The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
THE DELUSION or JOHN IRWIN.
cnuurinht 1922. bu Howurd Fi,ldinp.

The upstairs girl rushed INTO my room 10 Tell me
that something was the matter with MI. irwin. In
itself the information was not important; indeed,
It was no real information at all. Something al
ways was the matter with Mr Irwin; always had
been. To the best of my knowledge and belief The
gentleman himself once told me that ii began 800
years before lie was born. His earliest known
ancestor four.shed or vainly tried To flourish in
London near the close Of the sixteenth century,
and nothing is now remembered uf him except that
he was always in trouble. The capacity for being
40 was his only legacy, and 1t had never passed
ont Of the family.
Such being the case the servants words meant
nothing hut her manner was relevant She was
frightened out Of her wits The spectacle Of ord
nary human suffering could not have alarmed nor
even interested one who had served in Mrs Rear
don's boarding house for period Of seven years:
therefore was led to suspect a distinctly unusual
occurrence II something was the matter with
MIR Irwin that had never been the matter with him
before it must be worth looking at and upon this
consideration assembled two flights Of stairs 10
the gcnteman's apartment
1t must not be inferred from what have said
about irwin troubles that he was blind or crippled
or Ill OF any grave disease. Ill he frequently was
but his friend, DR. Bland, who attended HIM gratis
always said IL mere accident. an obscure
dietary misfortune stray ptoma!nc in the lobster
salad, or muuthful Of air from New York street
excavation. In appearance he was healthy
enough. though worn thin by worry. and prema-
turely gray.
This room was the farthest from the front door
rd 18th g. . 81. tel ,.d hy ur, p..r
1na "",.,' ~ WIN D'u, '. VS.
d0h scale oil prices IL was nouerate charge
for one who earned good an income with his
pen. yet Irwin was always bothering me OH Satur-
days for couple Of dollars to piece out Mrs. Rear
dons money. or to crafty the washerwoman who
niue, c-, q, ,,o,.,- I,i.,d ,, r,,d., Vh., n,
mus 8" W. 'ohes i''A''i Vi, o"nu"', "na' Nv
ana with his money heaven knows Tic spoke oil
debt but when he contracted il canno, guess UNI
less the rumor tb,, he had been 90 foolish az 10 as
'e'H VIC iu'not ''ia' ie nau oee" y" w a.
sumo ms brother be accurate
uule rnor, f,r snch s,.rciss III. bnir was rum
pied and the collar Of his shirt had been ripped
from its fastenngs in front
seven and seven nre fourteen" said he ",nd
,,." "ma ,.." a.1 io"en, u ne an nd
three are seventeen ana one makes eighteen, ana
four make Blessed heaven, l must have
ma ,.o,.,"
''. ",,. ,non, ,n,,,., "w,.,
are YOU raising such a row ,bouto"
say ten said he ren ana four are iour-
teen and one makes fifteen. aud four
Isl, down and keep quiet" said I. You've
-, .,.,.e - -, 80
muslin do it any more. whatyou need Is rest"
blessed heaven" he cried 81 mus, have some
money" >' ''s'' - >''' '''''' '''''
money
You worry too much" said !. Don't do IL
| I., th. other fs,,,w vail tho aoor
,mJi,riod nal. bin, al, ,or,, ,,,. h.d
Seven and four are eleven. and one--one for
the washerwonlan. he mu,tered. taking an old
letter from his pocket and scratching upon the
one one for me, Two boiled eggs are ten, and
coffee hve. is fifteen. Twice fifteen Is thirty, or
say ra hre S. times in Two days lay mi,
exclaimed. There's nothing in T. Come and
| take walk ms room on Is an oven ,,,,
As matter OF fact that back attic is built on a
plan which divine mercy rejected when perdion
| was in contemplation. Irwin was absurd 10 work
mt: yet Tor days and nigh's IN me Notes; August
| that ever baked New York, he had toiled upon a
long story that he was writing for the Gravescnd
literary, syndicate 1t was sheer foolishness and
room ..,,,o,,
saId LYLE could .nd fnn1 this
make fifteen. But what's the use? Blessed
heaven! must have some money! :.
| Money is of small value compared TO health,
said l. Go down and engage Mrs Reardon g
back room on the second floor Coolest room in
| here's DR. bland
| What seems TO be the matter, john inquired
In the name OF heaven" replied Irwin. Il must
hayr some money T., H., ,.,o,, 49,, on.u-
| pull out leather case from which he extracted
PHYSICIANS thermometer
Take this" said he. and put 1t under your
| tongue.
| Irwin complied readily enough but ne would
not stop pacing the floor, and as he walked. with
| the thermometer sticking out OF his mouth, he
| continued To make figures on the envelope.
| How long has he been this way asked the
doctor of me ,.,
Il don't know" replied, THE girl told me
| about il. Did she call YOU
| Yes" said he I'm glad she had the sense TO
| do il. John looks pretty bad
| II told him he needed a rest, said l.
| Rest and change OF scene" assented Bland.
| He ought to go to the scashore for n month or
two and take life easy"
| I'm afraid he cant get away, said ], lie y
turning out story for the Gravesend people, and
! IL ought To be done next week
| AT any rate" said the doctor with decision.
| I'VE must get him out Of this room. Isn't there
| cooler place i'll the house anywhere don't want
| 10 send him to hospital"
| mentioned the room on the second floor adding
| that | did not believe John had the money 10 pay
| for il in advance, q Formally which Mrs Rear
don would certainly exact, and the more paIticn-
larry il il seemed that her Odger was likely TO be i'll
| III stand half Of IL il you'll stand the other
| half" whispered Bland. Well fix II up with
| Mrs Reardon. and say nothing to John Just
| walk him down there and put him TO bed
| He took the thermometer out of Johns mouth:
! and after examining il by the window, remarked
that the patient had no fever. Meanwhile Irwin
Ia