Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-06-07
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CONFIRMED BACHELORS.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"Gascoigne' S late!' said Walmer
He Locked at his watch and at the
gilded clock with its golden boy
swinging beneath.
"he has long way to come" re-
marked the other man.
Still my dear Mayne," urged Wal.
mer, lmpatiently, IS O'Clock is
eclock-and not twenty minutes
past
"Walmer,' said Mayne cheerfully,
do sit down; there's good chap,
. and make yourself comfortable. They
won't serve dinner until you ring, and
there's nothing on EARN 10 worry
about. Besides Gascoigne lives down
in Surrey, you know. Once you get
on the Southwestern"
There was IA knock at the door.
MIR. Gascoigne, gentlemens!"
"Frltz!"
"Sair?" answered the proprietor
OF the restaurant.
Serve the dinner"
"Goot!"
The new arrival strobe into the
room with the breezy air of one who
knows he is late and has decided 10
defeat reproo1s by cheerlulness. He
shook hands with the other two men,
said something cauStic about rail-
ways, assured them both they
looked as young as ever. Now, there
is nothing gratifies men who have
passed the age OF thirty SO much as
to be told they look as young as
ever.
There's no doubt about it," said
Walmer, smoothing his thin hair and
glancing at the mirror, that bach
tlorhood does keep man wonder
fully youthful. Now, if we had mar
ried-"
Don't talk of it," said Gascoigne
with SILVER.
1.-The worry of wife," said Wal
mer, strenuously, doubles mans
age"
"And his expenses" remarked Gas
coigne.
"A wife would look after you,"
suggested Mayne hesitatingly.
"Ihat's the objection" said the
other two men.
81 suppose we have muSl to be
thankful for said Mayne. Let US
say grace"
After the choice dinner the three
men cut their cigars with great par
ticularity. Mayne hummed few
bars of cheerful air, and taking
candle from the branch on the table,
lighted his cigar and passed the can
die to the others. They set their
chairs back and each found rest for
one foot.
Been writing some more OF your
trash, haven't you, Gascoigne?" ask
ed Walmer.
"Ilad one or two books out" con-
fessed Gascoigne.
"Wonder who reads them?"
Goodness only knows" said Gas
coigne, Il don't"
still, said Walmer encouragingly,
"I've seen some very fair notices"
"I've tried to say good word for
them when | had the chance said
Gascoigne.
"But really" urged Wamer, fact
of matter is you're getting a name,
Gascogne. You're getting on in the
world. You're lucky man. People
are beginning to talk about you"
81 think, Gascoigne, you ought to
apologize said Mayne. I'm only
Just back in London, and have been
spared much of the annoyance OF
seeing you become famous"
"One doesn't feel any happier for
it," said Gascoigne. 81 live in val
ley in Surrey and checks tumble
down from London a little quicker
than they did, but"
But what?'
SWELL" said Gascoigne thoughtfully,
"after all, there you are all alone,
and no one to share your troubles
and double your joys, and upon my
word, it's enough to make man
think seriously Of"
Gascoigne sighed.
"Of what" demanded Walmer
sharply.
81 forgot what ! was going to
say" declared Gascoigne.
Walmer looked at Gascoigne very
severely, but the literary man kept
his head well down and tried to
make the nut-crackers stand on their
two legs. The scent of liqueurs
seemed to have got into the head of
the nutcrackers and they were un-
able to remain upright.
Mayne broke the silence by asking
tie two men when Jumbles was com
ing home from the Sudan. Walmer,
at the head of the table, flushed
little flor no obvious reason) and
said not yet; old Jumbles would be
out there some time. Good man was
Jumbles, said Walmer, one of the
best war correspondents the journal
had ever had.
81 liked Jumbes,' said Mayne
"he had such a charm
ing young sister"
The nut crackers fell tipsily off
the table.
"By-the by" said Walmer at the
fireplace, what was Miss Cholmon-
deley's name?"
ELSA" said Gascoigne and Wayne