The Penn's Grove record., 1896-09-18
HERO OF THE
HALL BEDROOM

When told my wife about 1t she
exclaimed: How utterly absurd! Why,
] think you should have understood
him all along"
Mrs. Dockboy," said I, severely,
show was l to believe all his stories
his tales of prowess In matters of lo7e.
in feats of strength? Perhaps lie did
knock out O'Sullivan, the champion
m~iddlCwciGht; perhaps he was The
greatest halfhack that yer played on
the Cad university eleven; perhaps he
did leave the West on account OF the
imunrtunities Of three beautiful mill
IcnaircSscs; but even Lieutenant SwaSh
doubted the story of his capture 10y
Apaches and his subsequent release
by the chiefs daughter"
"Swash!' rctorted my wife. why
do you always quote that horrid old
thing? think that he is himself in
clincd to cXaggcIntiOn ut times, wIteth-
er unconsciouSly or otherwise. ! can.
not Judge"
/ Nv A'N llht my "l4VS flSN - ~
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 my old boarding house. III
locating the man | have described
him. for that particular room in every
boarding house is inhabited, expert
ence has taught me. by a peculiar gen.
ius-mcn 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 IL in circu.
lation, and an Inherent idea thar il
ought to keep moving itself, without
their descending to pleheian labor 10
supply the motive power. Just such Il
person vas tilkins. His c%lean-cut
features, lis easy manners. his polite
bearing, supported by his pretension
to family. When preparatory TO go
ing ont after dinner lie donned the
evening clothes Of the medical student
who occupied the second floor front.
and you saw him, not a hair of his heatl
or mustache out Of place, not a wrin-
kIe or Il speck anywhere. you instinct
lively felt that he was a gentleman
born.
And If. 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 a quarter for
car fare, his father having forgotten
to send him his check for the month,
1t 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
l We're 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 he some bruising," he
cried, enthusiastically, "and 1t will be
worth seeing"
"Awfully sorry, old man, but I can't
GO" 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, | know,
for he has been going TO the bOwwows
and spends all his time about such
places, I'm not afraid of him. but |
1.... - ,,.,. lI,E,..N 80 .-IEI. -
avoid him"
Your tailorF" ventured 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 10 pursue me, but l an
not SO lucky"
"Now, See here, Filkins, you've got
10 come" I said.
'rO tell the truth, il would be awful
ly embarrassing for me to meet tina
fellow" he replied, You'd be sur
prised II I'd tell you who he is. Every
II has heard of him-rich, great
swell"
Swash looked at me and winked on,
of his knowing winks. Then, turning
to Ftlkius, he asked:
well, what does he want with yOuP'
"a woman at the bottom of the Who'll,
thing" replied Il companion, unruf
ned, You'd be surprised If you knew
WHO she was-great belle-piles of mon.
ey In her wv name. | met her at a
dance. Three weeks ago she broke oil
the engagement, and since then he has
been going to the bowwows-a perfect
mailman, the fellers say, and he has
worn TO break my head on sight"
And why should he bother about
Fou? sneered Swush, sitting down On
the edge Of the bed, a most contempt
nous look on his face.
Filktns smiled and softly puned up
ais pipe,
Why should he bother about your
repeated the lieutenant, more emphati,
rally.
Indeed, l don't know" was the quiet
reply. Il never spoke to her more
Than three times" He was silent for
a moment. Then he laughed: And.
by jove! do you know, she sent me a
note the other day hat cost me a quar-,
ter-forgot to pay the messenger"
Never mind your certain man. Come
In"' cried the lieutenant, rising, but
toning his coat and drawing on his
gloves.
Ftlkins sighed, knocked the ashes out
Of his pipe and arose.
VERY well. il you insist" be said