would like to say that 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 i'll, Martini" said to the
boy. 'As the gentleman has probably
como to borrow, here is some money. If
1 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
him, " answered the boy. "Hc looks as
if he was on his uppcrs, and his pants is
teIrors.
Dcmare camc brisl1ly into tho office.
"Wcll, old boy" he said before
had time to open my lips, II have come
to borrow. But this is al exceptional
case. am not going to say that 1 have
not had good meal for week, nor
that l need 80 louis to pay debt of
honor, nor 80 francs TO pay for car
ringe ride for two. / want Just louis,
for need precisely that amount, Just
one and twenty francs. have enough to
match that and pay for my breakfast in
the bargain" and he really showed me
three 20 franc pieces. This louis | will
10 tl,i
time. As my demand may seem IA little
extrayagant, l will help you out by
promising that if l do not bring the
money back before tonight You may i'll
struct your boys to kick me of the prem
lseS If | ever show myself here again
Shall l sign that agreement? You know
that | would not for the world cut off
the source Of so many benefits by not
keeping my word l regret that I can
not tell You exactly what disposition I
am to make of your louis. can only
tell you that l am to use it i'll a CONNER
clal enterprise that is a daisy-you hear,
jim dandy
The fellow made me laugh in spite of
myself. 1 was completely disar1ned. 1
gave him his louis, and 1 truly believe
should have invited him to breakfast
with me if he had not been so meanly
dressed. But with such trousers it was
an impossibility.
Promptly at O'Clock the boy an
nounced, with show Of respect:
MIR Dcmarc -
Faithful to my agreement, said he
gayly. Here is your yellow boy. AS
know you are busy, I will go, but not
without thanking you most heartily"
"Was your Jim dandy SUGGEST"
inquired.
Decidedly, said he, showing mo
handful of money.
said. You must have been playing the
races -
II au not foolish enough for that, +"
he replied.
noticed he Wore new trousers, which
must have cost him 81 or So. That cx-
planned the increased respect of the of
flee 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 1 accepted it,
When he went out, 1 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 trousersho had on n
third pair, and they We're 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
l gradually contracted the habit of
looking ut men S trousers. After vague
examination, lasting for several success
sive days, Of the neither garments of all
the employees about the Office from the
proofrcaders down to the janitors, I
discovered to my stupefaction that none
of these persons Of slender incomes wore
the same pair Of trousers two days in
succession. Some of them even changed
twice day.
! became convinced that 1 was the
victim Of special hallucination, and /
resolved carefully to conceal my NAL
ady, as it would have rendered me eX-
trcmcly ridiculous. Still felt that 1t
would affect mo greatly, as it would in
duce melancholy and become q mono
mania.
Still the trousers filed before my eyes.
| They were Of all colors and of all shapes.
Some fitted their wcarers, others were q
little too small or little too large.
| They were evidently ready made goods,
| but what an enormous quantity of trOu
scrs my diseased imagination seemed t.
| have seen!