Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-24
THE OTHERS OTHER MAN
BY ARTHUR w. TARBELL.


1t was yesterday, after an interval of
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, a few years sojourn at the
law school in Cambridge. Those years
had now passed. Twas about to become
full-fedged M. D., and Phil-lazy,
good-natured, joking Phil Wheeler, the
man who led his class lin smoking rank
tobacco)-was about to call himself q
lawyer. A lawyer-I laughed every
time 1 thought of it; for while Phil was
the best fellow in the world when it
came to brewing delectable punch or
to doing the fascination talk act to
shy country maiden at her first swell
dinner, yet he had no more the making
of even 4 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 myself saunter-
ing into the old yard" at Cambridge
once more, and on the, point of yelling:
"Oh, Phil Wheeler!" up TO his window in
Holworthy, just as had done so many
times before during our undergraduate
days.
After my yell waited a few moments
TO see if he was in. Up the window
presently slammed, and a familiar
cnough-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; but it was only for second; then,
when he saw who it was, his face
cracked into a thousand creases, and he
shouted Justify down:
For heaven salzes, Jack Fenway, is
that you? Come up quick!"
So up went to receive one of those
Cldtime greetings that leaves mans
right arm sore for a week afterwards.
| But skip all this and come to the point
of the story.
On entering the room had noticed a
| letter lying open upon the table. Evil
| IDENTIFY I had interrupted Phil in the
midst of it. so, after we had exhausted
and lived through the opening lombard
ment of usual questions, 1 glanced at
the note again and told Phil to finish it.
He smiled and picked it up.
"Oh, yes, that reminds me-" he said,
ave got something to tell you. Here's
letter from Miss Lancaster-you re-
member that girl I met down at Bar
| Ilarbor my sophomore vacation?"
dol Don'tI? Cad man, she was a
dream-to you. And if my memory
| doesn't play me false 1 believe you did
rothing but dream of her that whole
winter. AT any rate you did deuced lit
tie studying"
eyes, Jack, she was nice girl. al
ways thought good deal of her." And
Pills face broke into one of those mis-
chievous smiles that were inimitable
with him.
1 hadn't seen one of those smiles for
years, but j remembered on the spot
that l never liked those particular eX-
pressions of his, for l had learned from
experience shat 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
point of springing one of his exasperat-
ing jokes. l remembered especially one
of the. last times that 1 had seen such n
smile on his amused face. 1t had been
at dance near his home, when he in
troduced me to young lady he Yves
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; a
and make yourself doubly agreeable
for my sake, old man."
| And 1 remember 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; could see it from the way
they kept watching us. One fellow es-
pecially stood out all the dances behind
| some palms, savagely twisting his mus
tachs with one hand and the other
plunged desperately down into his
trousers pocket. He looked unspeaka-
BILE things Mt me all the time was dane
ing with ner, but l only laughed in my
sleeves and pitied the poor fellow. And
so the evening passed. Finally the last
waltz came, and just as / was congratu-
lating myself on having scored one in
Pills favor-and incidentally one In
my own--who should come up to us In
'he midst OF delightfully."- exclusive