The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-06-13
not for a moment lose his colossal self

assurance.
"Mr. hutchinson, sir" he cried,
grasping me warmly with one Of his re-
pulsive, clammy hands, II could see
from the moment you hentered this all
as you was a perfic gen'l'm'n. From no
one helse bet a English gen'l'm'n such
as you could I accept your hotter, but
from yen, sir-well-and t 0 think, too,
as / may be worth thousands Of pounds
at this very moment that I'm talkin to
yon."
"No thanks. please. Mr.. WINCH" I
said. "Come along come il to dinner"
He Invested himself of his damp look
ing overcoat and revealed a t~hreadbale.
musty, BLACK coat row rarElns green
and very sieasy at the collar and cuffs;
4 frayed, black. made Ep scarf did not
hide much Of HIS red and black checked
flannel shirt; lis paper collar had been
soaked hy las. nights rain.
The poor devil was certainly half fam
ished. Ke lapted up his soup ike a
dog, bolted his food with the most dis
gushing ycracity and swallowed tumhiel
after tumbler Of my good red PomiEo.
| was heartily sick and tired Of him be-
fore dinner vas over. The digni1ed
elderly Concetta herself, the soul Ct pc
Likeness, visibly sLrank from him and
WINGED under his loud, familiar de.
mands for food and drink.
well, Mr.. hutchinson, sir" he kept
interfering, with his mouth full, cit
is-a-reel-pleasure to be in company
Of q perfic English sen'l'm' again"
Concetta had to ask ne for 10 francs
during dinner to pay the duty On a par
eel which had arrived by post. I pro-
dncea ny pocketbook. It was stuffed
with 1900 francs in notes. I noticed
my guest ereedily eying its contents
across the leg Of q chicken which he was
gnawing.
"Plenty Of money. Mr.. hutchinson.
P'raps I'll have a book like that myself
tomorrow. Only reel English notes, 81,
81, 0G0 notes, sir. Net them bits Of
dr. forrin paper"
l have never net q human being more
than the Hon. Patrick Kilfinane Winch.
"Gen'l'm'n," English gen'l'm'H,'
"perfc English gen'l'm'n trent roll, =
thousands Of pounds "his lordship,'
"heir to the barony Of Kildyke"-these
words and phrases, reiterated unto dis.
traction ard mingled with fulsome
adulatiGn of myself, seemed to make ur
the whole conversation. His talk be
came a kind Of loud, rasping incoheren:
buzz. I could not follow him, and, Oh,
how gladly would have dispensed with
any further study Of him! The man was
a low cad and a supreme bore, possibly,
too, a dangerous -scoGndrel, and surely
a species OF Innate. He was getting
powerfully Oh my nerves. But what
was he? What had he ever been: / was
tired Of studying him, but I had not
made him out.
"Do you smoke, Mr.. Winch?' / ask
ed, after dinner was over.
"Hevery English gen'l'm'n smokes, ]
'ope, Mr.. hutchinson" he replied loft,
/ lily.
"Then let rs adjourn to my study ant
have d cigar"
In the study I pulled up two arm.
chairs to the open wood fire and pro
duced cigars. The same insufferablt
droning chatter recommended in hi.
thick, soapy, cockney voice-"Gen'l'
nm, ''perfic gen'l'm'n, "come into my
thousands, fine stud Of 'orses, ""surt
as I'm a honorable, "all that 'orri6
gamblin, "never touch a card again. :
My patience was exhausted, my tempe,
reused. I could bear it no longer.
mir. Winch" | said coldly, looking
straight into the fire. ''as Lord Ki]dyk'
is so seriously i'll I think you had better
take the night train to Rome" I knock
ed the ash off my cigar and turned to
ward MIN to see the effect Of my sug
gestion.
The Hon. Patrick Kilfinane Wincl
was sitting bolt upright i'll his armchai,
not two yards distant from me, point
ing a revolver full in my face.
| do not deny that a great and agon
lied fear took possession Of me. It i
curious how madly swift thought travel
in such a situation, how keenly sllar]
every faculty Of the mind becomes.
found myself rejecting with lightnin,
speed as to what | ought to do. Should
l remain sitting? Should I rise? Shout,
I fling myself upon Kim? If I did SO
should | receive a bullet in the brain
the breast, the heart, or only a flesl
wound in tie arm? Gould / knock u
the revolver? If ! did, what wonld be
come Of the first charge, the second, tn
third? What veuld a man Of nerve, re
source, danntless p'uck-a Sloers or
Lugard-what would they do under til
circumstances? All this and much nor
sped through my brain in less thai