Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-25
Copyright, 1900. by w. A. FraserJ

| something that does not come at all into
this narrative.
Sidney Langdon came to Rangoon. in
Burmah, with a theatrical aggregation.
| The company had a name, but no matter,
for probably the members are not all in
jail. They came up somewhere from the
southern seas-Singaporo, Penang way, and
the cashiers billet had become hollow
mockery, for they played to bad business.
In Rangoon their theatrical ship plunged
for the last time, sank hopelessly and they
wero left stranded. Sidney Langdon. the
manager, up to that time had financiered
with extraordinary ability. When busi-
ness was bad Langdon's wife came into
play and tided them over the immediate
| difficulty. He won them out OF Australia
with his gun at pigeon matches, for he
was a crack shot. He borrowed them out
OF Hongkong, for next to shooting he was
an adept at the art of making a loan. Just
how they got out Of Singapore nobody could
quite say, not even themselves. but they
did. and struck Rangoon financially en-
barrassed
II it had been a circus, they would have
made money in Rangoon, for that's the one
sort of European entertainment the Bur-
mcse will flock to. Given a trick elephant.
an opium -doped tiger or two, some short
| skirted bareback riders and a brass land
OF malignant power, a financial success is
ass ured. But Langdons company were ter
ribly fifth-class minstrel artists, and he
lacked even the brass band. Debts ac-
cumulated, and men with money to loan
were all in the rice business and would
not listen to his fairy tales of the big
houses he would be sure to play to in
Calcutta.
Then the manager disappeared, leaving
. hn Ia.
creditors. With barbaric avariciousness
one of these traced Langdon to Calcutta,
had him arrested. and brought back to
Rangoon. 1t wasn't clever, It was even
more than silly, as after events proved.
| Freed from the incumbrance of the dozen
musical wrecks Langdon had been carrying
| as a star combination. he remained as n
broker His rise was phenomenal. He was
as charming debonnair in his manner as
a well-bred goat. The English host OF
Eversheds hotel let loose the secret OF
Langdtr's success when he described him
| to me.
| "'E was gentleman, my word! A regu-
lar toff. Is clothes filed 'alf the room.
| never 'eered i'm say nothink as wasn't
perlite t, nobody, an always argufed every
think wi champagne. If there was heny
dispute hover a deal or anythink. ed say,
own way. My word. e were a corker!"
Now mine host Evershed was an observ-
ant philosopher, for these were the lines
Langdon played the people OF Rangoon on !:
"'Ave bottle WI me-" He got a high
| wheeled fash dog cart-red spokes and yell
low gear and a lacquer polished black body
down from Dack q Co. of Calcutta That
It wasn't paid for did not detract from It's
swagger rush, as a beautiful gray PegI
pony swirled II up the Ladies' Mile of
Halpin road. Nor did the pony travel one
whit slower because his purchase money
had not been made over as yet.
That his company had swamped him
financially was not laid up against Sidney,
for he explained that the few thousands
he had lost was mere bagatelle-it had
only been form Of amusement with him.
and he had written to his rich father in
America for a substantial remittance to
open up big commercial house in Ran
COON, for he liked the place
Soon nobody was greater than Mr.. Lang
don. His apartments were sumptuous, his
wardrobe elaborately awful and his energy
| in "'aving a bottle" with any good chap
indefatigable. But solitary grandeur palled
upon him. he was good looking, and from
among the many maidens who sighed for
association with the dashlng broker he Sc
lected one whose father was OF undoubted
financial stability. In gifts Langdon was
generous to a fault-the chief fault lay in
the fact that the gifts were not paid for.
An exquisite diamond ring and a very mag
nihcent piano were among the trifes he be-
slowed upon ais hancee. or course, legtt-
innate brokerage business in the seed time
of its being could not stand all this for any
length OF time and little clouds commenced
to hover on Sidney's horizon.
Creditors ere like long horned streets on
n western cattle run: when one begins to get
nervous the whole bunch scents the danger
and in the end they stampede Sidney saw
it coming, and he commenced to lay up cash
against rainy day. His method was in
genious for he was accustomed to fitting
The dog cart that was not paid for Lang
don sold for cash at moderate price on
condition that he should be allowed to use II
for a week until the new one ordered from
Calcutta arrived. In two days he sold it t.
another man; also the pony. The piano, FOL
which the sole exchange had been prom
issory note, he also sold; having first bor-
rowed a tidy sum on 1t from an obligne
moneylender He explained to the lady
that the diamond ring was not at all up tc
her class-not in accordance with the wealtf
of his affection; she must have better one
Once more in his possession 1t was speedil,
converted into cash. and the fair maid ant
the rapacious Delhi jewel merchant who haC
sold it In the first place, never again saw IL
merry CLINT Thus his affairs were tidiec
I'D. Other matters experienced the same
oblique commercial ramifcation. His stand
ing as n rich broker, engaged to weaIth.
mans daughter, gave Langdon goodly cal
over malgn circumstances; but before M
, could quite get away nervous indlVldua
, suddenly pounced down upon him with
bailiff and an emergency summons for
) debt of 1000 rupees
The bailiff interviewed Sidney at th'
| hotel The officer was polite; deuced sorry
Il was all a mistake, no doubt; but woulc
, Langdon mind going with him and puttins
1t straight Now sidney had intended tax
ing his departure that very night--it wa'
> a most unlucky interruption, but his actol
, training came back to him, and he smiled
with gracious forgiveness upon the balm
Tho claim for money was either mis-
take or the malicious dodge of one OF hi
broker rivals; however, that did not mat
! ter-it wasn't the officers fault; he wa'
! only doing his duty Would he step uy
b. to the room and do him the honor OF crack
3 ing a bottle while he had bath and
changed his business coat for proper even
ing dress? Sidney had his bath and, In
I cdently the man with the warrant go
t very drunk. Champagne did not flow int
bis lifa ayarv day and thirst In RangOOf