The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-07
MR.. CLERKINWELL.
t.Mr Clerkin we)l-In."

t"Mr. Clerkinwe]l-In."
Though it was only i small white card
I. neatly written and tackled in the side OF
the mirror Of the hatrack, 1t WAS the first
thing that caught the Nomat' 8 eye tho first
day he entered the hall. And when he went
out at the end Of 20 minutes after ncgotiat-
inG for three pair back he noticed the card
again, only this time it had been reversed
and read, mir. Clcrkinwell-Out."
When tho Nrnad came to settle down In
his ncw quarters, he became deeply inter-
estctl in the announcement Of the coming
and going Mr.. Clerkinwell.
Sometimes Mr.. Clerk well was out,
somctimes he was in, and his habits SEEM
e1l to he irregular, and he would he out ut
unconventional hours and in when he
would not be looked for. -,
The Nomad even became so interested
In the Clcrkinwell movements that he
consulted Maggie about them.
"a foinc man is Mr.. Clcrkinwcll," said
Mavvic. ::Ic has the front room on the
same flurc wild yourself He kapes the
card in the mirror SOS to save me the
work of running up and down the stairs
if nybody calls to see him.
''Thcn he has a good many callers, does
hep suggested the Nomad.
.Niyer wan,' answered the girl deci-
sivcly. None at all. But he might have,
he says, and he don't want me to be after
killing mcself gallivanting up and down
the tree flights to see If he do be In OF
out. wish they all done rs he does"
One evening as the Nomad reached the
head of the last flight he met an elderly
man, tall and straight, with a gray mus
lad, ,nff f,ao poHS ono
was an anxious, troubled look on tho old
gentleman's face.
pardon me, SIR" he began. Il am
Mr.. Clerkinwell. I believe have the
honor to be your neighbor. Did you," he
continued, t'happen to notice a small card
in tho hall mirror with my name on it!
But Of course you didn't"
But did notice it. ~
..Indeed?" said Mr.. Clerkinwell. "How
observing! Perhaps you noticed, too, II 1t
said, Mr.. Clerkinweli-Out,' or Mr..
Clerkinwell-In.'
ut says, Mr.. Clerkinwell-In.'
.Ob, doar-that's right. I'm i'll.
lust came in, but l couldn't remember II
I changed it or not. I'm glad it's right,
because it will save me a trip down all
those stairs. Good night, SIR" and Mr..
Clerkinwell disappeared in his room.
After this the Nomad saw more OF Mr..
Clerkinwell and even penetrated his room
on his invitation and talked with him OF
many things.
But Mr.. Clerkinwell always seemed to
have nervous, preoccupled air, which the
No,nad traced readily to his apprehension
lest his card in tho mirror was wrong
Usually after coming i'll it took at least
one trip and sometimes two back to the
M or1-i oil hat no
card was right. 1t was the same way
when he went out He always came back,
from the stoop Mt least and sometimes from
the corner.
Not that any body, Mr.. Clerkinwell him
self or any one else, ever did find the card
wrong Mr.. ClerkinweI could no more
pass the hatrack without turning the card
than he could walk through tho door with
out unlocking it, but the thing had taken
hold upon the unfortunate NOmad even as
1t had upon Mr.. Clerkinwcll.
One day he yentured respectfully to ask
!. If tho labor and mental strain OF keeping
u the card right were not somewhat out of
proportion to the number of visitors re-
oeived. Mr. Clerkinwell thought not.
Let me see," he unused. Let me see.
Wac it Two or three years ago that Major
Harrotan called? declare, it $ almost four
years. Well, we'll! How time flies! But,
bless me, it WAS only last summer that
Mrs. Inkster. wife of my dear old school
mate. Dick Inkster of Philadelphia, called
on me. What do you suppose that card
eaid the day she called? That card said
out What do you think Of being out
when d lady calls OH you?''
The Nomad expressed his adherence ut
such ain untowart and calamirous concat-
enation of events.
$50, you see,' added Mr.. Clerkinwel
cheerfully, 'chey do drop in occasionally,
and you can t tell when others may come.
And when they do come Maggie can see
at a glance if am out or in
1t happened three days ago as the No
mad was preparing for bed that he heard
heavy tra1nping on the stairs and along
the hall and low voices of people going In
and out Then Maggie raped at his door
and said:
Mr.. Clerkinwell has been after being
took i'll on the street, and they brought
him home in a ambulance, and he wishes,
sir, if it's not too much trouble, to see you
in his ROOM
The Nomad hurried in. Mr. Clerkin.
well was in bed, and the doctor was bend
Ing over him.
..I-I've had q bad turn" said Mr..
Clerkinwell feebly. They wouldn' stop
to let me change it as they brought me in.
Won't you please go down and attend to
it for me? Remember, Mr.. Clerkinwell
-In.'''
The Nomad saw Mr.. Clerkinwcll again
in the morning. He opened his eyes
YEARLY and uttered the one word, "1n.'
The card was still. right when the Nomad
went out lew minutes later.
When he came back at night, it was
wrong, as he read plainly in Maggie's
face. So he reached up and righted it
Mr.. Clerkinwell - Out. - New York
Tribune.
Craze For Old Masters.
Any one who, few years ago, would
have foretold the return in our day of the
traditional American craze for spurious
''old masters would have been laughed
TO scorn. 1t might indeed have been sup