Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-04-15
A Bachelors Dinner.

dra perry OF white, bearing IN one hand
an hour glass and in the Other a scythe.
So would l conceive figure Of Poverty.
except that | would have him carry a
bill or sheriff's attachment, signifyirg
that il was not his province to cut me
off a. enc merciful stroke, but to worry
and bore NE to dea.h by continually
ringing my doorbell and thrusting the
awful document before ry bloodsnOt
eyes. BrantCn is of a dif1ere 1T mind.
1T is a misconceptiCr-gr mis-
conception he declared the Other
night, resting his feet on the hand
some brass fender and gazing medita-
lively into the fire that gloWed on the
hearth of his library. Poverty should
be reresented as carrying in one hand a
heart and in the other, perhaps, a
Dart "
Cor fat purse 1 said to myself
But my friends case is an unusual
one, His xii dly conception of what
should be grim, repulsive figure had
its origin, and not without reason, in
his own experience. With me it is diff
changed but little since the day we re-
ceived my aunt's hurried note announc-
ing that she had run down from New
port with my cousin LyVia, who, by the
by, has not yet been introduced to
society, and charming girl from San
Francisco. TIC be frank, | am still liv-
ing in HOlwood's pleasant apartment
overlooking the avenue, and must Of
necessity continue a recipient of his
tonr of the world. What I shall do then
Care not contemplate. But that does
not concern BrantOn.
When that note OF my aunt's arrived
my fortunes were at their lowest ebb
For weeks | had been doing MY own
cooking, aud BrantOn's arrival from the
west, where, through no fault Of his
own, he had lost the small fortune that
had fallen to his possession on the
death Of his father, an English country
gentleman who had left a large number
Of sons to divide a moderate estate,
added an additional burden to my thin
pCcketbOOk. Just why my friend had
left the west he did not explain further
than that circumstances had reduced
him to a mental position on a ranch,
and he was in a fair way to rise when
he suddenly made up his mind to go
home and landed in New York penni-
less and compelled to accept my nOspi-
tality. For four days he had been seek
ing work in vain when | heard from
my aune It was early in the fall; few
people were Ill own; her house was
closed, and she thought it would be jol-
ly for Lyvia and a charming friend of
hers to spend ali evening in bachelor
hall. Would I pardon the sudden notice
and expect them at o'clock sharp?
At the time pardon was not granted,
but [ had to make the best of circum-
to address my kind relatives [ could
hardly have dared ask her to excuse
me, particularly on the ground of my
financial straits, for, bred as she had
been in the lap of luxury, poverty is a
thing beyond her understanding. To
her it is a crime. She cannot imagine
that person with normal amount Of
good sense should be afflicted with it.
Fortunately I had still remaining
SO from the last remittance of my
father, which came inclOsed in an af-
fectionate epiBtle saying that he had
given me the best possible education,
fitted me to battle with the world, and
thought that thereafter l had better do
for myself. With this money we pro-
cured the necessary supplies for & SIM
pie dinner, and [ dispatched a note to
Carter asking him to join us. Then
arose the question of service We had
no servant, and naturally it was neces-
sary that some one attend at the table.
AS was ruefully cycling my stock
Of remaining money BratOn, ever ready,
came to my assistance. He knew no
one in town and was to sail for home
just as soon as ne could afford it.
With his clean shaven face he would
pass for most respectable butler. Of
course, I demurred, but he insisted,
and eventually won his point. To his
little victory can be traced his kindly
conception Of an artistic figure of Pow
erty.
Holwood's silver service presented
stunning appearance when we arrang-
ed it on the table that evening. The
soup as it steamed on the back Of the
range, the roast as it sizzled in the
oven, the few simple cooked vegetables
in the pots all ready for serving looked
excellent, and BrantOn made the most
imposing butler I have ever set eyes
on, for he always was handsome fell
low. So it was with a feeling akin to
satisfaction that I threw myself into a
chair in the study when the mental
labor was over and awaited the coming
of my guests. Already BrantOn was
apeing a well-bred lacky, and so in
imitable did he play his part that I
almost imagined myself the proprietor
Of q we'll appointed establishment in
stead of a struggling young man with
no occupation and but 1892 in the
world.
At len, h the bell rang and my but
Ter opened the door. It was Carter. He
passed through the opening in the pOr
tiers that the ebseQuious Branton had
made fer him, and was seated beside
me. After the usual compliments of the
day had been exchanged he glanced
furtively toward the hall, then whis-
pered: "A new man."
Yes" I replied, enveloping myself
in cigarette smoke to hide the high
coloring of my face. Il got him to-day"
HUM he exclaimed. Made a ten
strike at last, eh?"
He roforrc5 RI on+ti0p . tnOSfriIvn