The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-24
THE OBSESsloN OF BROWN.

first organized, upon the list of charter
members appeared the name of Robinson
Brown, OF the oId-established firm Of Nc
lavish & Brown, ship chambers and general
dealers in marine stores at No. COLA Burline
Slip. But Ii must not be rashly inferred
from this circumstance that Mr.. Brown was
golfer, or that he took any particular in
teTest in the naturalization of the royal and
ancient game. On the contrary, being an
American of the Americans, and we'll into
his fifth decade Dir. Brown had long since
ceased TO care for athletic amusements,
either in an active or in vicaricus capac-
ity and he even held some old-fashioned
notions upon Saturday haif-holidays and
the propriety of using public money for the
establishment of municipal Fairgrounds.
He rejoiced when croquet became obsolete;
he viewed with disapprovai the introduce
ton and overwhelming popularity of ten
mis-; he found himself in entire sympathy
with the attitude of his favorite evening
newspaper towards college football, and he
prided himself upon his inability to distin-
guish between base hit and an error. For
exercise he depended upon walking Cby the
doctors orders) and the Swedish movement
cure (also by the Doctors orders), and he
found amusement and abundant mental re-
taxation IN occasional attendance at LrOl-
ting matches and in his regular after dinner
rubber at seven-point whist Simple in his
tastes and habits, he desired nothing more
of To-day than that it should follow in the
comfortable groove of Yesterday, and, with
the disappearance of his waist, he had in
sensibly lost the capacity of any emotion
unconnected with outlets and the state of
the money market Such, then. was Mr..
Of iol1t
cen hundred and ninety-five.
1t may seem at first sight that in join
ing the golf club Mr. Brown was acting
decidedly at variance with his well-consid-
cred and often-expressed opinions, but he
had been prompted to the step by several
Interior considerations. In the first place,
he had seen the game played while on a
visit to a country house at Southampton,
and he was thoroughly convinced that it
had only to be tried once to be found for
ever wanting. In point of hopeless inanity
1t could not be improved upon. and Mr..
Brown reasoned very acutely that its colos-
sal imbecility could not be better estab-
lished than by public exploitation of its
claims to recognition. The statue had only
TO be set upon its pedestal for the clay feet
to crumble, and Mr.. Brown confidently
hoped that in falling 1t might hit some other
things, perhaps the manager of college
football team or even young woman on
q bicycle.
Secondly, Mr. Brown was heavily interes-
ed in the development of the particular sub
urban section which would be advantage
ously opened up to public inspection by the
establishment of a well-appointed country
club, and if he could clear some thousands
Of dollars by the sale of lots before the
boom in golf collapsed, the investment of a
hundred or sc in stock and dues would
manifesty be a good business stroke. And.
finally, 1t would make a pleasant break in
the monotonous round of his daily consti-
tutional drive along the Monkton road to
stop for few moments at the clubhouse
and enjoy the mild refreshment of Sam
Ward upon its shady piazzas. He had al
ways thought that the town club should
maintain country annex during the sum-
Tner months, and the golfing Madness while
It lasted, would at least insure respectable
article OF Scotch whisky. And so the Ma
ron county Golf Club took to itself a local
hapltation and name, and the signature
OF Robinson Browu stood first upon the roll
Of incorporators
II was evident from the start that the new
organization was to be a great success, and,
strange as it may appear, 1t was the golf
tnat MADE the club 50 popular. Mr.. Brown
was forced TO acknowledge that the interest
IN the new game was as profound it was
inexplicabe, and 1t was an extraordinary
fact that the middle-aged members were
even more enthusiastic than the young peo-
pie Mr.. Brown, from his corner seat on the
wide, cool piazza, watched the development
or the craze with ever-increaSing astoniSh-
ment Respectable citizens, hard-headed
business men, against whose commercial
standing there had never been a breath OF
suspicion, one after another fell victims to
the fascination of the green" and the sur
render once made was invariably absolute
The conversation in the smoking room was
NJ
'cuppy lies" and phenomenal "long puts
The state of the market was of distinctly
as the great questions Of stance" and
grip" remained unsettled, and Mr.. Brown
round to his disgust that the popular bond
issue and the attitude OF the government
towards Venezuela were as nothing COM
pared TO the establishment Of new record
for the course. He ragged inwardly at the
made sarcastic comments upon the appear
ance OF their legs, but all to no avail. The
most he could hope for was that the very
virulence of the disease might effect cure,
that the craze might be as short-Iived as it
was furious. But the days slipped away
into weeks. and the end was not yet.
Now, 1T happened upon certain pleasant
afternoon that Mr., Brown appeared at the
club somewhat earlier than was his won't.
I lie was indulging In the rather unusual
truth to tell, he did not know what to do
with 1t. He was tired of being driven up
and down the Monkton road. so he ordered
the coachman 10 turn in at the club. There
were only han dozen of the members
about, and Mr.. Brown saw to His disgust
that they were all confirmed worshipers
OF the goddess OF golf He stalked goomily
down to the teeing. ground to watch the
players drive on. and make sarcastic COM
ments as, one after another, the strong
men bohbed and scuff1ed and writhed and
scraped in their futile endeavors to render
meet obeisance to this new Baal.
The last three players had been waiting to
play foursome," but the fourth man had
failed to put in an appearance and they had
decided to play three-ball match. There
were Mardinge, the secretary of the club;
mason, who was an ackno wledged power in
the wholesale grocery world, and Wood
house, better known as the FTend' from
the fact that he took ali his meals at the
clubhouse, and was popularity supposed to
sleep upon the course while engaged in
practice for the monthly medal Now Hard
tnge and Mason had been erstwhile bosom
friends with Robinson Brown and ii irri-
tated him to see them so completely given
over to this senseless infatuation. He jeered
at Hardlnge when he topped his drive.
and sarcastically suggested 1.-The side of
house" to Mason after that gentleman had
missed the globe" five times running and
players bore Mr.. Browns badinage with ill
concealed Impotence. but Woodhouse was
silent. -
Perhaps you'd like to take a hand.
Brown" said The Fiend" carelessly as he
some you know, but just a four-baIl game
around the short course" And thereupon
with an ingratiating smile he actually
forced a club into MIR. Browns astonished
hands just as q drag full of people rumbled
along the drive and pulled up directly in
front of the teeing ground.
II was very embarrassing position for
Mr.. Brown, this public discovery of Saul