Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-01
Can't YOU get it out of other pa

y
the shape of sleeve has been known
to change completely in single night.
OF course, the other papers would give
me the right neutrality-suspicious. like
| 'selvedge,' and 'ruching,' and things OF
| that kind"
"M'yes. They wouldn't tell you what
they meant"
mo. There you are again; the
things too difficult"
Look here" l said, you must
know some good-natured woman of the
| world-one of the kind that likes young
men-one of the kind that believes that
journalism is connected with author
| ship, and authorship is connected with
romance You had better go to her,
tell her frankly what your position is,
| and ask her"
He interrupted me. "You are being
| perfectly useless to me-" he said, with
| clenched teeth and studied calm. III
| you know me at all, you must know
that would sooner be boiled alive in
non-corrosive ink and have my blue
black carcass eaten by half-caste KAT
| hrs, than let any woman of my ac-
| quaintance know that l had been even
asked to do anything SO presumptuous
and immodest. If l attempt this article
at all, it will be to prove to the editor
that really am an all-round journal
list, and you must understand that l
don't want it talked about"
Certainly. But if you're going to
write the article, how do you propose
to get your information?"
Il can't say exactly. shall look in
the windows of the big shops, and take
notes of the people in the Park Then
the managers of the shops would tell
me something in return for gratuitous
advertisement. l thought, perhaps,
you might have some other notion"
"No,' said, I'm afraid l am not of
much use. However, can say that l
am sincerely sorry for you"
He shook my hand warmly on leav-
ing, and thanked me. IF anything
should happen" he said, hopelessly,
''it will, at any rate, be consolation
to me that have had your sympathy.
Good night" He had no sooner shut
| the door behind him than he opened it
again and put his head in. "You don't
happen to know what basque is, do
you?" he asked in n melancholy voice.
mo? Well, it doesn't matter. It's
only one thing out of many. Good
night again" He looked very depressed,
as if he had some presentiment that he
had undertaken a task beyond his pow
| ers, and evil would come of it.
Three times on the following day
saw Shoemaker. The first time was in
| the morning, outside the law courts.
He was walking very fast in the dircc-
ton of the west, and seemed more en-.
ergetic than on the previous day. He
came up to me, and said at once ir
rather peremptory way; whats ac
Gordon plaiting?"
l confessed that l didn't know.
That's just like you," he said, impa.
| tiently You never do know any.
thing. l can't stop"
He hurried on. l noticed that he was
carrying under his arm two or three Of
the feminine journals.
Later in the day found him staring
into the windows of big shop in Re-
gent street where they sold bonnets.
AS for his appearance, l can only say
that he looked like desperate man.
Il am glad to see you," he said, gloomi-
| ~. "If you'd come minute later, it
would have been all over. l should
have broken that window, thrown the
| br, Snfp CIV
| trampled on them. l have been think
| ing about doing it for the last five min
ntes"
Look here, Shoemaker" l said,
you've been overworking yourself.
You wouldn't get yourself into this
condition if you didn't take things so
seriously"
'I1l give you a sovereign" he replied,
''to stick your foot through that win
dow. Go on, do it. Nobody's looking.
can't do it myself, because it would
injure the paper if l got into the po-
lice courts. You've got no position to
speak of, and it wouldn't matter if
you did it. If you don't want the SOW
ereign, do it out of friendship. There's
hat at the back trimmed with two
shoe buckles and Il split hummingbird.
If l could tear that in half and throw
| it under an omnibus | should feel bet
ter"
Control yourself" l said, firmly
"I'm going to take you to the club, and
give you tea, and, so far as it is human
ly possible, stop you from behaving like
lunatic. What have you been doing
all day?"
Il have been collecting material for
an article entitled: The Height of
Fashion, That's what has brought me
to this You won't do this little thing
to oblige me? Just what l thought.
You call yourself Bohemian, and as
q matter of fact you're eaten up with
responsibility"
With some difficulty l persuaded him
to come with me to the club. There l
gave him tea and consolatory cigarettes.
When he was little calmer, pressed
him to tell me his experiences. He did
so, with some reluctance.
Il began" he said, "by going to
Bond street. found a window there
with just the right kind of clothes in