The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-28

consequences OF n BlunueE Made by
Public Rumor Upon MIR. Weakby's
acknowledgements Afterward of
Mrs. weakly.
From the New York Sun:
When Mr. Weakly awoke somewhat late
on sunday morning after his Saturday af-
ternoon adventure with Swiggett, he did
not suspect that by the curious contra
rfsty Of fate the gossip of the club had
made him and not Swiggett the hero
of the affair The fact is, that Gossip
son. whose cynical penetration had d.
vined the facts in the case, was the only
man TO fathOm Weakby's secret, and Cos
sipson having an engagement TO dinner
elsewhere, had hurried of from the club
before he had had an opportunity to tell
what he knew. It had gone abroad, how
ever. among the few summer Saturday
night frequenters of the club that Weakly
hitherto supposed to be only an over-re-
spectacle person. was, in fact. deuce Of
fellow. The clerk had confirmed the
news by saying that Swiggett had left
the club hurriedly with flushed face and
somewhat unsteady hand, while Weakly
remained behind. quietly slipping his COT
fee. The half dozen men who had noticed
noon had been induced to believe that his
condition was considerably better than
That of the missing party to the bibulOus
encounter. The fact that he appeared 10
have some semblance of appetite at a late
dinner in the great dining room OF the
cIub house, subsequently sat up until
midnight, and went to bed after brandy
and soda, all tended to give him a lie
titlous reputation. To have been drunk
in Weakly club would have been thought
disreuutable. but to have remained sober
after a seance with SWiggett was a thing
that could hardly inJure mans reputa-
So it happened that when Weakly came
down on sunday morning to a late and
carefully ordered breakfast he was an OBJ
ject Of interest to the lew men IN the
Cosey little breakfast room. He was treat
ed by the waiter also with a consideration
hitherto never accorded hims He found
at his elbow on sitting down bottle of
cool. but not cold, Apollinaris, which the
waiter opened with an apologize word as
10 his belief that Mr.. Weakly had forgot
ten this agreeable and wholesome intro
duction to a late breakfast. To Weakly $
inquiring look as his palate detected the
slight acidulation of the water, the waiter
bowed and said softly, Just drop Or
lime juice, sir 1 thought p raps you would
like it,"
A New York club on summer Sunday
morning is by contrast with the same club
on other mornings, and even on Sunday
mornings at other timeA of the year, a
dreary and depressing place; but Weakly
accustomed to Sunday morning break
fast beneath the severe and evangelical
eye of Mrs. Weakly, and under the admin
istration of a servant that plainly recog-
nized the latter as the head of the w eak-
by household, found the silence OF the
CHEEKY little breakfast room of the club
and the Difference and attention of the
waiter, and the respectful interest
of his fellow members most agreeable.
The coffee, which at home Mrs Weakly
pitilessly watered from a tender regard
for Weakby's nerves, was diluted with
nothing less palatable than cream. The
muskmelon that followed the Apollinaris
was perfect in flavor, although the waiter
deferentially offered to fetch another If
that one was not to Mr. Weakby's liking.
No such solicitous consideration for Weak
by's taste had ever been shown at his
own breakfast table.
While Weakly was yet only half
through his muskmelon in came old Col.
TrdmpingtOn, empurpled veteran of
the regular army, retired now with hon
orable scars and the repute of disting-
uished valor In several Indian campaigns
of twenty years earlier. Col Trump
ington lived at the club and chiefly for
whist. The colonel was a connoisseur in
every kind of liquor with which civilized
man delights his palate. The colonel
had once amazed his brother officers in
the well-nigh inaccessible wilds of the
Apache country by offering them almost
ice-cold cocktails before the meal which
in that campaign passed for dinner. lie
had also cohnqed 10 a ielIoW cIuo menu
Der the method whereby man may with
safety to his stomach drink horn Of
whisky before, breakfast. The colonel
was not able to explain why man should
wish to drink a horn of whisky before
breakfast but he regarded his method as
a triumph of the bibulOus art. As it in
volved the arousing of oneself from sleep
three hours before ones normal rising
time and drinking a bottle of cold soda
carefully placed in ice at the bed head,
it is believed that the colonel enjoyed the
practice of the method solely in his own
person. Col TrumpingtOn, who had al
ways treated SWiggett with studious con-
tempt had heard of Weakby's supposed
triumphed over the latter and was ready
to give Weakly the right hand of fellow
Delighted to see you, my dear fellow"
said the colonel with his great rough
voice, assuming at the same time a fe-
rocious scowl which marked his coun-
tenance whenever he desired to be par
tcularly genial.
Weakly shrank a little, and could
hardly believe that the salutation was in
tended for himself, although the vete-
a yard of his own and the veterans
plump and well-kept hand was thrust
out in way of welcome. Weakly recov
cred himself in time to return the salu-
tation and shake the proffered hand.
You don't mind if ! join YOU" said the
colonel drawing back a chair opposite
weakly and looking saVagely round for
the waiter, This is my favorite table,
ana l am deuced glad to find you here.
AheW your uncle in the Third Infantry.
lie could sit over a bottle as long as
was utterly lost on Weakly, land there
was no better Indian fighter in all the
western country"
:, When Weakly began to recover a lit
ne from his fear of the colonel the lat
deTs growing innuendoes slowly became
sSoiHpienensible and Weakly recognized
IN dim fashion that the old warrior
" a. really treating him as hero.
GU play whist?' growled the colonel
q5 ne rose from the breakfast table, his
Iace OF apoplectic hue. "Then come to
ny room room at r." he added, in response
70 Weakby's Yes"
eakby did play whist; it was the
one game that he played well; and his un-
2 oSgshtatious skill nightly pleased his
mn ary partner. Weakly excused him.
SeI early in order to have the refresh
Llsnt Of an afternoon walk Then he
returned to dine at the club, and when
" went to bed that Sunday night it was
WIN me renewed resolution to be there
Scr more his own master and less Mrs.
W eakby's man. He dined at the club near
y every night during the next week, and
ne unwillingly declined a pressing invi-
t@uon from the colonel to breakfast with
nm on the following Sunday morning
aHu nave another afternoon at whist. He
made the engagement for the second Sun
e8y, however, when Mrs. Weakly would
asaln be at home. The promise was given