The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-10
A VICTIM OF FAME.

81 am overwhelmed with regret" OBJ
served stiffiy.
''Now, that tiger skim" enc suggested
lnsinuatingly. "I'm sure tale hangs to
that"
''Of course tail hangs to #, I replied
trritably. "Most tigers have tails"
'sThose oriental versess I suppose one
Of your ancestors brought them home
FROM
Bought 'em of Jew in Whitechapel -
'Oh, what a love of a cat! He's your
great companion and friend, isn't he! I'm
sure he is.
Its the landlady's, and I kick the beast
put whenever I see it..
''Ah, perhaps you suffer from nervesi
Most poets do, of course. You must have
perfect rest and quiet to-
I'm as strong as horse, thank you"
And you live quite at home in these
lovely roomsf"
''When l can command solitude, mad.
am, enjoy it, Controlling myself with
an effort, Isaid in a firm tone: Il dis.
tinctly forbid you to put in a word about
me-
"Oh, there'll be nothing you can posi-
bly, object to, Mr.. Pottinger. There won't
indeed Do any of your family write poetry
besides your
do any of your family besides you do
interviewing" retorted. IF SO, should
think you're an orphan"
She laughed gleefully and wrote hard
for a minute or two.
There, I've got that" she observed
cheerfully. Now, is there anything else
that you'd like to tell the public through
me?"
l opened the door and stood with my
hand on the knob.
About your books, for instance? How
much you get for''--
No, thank you, ~ said I, with emphasis.
''Or your favorite pursuits?"
GOOD morning said j, opening the
door wider.
''Oh, good morning, Mr.. Pottinger!
Oh, who's that over the mantelpiece?
What sweet facet I'm sure it must be-
oh, a secret, is it? Then 1 mustn't ask,
must II How charmingly interesting,
thought / must just refer to it.
IF you do''--
''Well, good morning. Thank you ever
so much. I'll be sure to send you pa
per-
The above is full and true record Of
what passed. The following is an extract
from what was published:
Mr. Pottinger, when he is chez lui,
dwel!s in the dRintiest of appartements.
At glance you can tell that you are in
the sanctum of a skilled collector of OBJ
jets dart, and your hosts deep blue eyes
light up with radiant CLEAN as he low
ingly fondles his priceless oriental pottery.
The wall is decked with the skin of mag
nificent tiger. The Pottingers have always
hparl MIGHTY g>-ntprS and Nv pntrino
himself can handle a rifle as deity as he
can turn a. sonnet On the cushions of
luxurious sofa there reposes a splendid
Persian cat, evidently the companion,
friend and pampered pet of its gifted mas
ter. Over the mantelpiece hangs the por-
trait of a beautiful girl, and it is easy to
see that this exquisite gem is not the least
of Mr.. Pottinger,s treasures. Space for
bids us to catalogue the thousand and one
delightful objects which adorn this choice
retreat. The tout ensemble is fragrant of
lettered ease and wide culture. Nor is the
genius loci one whit out of harmony with
the surroundings which his matchless
taste and untiring diligence in the search
for curios have gathered together from the
four corners of the earth. Mr.. Pottinger's
slight figure tells indeed of q delicate ply
sique and of the sensitive, ever nervous
temperament always associated with SUI
preme poetic gifts. But the brain of the
man imparts boundless energy TO its frail
tenement. The soul looks out alert, pas
sionate, indomitahle, through the large
eyes, now so strangely keen, now so in
effably sympathetic. Sayings full of pen
etration, hints of OVERLOOKING sympathy
with all the sorrows and troubles which
afflict the world, mingle and alternate with
the most brilliant flashes of wit or the "a
pier thrusts of the most refined and cour-
teous badinage Mr.. Pottinger's indeed
Is personality which must be encounter
ed to be appreciated, for, although he may
be studied TO some degree in his own price
less poems yet the man himself seems
something above and beyond even the
finest of his work-a presence, an lnfiu-
ence-in a word, soul, such AS it is re-
freshing and inspiring to meet amid the |
grays and drabs of this prosaic age. Never |
shall we forget the precious hours which |
Mr. Pottinger SO kindly spared TO us, and |
we trust that we have not altogether fail |
ed to communicate to our readers some |
thing of what we were privileged TO enjoy |
when Mr. Pottinger made us welcome to /
his home
This appeared one morning. In the aft /
ernoon / strolled, according to my custom,
down to the club A circle of men sat |
round the fire. No sooner had 1 entered,
which tried to do in an transformations
manner, than was greeted in this way:
Excuse my courteous badinage, Pot
finger, but how's the frail tenement"
blue eyes, off color bit, eh, old mani"
Here, come and be ineffably sympa-
thetic. I've come an awful bowler over the
Jubilee"
Il say, Pot, old man, you must have
made yourself dashed pleasant to the girl.
What did you say now?"
"Out with it, Pot. None of your internal
napier thrustS, you know"
Take care, Tom. He's passionate and
who's the party over the mantelpiece'
Oh, you old thief!''
Waiter, bring cat for Mr.. Pottinger.
de wants companion and friend
And then from all of them a low chorus,
subdued chant:
"A presence, an iniluence-in a word, q
oul!''
suppose nothing can be done.-Black
md White.
A Royal Almoner.
A royal almoner was an ecclesiastic at
ached TO the medieval courts who took
rom the royal table and gave to the poor the
Irst dish that was brought from the kitch-
IL