The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-03

there's some disorderly chaps interrupt
In the performance, maxim impertinent
remarks on the young ladies, sayin' as
how they're disimmodest''
| This was the last straw I swung
round and looked back. The stage was
blaze of light, the dancing figures
were jigging to the music, the music
was jigging to them. Through it all
| the people were laughing still and CALI
ling Author, author!'
! 1 scanned the figurantes carefully. but
could detect no improperly in their
| costume until saw tight clad limb
suddenly flash forth from the. line and
disappear again, when 1 observed that
] II the ladies' morals were not cut upon
Spartan model their robes undoubted-
ly We're
! Naturally, I was scandalized. and It
was with this foolery my name had
been associated! I said the manager
should hear of it, and meant what I
said. Then the incoherent absurdity
of the whole thing made me laugh. and
l was yet laughing when I stepped.
quite suddenly, into the street. 1t was
raining. l could not remember where
| had left my macintosh, and attempt
ed to button my evening coat over my
shirt front, but, seeing the futility of
such a proceeding, 1 was vastly amused
! Somebody took my arm rudely-it
was Jem Travers; he had apparently
come from nowhere Jem is a relative
of mine; he possesses no literary tastes
has no views on anything in particular
and is, in short, cad whom T tolerate
because he has a happy knack of de-
scribing his possibly apocryphal adven-
lures in Australia and elsewhere. thus
unconsciously supplying me with local
color for my well known sketches of
colonial life. I told him all this in so
many words; he laughed also.
''All right, old chap he remarked
Il was born young. Never mind about
that now. In with YOU"
The door of cab yawned before mo
l caught one OF the handrests, and adj
jured him solemnly to seek for Ravens.
worth, whom I missed.
It's Nat Ravensworth T said earn
estly addressing Jem and the cabbv.
IAN old pal; knew him ages ago. he
ana were at the theater together I'm
afraid he's bit on; been following him
into every pub we came across since
we left the club-best fellow in the
"Oiie,, Out tOO IoIlu OI MS LIQUOR.
A good mans case" remarked the
jehu with disgusting Familiarity. BET
ter get in, sir; the policeman saws we're
blocking up the way
| few seconds later we wera in tha
cab-that is, Jem and I-my hat hay-
ing in some unaccountable manner got
under my feet. / allowed it to remain
there, my head feeling cooler. T was
however, still solicitous about Ravens
worth, and had quite forgiven him the
ugly trick he played me, now that I
had checkmated him so cleverly: but
to my surprise, he unexpectedly an
peared close to the window on the Off
side; he seemed quite unruffled. and an
peared to have no difficulty in keeping
| up with the horse but would on no
account come in, nor did press him to
do So knowing what an unsuitable COM
panion such an unlocked cub as lem
would be for a man of his attachments.
However, lest poor Nat should be in
convenienced, / warned the driver T
would report him if he did not go more
slowly. This arrangement suited re-
markedly we'll, and, ignoring Jem. be-
gan to draw Ravensworth out on va
rious subjects, talking myself with what
felt to be sustained brilliancv until
the cab stopped at my own door.
Next morning, while sitting at break
fast, and striving, 1 confess with some
difficulty, to reconstruct the previous