The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-11
HERO OF THE
HALL BEDROOM

When / told my wife about it she
exclaimed: "How utterly absurd! Why,
think you should have understood
him all along"
ssMrs. Dockboy," said I, severely,
'show was to believe all his stories
his tales of prowess in matters of lo7e.
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
tonairesses; but even Lieutenant Swash
doubted the story of his capture by
Apaches and his subsequent release
by the chiefs daughter"
tSWashw retorted my wife. "N'hy
do you always quote that horrid old
thing? / 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 at all, and cannot ese why the
lieutenant and myself should have act
ed otherwise than we did:
We were talking of Filkins-Filkins,
who occupied the fourth floor rear hall
bedroom in nay old boarding house. In
locating the man I have described
him, for that particular room in every
boarding house is inhabited, expert
ence has taught me, by a peculiar ge'l-
ius-men of culture, but on their up
pers, men whose long lines of distin-
guished ancestors have bequeathed to
them some quarts of blue blood, but
nothing with which to keep it in circu-
lation, and an inherent idea that it
ought to keep moving itself, without
their descending to plebeian labor to
supply the motive power. Just such IL
person was Filkins. His clean-cut
features, his easy manners, his polite
bearing, supported by his .pretension
to family. When preparatory to go
ing cut 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 speck anywhere, you instinct
lively felt that he was a gentleman
born.
And if, perchance, be was off to '.that
swell little affair at Mrs. Van Foam's
that the papers have been talking so
much Of" and needed a quarter for
car fare, his father having forgotten
to send him his check for the month,
8 It was willingly given, for he was a
capital fellow. He drew on us occa-
sionally, but we regarded that as only
a 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 bruising," he
cried, enthusiastically, "and it will be
worth seeing"
lawfully sorry, old man, but can't
co." replied Filkins. There is a cer-
tain man in New York who has been
searching high and low for me for
three weeks. He'll be there, I know,
for he has beer. going to the bowwows
and spends all his time about such
places. I'm not afraid of him. but l
deem it more discreet for while to
avoid him."
"Your tailorT ventured the. lieuten-
ant.
.sDear me, no." replied Filkins, with
great good humor. He seemed to en-.
!.
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 If I'd tell you who he is. Every.
/, one has heard of him-rich, great
swell"
Swash looked at me and winked one
of his knowing winks. Then, turning
to Filkins, he asked:
"Well, what does he want with you?
"a woman at the bottom of the whole
thing" replied our companion, unruf.
fed. You'd be surprised If you knew
who she was-great belle-piles of mon
ey in her own name. I met her at A
dance. Three weeks ago she broke off
the engagement, and since then he has
been going to the bowwows-a perfect
madman, the fellers say, and he has
sworn to break my head on sight"
And why should he bother about
you?r sneered Swash, sitting down On
the edge of the bed, most contempt
nous look on his face.
Filkins smiled and softly puffed up
his pipe.
Why should he bother about your
repeated the lieutenant, more emphati-
cally.
Indeed, / don't know" was the quiet
g.SV. Il never spoke to her more
Il thEee Nmes.' He was silent for
Chen he laughed: aud.
10 you know, she sent me a
Ter day that cost me q 90
nv tie messenraI