The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-09-18
THE OTHERS OTHER MAN
BY ARTHUR W. TARBELL.

y
four years.
l had not seen him since we parted
last on Commencement day, and had
wished each other good luck on what
was coming. In my case it was medi-
cal course at one of the German univer
sites; in his, few years soiourn at the
law school in Cambridge. Those years
had now passed. L was about to become
a full-hedged M. D., and Phil-lazy,
goodnatured, joking Phil Wheeler, the
man who led his class Tin smoking rank
tobacco)-was about to call himself a
lawyer. A lawyer laughed every
time thought Of it; for while Phil was
the best fellow in the world when it
came to brewing a delectable punch or
to doing the fascination talk act to a
shy country maiden at her first swell
dinner, yet he had no more the making
of even a mediocre barrister in him than
has many another good fellow, who
thinks himself cut out by destiny for
the bar.
However, Phil had always been one
of my best chums, and, of course, I was
downright glad to find my self saunter-
ing into the old yard" at Cambridge
once more, and on the point of yelling:
ooh, Phil Wheeler!" up to his window in
Holworthy, just as 1 had done so many
times before during our undergraduate
days.
After my yell waited few moments
TO see if he was in. Up the window
presently slammed, and familiar
enough-looking head was thrust out to
see who had called. 1t had been so long
since Phil had either seen or heard from
me that he failed at first to recognize
me ;ebut it was only for second; then,
when he saw who it was, his face
cracked into thousand creases, and he
shouted Justify down:
"For heaven sakes, Jack Fenway, is
that ynu2 Come I'D quick!''
So up / went to receive one of those
Cldtime greetings that leaves mans
right arm sore for week afterwards.
But 1 skip all this and come to the point
of the story.
On entering the room I had noticed a
letter lying open upon the table. Evi.
IDENTIFY / had interrupted Phil in the
midst of it, so, after we had exhausted
and lived through the opening bombards
ment of usual questions, L glanced at
the note again and told Phil to finishit,
lie smiled and picked it up.
ooh, yes, that reminds me-" he said,
1--WE got something to tell you. Here's
a letter from Miss Eancaster-you re.
member that girl l met down at Bar
Harbor my sophomore vacation?"
'Do L? Don't L? Cad man, she was
dream-to you. And if my memory
doesn't play me false 1 believe you did
nothing but dream of her that whole
winter. AT any rate you did deuced lit
tie studying"
eyes, Jack, she was nice girl. I al
ways thought good deal of her." And
Phil's face broke into one of those mis-
chievous smiles that were inimitable
with him.
l hadn't seen one of those smiles fol
years, but l remembered on the spot
that 1 never liked those particular ex-
pressions of his, for had learned from
experience that they were generally a
prelude to some act of deviltry, an un
conscious hint on his part to show that
the fellow was dangerously near the
ing Jokes. remembered especially one
of the last times that had seen such
smile on his amused face. 1t had been
at dance near his home, when he in
troduced me to young lady he was
very anxious to have me meet. AS
crossed the hall with my arm in his, he
had whispered:
"She's an old friend of mine, Jack;
trifle gay, but sound at heart. So pitch
and make yourself doubly agreeable
for my sake, old man."
And | remember l Immediately pro-
ceeded to do so by flirting disgracefully
with her the whole evening-just for
my chum's sake. you know. The other
fellows were crazy with me for monop-
olizing her; l could see it from the way
they kept watching us. One fellow es-
pecfally stood out all the dances behind
some palms, savagely twisting his mus
tache with one hand and the other
plunged desperately down into his
trousers pocket. He looked unspeaka-
BILE things at me all the time | was dane.
ing with her, but | only laughed~in my
sleeves and pitied the poor fellow. And
so the evening passed. Finally the last
waltz came, and just as / was congrata-
lating myself on having scored one in
Pills favor-and incidentally one in
my own-who should come up to us in
tha midst of delightfully."- exclusive
tete-a-tete but Phil, with the man who
stood out the dances on his arm.
''Oh, jack" he calmly and suavely
exclaimed, before you go, want very
much to introduce to you my friends
husband. Mr.. Huntington-Mr. Fem
way"
So you see / know what those smiles
generally meant. Still, that was several
years ago, and Phil was now reminis-
cling about Miss Lancaster.
Eyes, Jack, always thought good
deal of that girl"
He repeated this, wondering why !
had not answered him before.