The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-04

but thought they would do until got
to the city.
when we reached New York my
friend Immediately took me to his
house, which at that time was in one of
the Fifties, between Madison and Fifth
avenues. Tn going to let you have my
brothers man. he said to me. He will
attend to your trunks when they come
and take good care of you, hope His
brothers man was like any other we'll
hammered servant, but my first impress
sion of him was of his profound and
overwhelming sense of gratitude. He
thanked me for permitting him to an
nounce that my bath was ready when
wished it, and he thanked me reverent-
ly when ! tossed him the keys of my
trunk and went out to jump into the
bath he had thanked me for letting him
fix. Having spent 10 years in a country
where porcelain tubs We're as rare as
blossoms on century plants, I presume
| fingered a little longer over my bath
than would do now, d any rate. when
returned to my room my trunk was
unpacked, and there was my hosts
brothers man standing in the middle of
the room, his hands clasped behind him,
and his eyes riveted on the bed.
Never before have seen such look
of horror, amazement and reproach.
lackey's face. He had carefully folded
and placed side by side on the counter
pane my entire outfit of undergarments,
and I'll admit it was about as choice a
collection of wooden antiques as you
would care to run across. There were
garments with the original dome re-
matched in flaming red flannel and 9TH
ers with the hip-pocl1et sections of over
alls grated on them and shirts with
the arm amputated at the elbow or the
shoulder, and there were no two alike.
And that fellow actually had arranged
them all with an eye to color effect. The
tri-color was made up of one row, the
Spanish emblem of another, and so on.
When he discovered my presence in the
room he emitted one frightened, awe
stricken thank you and escaped
Il tell you l threw those relics back
into my trunk in short order, but the
picture of them as they lay there on that
bed haunted me, and whenever / saw
that servant l felt like apologizing to
him. I stayed it out until the next
night, and then made some fiimsy ex-
cuse ito my host, told him l had TO so
up into Westminster county for a couple
of days to visit some relatives, and If it
was perfectly convenient would like to
return to his house when l got back.
l had intended to buy three or four
suits of moderately decent flannel when
left home, but that 1ackey changed
all those modest notions. I spent two
days at it, and 1 laid in everything from
embroidered socks to'pale pink pajamas.
Every time my conscience would prick
at some fresh extrava gance the picture
of that valet gazing at my gents fur
nishings' degradation would rise before
me, and I went madly on.
ut cost me all the money 1 had laid
aside to bring my wife and baby East
but nothing could stop me; was bound
to redeem myself in that rascaPs esti-
nation If I had to mortgage the ranch.
Well, when l returned to my friend
house had a trousseau that would have
dazzled an Oriental prince, and-but
even now I cannot speak of this at all
calmly-I was never redeemed. When
| went up to my room to see the effect
I had produced, I found a brand new
valet My friends brothers man had
stumbled onto flask of New Mexico
rye 1 had left on the bureau-and he
never knew the sacrifice my wife had
made for him. New York Sun.