Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-09
A COLLEGE CHUM.

eyes, " the bishop remarked releotiyely,
Gas you say, Travers, we had some de-
lightful times at Oxford together"
81 should think sou the newcomer as
sented. "We did have larksl What days
on the river! And what nights in eollege!"
The bishop moved uneasily in his chair.
Then he glanced at tho bishopess and the
two bishopinas. My DEAR" he said,
wriggling inside his black apron, lit is
very hot in here. think l will take Mr..
Trayers out in the garden little.
The bishopess' face expressed sincere re-
lief. Mr.. Travers' talk tended not to editi-
cation. She, too, glanced at the bishopinas.
II would, Edward, if | We're you" she an
swered. Perhaps Mr.. Travers smokes.
He might like a cigar" She threw out
the hint in the firm voice Of one who i'm
plies that tobacco within the house was
not permissible at Bishopstow.
"Ah, you don't smoke now, them"
Travers put in, with note of surprise.
"Well, that's odd. Given it up? Must have
cost him a wrench, though Mrs. Mitch
ell Never saw him at Oxford without a
short briar root in his mouth, bar chapel
or lecture Did I, MitchellY'
The bishop rose solemnly, stood for a
moment by the open window, with his
episcopal legs in a studied attitude Of epis-
copal doubt, and then lod the way into the
garden. 1t was q beautiful West Indian
night; tropical moonlight lay pale green
upon the floor of the veranda; flrefiies fit
ted in and out; the scent of large white
flowers was heavy on the air. Trayers
thought it all beautiful. He had only ar
rived at Tortuga that morning and had
come straight up to BishopstOw to make
his first impression of the tropics under
his old friends roof and his old friend S
auspices.
The bishop selected sequestered spot at
the farthest end of the yeranda, placing II
long deck chair for Travers, where he was
least likely to be overheard by the two
bishopinas
eyes" he continued in bland profess
sional murmur, 1--WE have a great work
here, and l feel that abstinence from all
appearance of evil is a necessity of my
usefulness"
John Travers lighted a cigar. Its smoke
blew toward the bishop "Capital tobacco
one gets here" Travers remarked.
The bishop shifted it regretfully. SIT
has delicious fragrance, | will admit, ~
he answered with reluctance.
Travors leaned back in his chair and
watched the fireilies as they fitted. Tho
air was balmy. "Ah, what times we had
at Oxford!' he went on rejecting. "What
times we had there, Mitchell Do you re-
member that saucy little girl who used to
sell flowers at the corner near the Ran.
dolph? A pretty bit Of fluff. Polly Peach
they called her. What fun we had chatting
her! Well, she's married a doctor now,
and has a son at Brasenose."
II am glad to hear it, " the bishop an
swered, putting his thumbs and fore1n-
gers together. Though she was "a frivo-
lous young woman, she was not wholly
lacking in-in what l may venture to call
the essentials of refinement. And we must
remember she was placed in u position OF
some temptation.
eyes, she's married." Travers went on,
"to doctor, as say. l think you knew
him. Oh, of course. We were at drunk
together at his rooms in Balliolp'
II recollect taking wino," the bishop
admitted after a pause, with a man
named Holmes there. -
"The same! The very fellow! What a
way he had with the girls too! And then
the bonfire! Do you remember our bonfire
on the night our Torpid beat Christchurch
and Oriel? How you brought out fagots
into the quad after the bump supper, and
remarked that you didn't care q something
or other for the dons, and made a jolly
good blaze, and were almost sent down fol
it?''
The bishop hesitated. II have some
indistinct recollection that there was a
bonfire, (" he allowed at last obviously.
"Was bonfire Why, my dear fellow,
you were all but sent packing for it. You
can't possibly forget. You were let off on
the ground that most of the other men
were much moro drunk than you; you
were just sober enough to light the fagots
in the middle of the quad, while the other
men wanted to pile and light them against
the hall and chapel"
The bishops face was rigid with terror.
just then cry rose on the air from a
cottage not far otf--a weird, shrill cry, as
of women wailing.
whats that?" Travers asked, with q
start.
Saved, saved The bishop gasped with
joy. He remembered that Iravers had had
typhoid at college and lived ever afterward
in bodily dread ofzymotic diseases. "That,
he replied, in very calm and measured
tones, 'is-only negro wake. The women
are wailing and keening after their kind
over one of their people who has died in
this epidemic. 1 regret to say, owing to
our imperfect sanitary arrangements, such
scenes are too common. We grow perhaps
to disregard them with almost I'M Christian
lack of sympathy"
"EpidemicY What epidemicp"
The bishop stretched truth as far as it
would go. yellow jack" he answered
in an unconcerned voice, Every bad here
at present They are dying by thousands,
the whites and browns especially. 1t
attacks newcomers most of all. People of
forid complexion and full habit of body,
fresh out from England, are almost sure
Travers rose in horror. He was fresh
colored and full blooded SIS it all over
the islands," he asked, with marked eager
ness.
The bishop gave a dramatic pause.
mot in Barbados, F" he answered slowly.
Barbados is quite wholesome. There's
q steamer to Barbados tomorrow morn
ing. Grant Allen in Sketch.
Early War Enlistmcnts.