The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-16

attracted favorable attention by running
n her name in the list of among those
present at some fashionable reception.
She became very kind to Brown and
correspondingly chilly to Smith. The af-
fair interested me. 1 had concluded that
Brown was cold-blooded selfish chap.
when one fine morning he announced 10
us his engagement 10 Miss Gilt. Smith
came to my room that night very much
broken UP.
II Brown were a more decent fellow,
doctor, l wouldn't mind 1t 50 much he
said, but know that he has made care
ful inquiries about Miss gifts fortune be-
fore proposing. I am very fond of that
girl and had reason TO believe that she
was fond Of me until Brown arrived.
don't know what I am going 10 do
Perhaps I can help you out and at the
same time demonstrate one of my pet the
cries, said I.
~ don't see how it is possible he said.
" If you wanted to, could you make
Browns name well known in the fashion,
able list without exciting his suspicion or
that of your creditor? I asked.
THAT would be easy he replied. Il
have been on the paper so long that my
lists go as I write them. 1 don't like his
name, though. John Fred Brown would
look queer Anyway, such notoriely as
that would simply please the beast. What
! are you driving at?''
Il explained my theory after some de-
bate. Smith said that he was inclined to
believe in it.
I" 1T sounds all right he said, and it Is
worth trying. If Brown isn't susceptible
we can give it up I'll change his name
after it has been published two or three
times to J. Fred Brown
That was the way the plot was planned
and two nights later Mr.. Brown announced
that he was going to take Miss Gilt to the
opening performance of a New York the
aterical company. The night after this
performance Brown turned up for dinner
looking just a little bit naughty. His
haughtiness was increased when two o.
three of the boarders said that they knew
by their papers that Mr.. Brown had been
at the theater the night before. 1t was
the first time that his name had ever been
published in the fashionable list and he
passed it off by saying careIessly that 1t
was impossible to avoid the reporters in
these days I happened to know that he
bought every paper in town and cut out
the paragraph of names which included
his own. Smith had asked every other So
ciety reporter in town TO run in the name
of John Fred Brown and that was how
the deed was accomplished. 1 studied
Brown closely during dinner and when
Smith came to my room was able to as
sure him that in my opinion he could nor
fail Brown was so pleased with the no
tice~ from the newspapers that he decided
to court it again. He attended another
performance. and the morning after his
name was printed among the first night
ers as ]. Fred Brown Miss gifts name
was omitted. Brown patronized her a
bit the following night. He was also
rather supercilious with the rest Of us and
he limited that his social engagements
might interfere with his being present at
dinner many nights during the season.
Smith then settled down 10 work in ear
nest He not only printed Browns name
among the list of those present at all first
nights but he introduced 1t in gatherings
where j. Fred Brown was unknown.
Brown got eXtravagant. He never missed
an opening night. He went TO all semi
public dinners when he was permitted TO
buy tickets. One night he came down to
dinner so naughty that he would hardly
notice Miss Gilt. Smith explained It lat
er. In return for a favor which he had
been able to do for woman she had sent
an invitation 10 ]. Fred Brown for the
opening reception in her big house. She
never had heard of the man before but
she was on the outer fringe of society and
she was quite willing to entertain him.
Brown spoke of the invitation casually al
the table and said that the hostess was an
old friend who was very ambitious So
cially. He supposed that he would be Dor
ed 10 death, but he felt it a duty to go.
/ happen 10 know that he bought a new
frock coat for the occasion, and that he
was so excited about il that he never went
near his office that day. He was neg
Letting his practice and he was spending
lots of money on clothes. He was not
quite so attentive TO Miss Gilt. This re-
ception gave him an opportunity to meet
other people who entertained. His name
had been printed so frequently that winter
that these people had vague idea that
he was a social swell and some of them
invited him 70 call and others invited him
to receptions. ]. Fred Brown was now So
clally launched and c. Knickerbocker
Smith worked like a beaver to keep
Browns name before the public. II an
peared In every list of fashionable names.
and II Brown had gone to one quarter OF
the places where The newspapers reported
him 10 be he would have broken down
Brown took all this notice from the pa
pers as his due. He joined two second
rate clubs. He even gave a little dinner
at the best restaurant in town and.
thanks 10 Smith all the details appeared
in the next mornings papers. The game
was very interesting. Brown was neg
lecting his practice and he was attending
every affair that might tempt the papers
to print his name He kept all these no.
ticeE IN scrap book The more conspicu-
Gus he became the less devoted he was
10 Miss Gilt. The man was badly af-
nlcted with what / have diagnosed as
Newspaper Mania. I had observed II IN