Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-04-28

o "A1i 'nt soseIeIRH. ne paVncC
few more words of honor and van
ished. For a moment the idea ee-
CURED to me to invite the good old
fellow to luncheon. But don't YOU
see, man with such Incredible trou-
sers no, It would never go.
At five minutes to o'clock the old
porter opened the door of nv Office, ]
announcing in respectful tone, MIR.
Louis Degars"
"Here am as promised, and here
are your twenty shillings," said my
old friend, Louis. slapping me on the
back and giving me friendly nudge.
''By Jove.' | said, from out of the
depth Of my surprise. 81 shouldn't
have thought it. Has your business
| been a success?'
''Of course he said, AMI shovel
me heap Of shillings There must
have been fifty or sixty shillinSs, and
! noticed that he took them ont Of the
| pocket Of brand new pair of trousers.
1t was respectable, wcll-cut pair, of
discreetly dark gray color. This
explained the note Of respect in the
! porter's voice when he announced nv
| friend. Louis.
Can ! do anything else for von?"
I asked him, with all the politeness
which is extended t. people VINO pay
their debts
"Many thanks. nothing else. It will
all run smoothly now"
| A few days later met him accident
| ally in the street. He did not see me,
but, as I looked casually at him, ]
noted that again he wore a new pair
of trousers, this time of charming
chestnut color He must be flourish
| ing. surely. Again after few days
he came into our Office to make small
payment into the bank Almost un-
consciously ! cast look upon his legs,
and discovered another new pair OF
trousers, this time OF an original,
though not particular tasteful. olive
! mustard green. | shook my head.
How very wasteful of him to 60 thus
into trousers! Why could he not
spend a couple of sovereigns to b,ty
new coat instead of all these things?
His blue coat sadly required replacing.
almost said SO to him, but was afraid
he might then ask me to lend more
money, and only gave him a friendly
nod.
Meanwhile nv study 81 the circum-
stances connected with my old friend 5
trousers had had tho curious conso-
qu-nce that, quite involuntari|v, | be
gan to look at the trousers of every
person with whom | came in contact
during the day~ And imagine Wnnt
happened. To my houndless constcr-
messengers, porters and other officials
never wore the same trousers more
than once. They Ill appeared every
morning IN brand new trousers, anI
sometimes they even wore one pair IN
|
/ noon. The end was that ! could think
Of nothing but this matter: It tcon
hold of me more and more. During
my waking hours and in my yer,
dreams | always asked the question
What in the world induces MI these
sensible people to be So madlv eStrav-
agant about their trousers At last
could stand it no longer. | male some
testing remark about it TO the old por
ter whose business It was to announce
my visitors His answer WAS gwen IL
a reserved manner and with 80 pecu
liar smile that the dread truth dawn
a. once upon me; ! wes maniac
There was no doub: nbout II. | aai
new disease. trousers mania, a peculla
kind Of hallucination ! decided a
once 10 keep the matter profoun'
secret. and 10 say nothing 10 ANYBODY
/ | was especially careful never again L
breathe word shout II 10 any .. on
officials, bu, could not prevent nv
self from studying, with morbid min
uteness, and day after day, the troas
/! ers they wore. l. was always the same
Every one wore every day new PAL
: o: trousers. often even two pairs n
e single day. Trousers o: 81 so-:s az
$ conditions, striped. cnecAei. ..ga:
i dark. loug. sao-,, ::gh., wide; "a
. msdden!ns