The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-08-10
BY ]. O. GOULD.

thut ""n NV ~" NV '''N' =
was a cousin of mine named Thomas at
college with me and in the same class.
We looked so much alike that was con-
tinually being called Thomas Dexter by
the professors instead of Richard DcX.
ter. So the boys took it up and dubbed
me Tommie. and Tommie l remained
sour Mutual Friend was slim. stu
dious youth and was the last of the trio
of us boys. The Pirate and | were good
friends and found in talking one day
that we liked this chap, so We got going
with him and spoke of him as Our Mu-
tual Friend. and the name chung TO him.
The Pirate himself was a big football
player and got his name because he used
to tell blood curdling pirate stories at our
frat dining table. After we were well
settled in our friendship we came to
spend nearly all of our leisure time to-
gether.
"Just after the Christmas holidays, in
our last year, the Pirate came to my
rooms looking happy and mysterious.
Come down to the Metropolitan hash
house tonight. old man, he said. 4 have
something to tell you. Our Mutual Friend
will be there
"'What's upT cried.
"'That's all, Tommie,' he replied. BE
sure and come
"And go | did. met the Pirate at
the door, and. going into little dressing
room, we found Our Mutual Friend wait
ing for us. We at once adjourned to the
dining hall, and the Pirate ordered us a
dinner the like had not had for many n
day. We both saw something was in the
wind, but neither Our Mutual Friend nor
myself ventured remarks, nor did the
Pirate. Through soup, fish, salad and
meat we went, and the Pirate did not say
a word about anything but the most or
binary topics of the day. After our meal,
however. he spoke word to the waiter,
and thereupon a bowl of punch was plac-
ed before us, all wreathed in flowers.
When the waiter had gone, the Pirate
solemnly dipped out three glasses, and.
giving one to each of us, kept the other.
"a toast he cried. to the most beau
tiful of women, to the future Mrs. Pi-
rate Open eyed we looked ut him. al
most forgetting to clink glasses and drink
his toast.
anticipating our questions, the Pirate
proceeded to tell of his love affair, which
had eliminated in his engagement in the
Christmas holidays. 1t was after this
divulgence that Our Mutual Friend pro-
posed the scheme that brought about the
existence Of that loving cup.
Boys, he said, i have a scheme.
move that the first one of us three mar.
ried be presented with u set of solid
silver spoons and that the last married
be presented with silver loving cup us
wedding presents. This will save any
anxiety or doubt either on the part of
the giver or the recipient of the gift and
will prove continual reminders of our
college friendship
Second the motion | aSsented.
"'Carriedn cried the Pirate.
"'Here's to the health of our wives
that are to be- continued Our Mutual
Friend. and we drank merrily to our flu
ture better halves and thus sealed our
compact.
"Of course we thought the Pirate had
the spoons, as he intended TO marry as
soon as he left college, but it was mat.
ter of speculation rs to who would get
the cup. for Our Mutual Friend and my.
self were both avowcd bachelors. Well,
as soon as we graduated we all went
to our homes. the Pirate to Ohio, Our
Mutual Friend to New York and | 10
DcSill FDE
some time | heard nothing of our com.
pact and wedding gifts, but supposed,
naturally enough. that the Pirates wed.
ding invitation would soon come to me.
In the meantime we three kept up a
correspondence. more or less regular, as
all of Il mans correspondence outside of
his business is apt to be. Then in about
q year and half-hand me that bundle
Of letters from the top drawer in my
writing desk, will you, Bessie? Yes. that
one. Thank>-in about Il year and Il
half | got this short epistle from the ri.
rate. | will read it to you:
"Dear Tommic-Father has broken up in bust
ness and health and is in debt, and am poorer
than church mouse Worse than all. guess
must get out OF the contest for the silver spoons
and enter the race for the loving cup if eve,
get married at ALL because ! dare not tell Dora
tthat his intended's name) TO stay by hel
promise to me. but will to pay attention tc
her. THE PIRATE
"You may imagine that did not hear
Of the destruction of all of my friends
hopes or happiness without some sorrow,
and | immediately wrote him. cheering
him and heartily Scorning the girl that
would desert him because of financial re-
verses. His reply came to the effect that
he would not hold his b"lrmthcd to her
promise under any conditions and that he
had ceased all relations with her.
Just week after this | got another
letter from him. Here it is:
Dear Tommi,- Unless you have u previou
claim ! will Ian, the spoons and give them &c
H.. "-...,I - ~ I! are In
now to contest for the loving cup, and I cues.
that am the most probable candidate for it.
"He went on. and his sadness over his
forced separation from Dora, whom he
had loved, seemed augmented by the fact
that Our Mutual Friends engagement
was announced. The next week l leceiv-
ed an invitation to Our Friends wedding
and RENTED my share of the price of the
spoons to the Pirate. That was the last
of the love affairs of my friends that
heard for a long time, but now to my
own.
"A new family came to town, mother,
a son and two daughters. Well. to make
long story short, / became a frequent
visitor at the house, and. to make a short
story still shorter, / became engaged to
the younger of the two girls, who is now
your aunt. But i am getting ahead OF
myself.
81 had determined to win the loving
cup by remaining a bachelor longest, but
here ! was engaged, and what was ! to
do? Surely one cannot work against
fate. / had just about decided to give up
all hope of the cup and to ask my to be
bride to make the date as early as posi-
bic, and so forth, when one evening /
told her all the story Of the wedding pres
ents and of the Pirate and my dilemma
about securing the cup. She became ex-
citcdly interested as l proceeded, and as
/ finally told of the Pirates resignation
In giving UP his love because he could not
properly support her she burst into an
exclamation, clapped her hands and rush
ed into the house tive were on the porch
In the moonliglaD crying: i knew he was
true. i knew it, Astonishrd and per-
picked, ] could only attempt TO follow,
but she ran inside and called her sister,
and hurried words. faint exclamation
and sobs were all ! heard from the next
ROOM
Xoon my excited fiancee returned, and
] New by her radiant face that my case
was all right. any way. and listened
curiously to her hurried and jumblcd ex.
PLANTATION. 1t seems that she had recog-
nized in the Pirate her sisters lover,
whom they had thought unfaithful. but
for whom her sister still retained all her
affection. or course, | was delighted
IL, l.