The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-10-31
HERO OF THE
HALL BEDROOM

III n LII DGDllOOms
When l told my wife about it she
exclaimed; How utterly absurd. Why.
think you should have understood
him all along"
Mrs. Dockboy," said I. severely.
'how was l to believe all his stories
his tales of prowess In matters of love.
In feats of strength? Perhaps he did
knock out O'Sullivan. the champion
middleweight; perhaps he was the
greatest halfback that ever played on
the Cad university eleven; perhaps he
did leave the West on account of the
opportunities of three beautiful mill
fonairesses; but even Lieutenant Swash
doubted the story of his capture by
Apaches and his subsequent release
by the chiefs daughter"
'Swash" retorted my wife. "Nhy
do you always quote that horrid old
thing? l think that he is himself in
clined to exaggeration at times. wheth-
er unconsciously or otherwise. | can
not Judge"
do not take my wife's view of the
matter Mt all, and | cannot Csc why the
lieutenant and myself shoul have act
ed otherwise than we did
We were talking of Filkinsa- Filbins,
who occupied the fourth floor rear hall
bedroom in my old boarding house. IN
locating the man | have described
him, for that particular room in every
boarding house is inhabited, expert
en- re has taught me, by a peculiaA ger-
ius-nen OF culture, but on tn up
pers. mel whose long lines of in.
guished ancestors have bequeq to
them some quarts Of blue bid ut
nothing with which 10 keep>it-h IN
lation, and an inherent idea thu
ought to keep moving itself without
their descending to plebeian labor 10
supply the motive power. Just such a
person was Filkins. His clean-cut
features. his easy manners. his polite
bearing, supported by his pretension
to family. When preparatory to go
Ing out after dinner he donned the
evening clothes Of the medical student
who occupied the second floor front.
and you saw him, not hair of his head
or mustache out of place, not a wrin-
kle or n speck anywhere, you instinct
lively felt that he was gentleman
born.
And II. perchance. he was Off to that
swell little affair at Mrs. Van Foam's
that the papers have been talking so
much Of" and needed quarter for
car fare, his father having forgotten
TO send him his check for the month,
1t was willingly given, for he was n
capital fellow. He drew on us occa-
sionally. but we regarded that as only
slight compensation for his com
pany
Lieutenant Swash came into my
room early one evening as Filkins and
were discussing things in general
over our pipes. and announced that he
had three tickets for a series of box
ing bouts at the Olympic Athletic Club.
There will be some brulsing," he
cried, enthusiastically, land 1t will be
worth seeing"
lawfully sorry, old man, but | can't
CO." replied Filkins. There is a GER
tain man In New York who has been
searching high and low for me for
three weeks. He'll be there, l know,
for he has been going to the bowwows
and spends all his time about such
places. I'm not afraid of him. but |
deem It more discreet for a while TO
avoid him."
"Your tailorr yentured the lieuten-
ant.
Dear me, no." replied Filkins. with
great good humor. He seemed to en-
Joy the joke. would that he was and
l was wearing a respectable-looking
cause for him to pursue me, but am
not so lucky"
Now, see here, Filkins, you've got
TO come" said.
ITO tell the truth, It would be awful
ly embarrassing for me to meet that
fellow" he replied. you'd be sur.
prised II I'd tell you who he is. Every.
one has heard OF hlm-rich, great
SWELL"
Swash looked at noe and wInked one
OF his knowing -wltks. Then, turning
to Filkins, he askeA
well. what does n want with your
"A woman at the b6tom OF the whole
thing" replied our q ppsnion. unruf