St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-05-01

II
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blue, would you?
EE If you had in your
4M ~ . box ut the opera
M and Of a good sup
G. per after, you
would leave care to
ats pro-erbial occupation Of killing
cats, wouldn't you? Well, perhaps you
would. but in that case you would be
unlike Mr.. Gordon Smith, the youthful
multi-mill;onaire, philanthropist, finan-
cier, etc.
Mr.. Smith was sitting in his favorite
club one afternoon completely in the
dumps and passing his time in neditat-
ing silent profanity, which was both
sinful and unsatisfactory. Sinful, be-
cause all theologians agree that to think
m evil is as bad as to commit it, and
improbable because it didn't clear his
mental atmosphere. And the sole cause
of his wrath was that his name was ex-
plotted in the evening papers on account
of his giving some thousands of dollars
to help n deserving charity. Mr.. Smith
was certainly strange man.
While he was fidgeting in his leather
cushioned chair and slipping a glass of
vichy, quiet-looking man entered the
room, looked about, and then pounced
on Smith like bird of prey.
Hello. Gordie!" he exclaimed, ex-
tending his hand. "How are you?"
"Well, AL" exclaimed the millionaire,
with an amount of animation that
seemed Incredible from one who had
been 80 detected a moment before, I'm
awfully glad to see you. When did you
get back from PARISH"
Last Wednesday"
Strange didn't see anything about
It in the papers. They always have 20
much to say about you on the sporting
page. And say" he ratified on. with
out noticing the look of mild consterna-
tion that came over the newcomers
face at the mention of the sporting
page, "what time you have been hav-
ing abroad! I read all about your
breaking the bank in that club and
about that little affair of yours in Paris.
o. say!" and he gave chuckle that
Immediately suggested Sunday school
superintendent gone wrong.
"Rut." gasped the man with a past,
"you speak of it as if you enjoyed it all!
How-er-I don't understand"
''Oh, yes. I suppose you saw in the
evening papers about my contributing
to that confounded charity. Well, it is
just my luck to he always doing goody-
goody things and never having any fun.
When went to Sunday school got a
good conduct card every Sunday, and
the same blasted luck has stuck to me
ever since. l was born with q good
Lame, and I've got to pass it along to
posterity untarnished, and cant have
any fun to save me-"
The sporty one whistled softly.
Il know you think am crazy, but
you just happened to come in when I
was in one of my worst fits of blues,
and to see you who kave made . world
wide reputation as sport and man
of the world threw me OF my guard
and talked too much, but now that
I've started may as well tell you ALL"
do; it may do you good-but-talk-
ing is dry work."
"Why, certainly. Here, Jean, take
the gentleman's order. A pint of Extra
Dry? All right; and bring me some
fresh vichy."
When the order was filed the two
men settled into confidential attitudes.
"You remember, don't you. AL, when
the dime novels you got from the stable
boys?" Al nodded. well. you could
play at killing Indians any time you
liked, but whenever i tried it l was
sure to be caught by that old hen of
q tutor had and get scundly thrashed.
It was SO all through my boyhood. and
1 simply had to be good. I worked
twice as hard at my studies as any other
boy, but it was not because loved work,
il was because wanted to go to college,
for felt sure I could be rs wild a. l
pleased there"
s.Yes?"
.Well, after I had matriculated, my
mother took me down to Cambridge and
got me boarding place in the family
of q minister. OF course could have
broken loose, but il had, he would
have reported me to her and it would
have broken her heart. Aud you know,
AL. couldn't do anything to hurt her
for the world. think she is the dearest
mother a fellow ever had. You remem-
ber how sweet she used to be to us,
don't you? Yes. Well. I simply couldn't
cut up like the other fellows when there
was chance Of her hearing it, % I
plugged away for dear life SO as to get
through college and get out into the
world where i could be cussed for
awhile and sow my wild oats" /.
The bad man murmured: What says
the poet?
"a oh, the devil drew IN inward breath. for
s, his soul vas free from care.
A rumpty-tumpty-tumpty ty-tuna-but the
roots OF sin are there"
s....Well, when was in my fourth year
elkin love with the sweetest woman
. t1Atgser breathed. Say. you have never
e1aaxht-wife. have you: No? Well.
on must come home to dinner
f1t's al right, Gordie. Don't en-
lse yourself by inviting me. I
6p1ldr't 60, Anyway, Tor { know how
1--we cut loose from society. and yoa
n1dnt dare TO take ne. for-a nan asl
Ashx have tho reputgtiou Of BE-