Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-24

Never had met any man so mcthodicai
in his habits so neat in his dress, so accu-
rate in speech, so precise in manner as my
fellow lodger, When he took his bath In
the morning I knew IT was half past Z, and
when he rang for hot water that II was a
quarter to s. Until quarter past he
moved about his room in his slow, careful
dressing, and then everything was quiet
next door till haf-past s, when the low
murmur of the Lords prayer concluded his
devotlons Two minutes later he went down.
stairs--if he met servant one could hear
him say Good morning"-and read his
newspaper--he seldom had letters-tll 8,
when he rang for breakfast. Twenty
past he went upstairs and changed his
coat, and he spent five minutes in the lobby
selecting a pair OF gloves, brushing his hat
and making a last survey for speck of
dust. One glove he put on opposite the hat
stand, and the second on the doorstep, and
when he touched the pavement you might
have set your watch by $3.50. Once he was
in the lobby at five and twenty minutes to
10, distressed and flurried.
II cut my chin slightly when shaving"
he explained, "and the wound persists IN
bleeding. 1t has an untidy appearance and
a drop Of blood might fall on letter"
and before reaching the corner he had twice
examined his chin with handkerchief and
shaken his head as one whose position In
life was now uncertain.
"It Is nothing In ITSELF" he said after
ward, with apologetic allusion to his
anxiety, land might not matter TO another
man. But any little misadventure--a yes
terday's collar or a razor cut, or even an
inky fnger-would render me helpless In
dealing with people. They would simply look
at the weak spot and one would lose all
authority. Some of the juniors smile when I
Impress upon them to be very careful about
their dress-quiet, Of course, as becomes their
situation, but unobjectionable. With more
responsibility they will see the necessity of
such details. l will remember your transpar-
ent sticking plaster-a most valuable sug-
gestion."
His name was Frederick Augustus
Perkins, so ran the card he left on my table
q week after settled in the next room, and
the problem Of his calling gradually be-
came a standing vexation. 1t fell under the
class Of conundrums, and one remembers
from childhood that it is mean to be told
the answer, so 1 could not say to MIR.
Perkns-for 1t was characteristic of the
prim little man that no properly constituted
person could have said Perkins
by the way, what is your line of things?"
riosity.
Mrs. Holmes, who was mother to
Mr.. Perkins and myself, as well as two
younger men Of literary pursuits and ir-
regular habits, had gift of charm
ing irrelevance and was able to combine al
lusons to Mr. Perkins ordinary life and
the amatory tendencies of a new cook in a
mosaic Of enthralling interest.
mo. Betsy Jane has 'ad her notice and
goes this day week. not that her cookin's
bad but her brothers don't know when to
leave. One was ere no later than last
night though il he was her born brother e
'ad different father and mother, or my
name amt 'Omes. Your brother, Betsy
Jane. says l, ought not to talk in a strange
'ouse on family affairs till IL o'clock
"'E left at 'alf past 10 punctual,' says
she. lookin' as hlnnocent as q. child. for !!
'eard Mr.. Perkins go up to is room as
was lettin Jim out
Betsy Jane, l says, quite calm, where
do you expect to go to as doesn't know wot
truth is?' for Mr.. Perkins leaves is room
has the all clock starts on II, and 'e's in
lis bed room at the last stroke. If she
'adn't brought in Mr.. Perkins she might
ave deceived me- gettin' old and not bein'
quick in my hearing as l was, but that set
tied her.
"Alf past" went on Mrs. Holmes, scorn-
fully, land i'm never varied two minutes
the last ten years, except one night he fell
asleep in lis chair, being bad with hinfu-
enZa.
"For regular single gentleman as rises
In the morning and goes out, and comes in
and takes lis dinner. and goes to bed like
the Medes and Persans, I've never seen is
equal; an it's fve and twenty years since
'Olmes died, avn' a bad liver through takin'
gin for rheumatics; an Lizbeth Peevey says
to me, Take dodgers Jemima; not that they
pays for the trouble, but 1t i'll keep an
'ouse.
"Mr Perkins business" it was shabby,
but the temptation came as a way of escape
from the flow OF Mr.. Holmes autobiography,
"now that couldn't put name on, for
why, e never speaks about is affairs, just
Good evening, Mrs. Dimes; I'll take fish for
breakfast tomorrow more than that, or an
other blanket on lis bed en- the list of No
vember. for it's by days, not cold, e goes"
1t was evident that l must solve the prob
lem for myself.
Mr.. Perkins could not be city man. for
In the hottest June he never wore a white
wastcoat nor had he the swelling gait Of
one who made an occasional coup in mines,
and 1t went without saying that he did not
write, a man who went to bed at IL and
whose hair made no claim to distinction.
Ones mind fell back on the idea of law
conveyancing seemed probable-but his face
lacked sharpness, and the alternative Of con-
ldential clerk to firm of drysalters was
contradicted by an air of authority that
raised observations on the bad weather to
level Of state document. The truth came
upon me--a flash of inspiration-as l saw
Mr.. Perkins coming home one evening. The
black sfrock coat and waistcoat, dark gray
trousers, spotless linen, high. old-fashloned
collar and stif stock We're a symbol and
could only mean one profession.
by the way, Mr.. Perkins," for this was