The Globe-republican., 1895-01-18


inquired instead Of hurrying porter,
and received the curt but coElprehen-
Sive answer:
''Dining-room next floor. Reading,
smoking and writing-rooms up the hall.
Billiard-room, bar and lavatory down.
stairs"
The professor, after getting into the
barber shop and the cigar store, finally
found his way into the reading-room.
Numerous daily papers were scattered
around on the table, each attached to a
long clumsy cleft arrangement OF wood,
while other dailies similarly encum-
bered hung from racks against the wall.
The professor sat down in one of the
easy leather-covered chairs, but, in
stead of taking up paper, drew
thin book from his pocket, in which he
was so absorbed that he became entire
" unconscious of his strange surround
ings. A light touch on the shoulder
brought him up from his book into the
world again, and he saw looking down
on him the stern face of a heavily
mustached stranger.
II beg your pardon, sir, but may 1
ask if you are guest Of this house?"
A shade Of apprehension crossed the
professors face as he slipped the book
into his pocket. He had vaguely felt
that he was trespassing when he first
entered the hotel, and now his doubts
were confirmed.
"I-am not exactly q guest, he STAN
mered.
what do you mean by not exactly a
guest?" continued the other, regarding
the professor with cold scrutinizing
gaze. "A man is either a guest or he
! IS not, take it. Which is it in your
case?"
81 presume, technically speaking,
am not"
Technically speaking! More eva
sions. Let me ask you, sir, as an
ostensibly honest man, If you imagine
that all this luxury-this-this ele'
Rance-is maintained for nothing? Dc
you think, sir, that it is provided fol
any man who has cheek enough to steI
out of the street and enjoy It? Is II
kept up, ask, for people who are
technically speaking, not guests?
The expression Of conscious gull
deepened ON the face Of the unfor
tunate professor. He had nothing Il
saw. He realized that his action wa
too fragrant to admit of defense, 90 b,
attempted none. Suddenly the counte
nance Of his questioner Lit up with ,
smile, and he smote the professor Of
the shoulder.
well, old stick-in-the-mud, yo'
haven't changed particle in ffteel
years. You don't mean to pretend yo'
don't know me?'
"You can't-you can't be Richar,
Yates?"
! 81 not only can, but can't be any
: body else. know, because 1 have ofte
tried. Well, well, well, we'll! Silly "
used to call you. don't you remember
TIL never forget that time we sun
3 Oft in the Silly night" front Of you
window when you were studying fo
!, the exams. You always were q quie
, fellow, Silly. I've been waiting fo
t you nearly . whole day. I was jus
t now with . party Of friends when tn
t boy brought me your card. A littl
r philanthropic gathering sort Of m,
. tuAl benefit arrangement, you know
each of us contributed what We coul
spare into . general fund, which WI
given to some deserving person In Il
= crowd"
n "Yes." said the professor, dryly.
e heard the clerk telling the boy where
d would be most likely to find you"
l. ''Oh, you did, eh?" cried Yates, wit
,, . laugh. Eyes, Sam generally know
It where to send for me; but he nsedn
h have been % darned public shout
d Being . newspaper man, I ho
+ what ought 10 60 p print and VII