El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-17
Told by The Confidence Non.


the confidence man wore lugubrfous
expression as he walked along the Bow
cry. A reflective, faraway look in his
piercing eyes betokened some RETROSPECT
tive musings or some inward uneaslness
of recent origin-recent because 1T was
but a brief period since 1 had seen the
volatile young gentleman in excellent
spirits and basking in the sunshine OF
prosperity. 1t was manifest to me at
first glance that my usually nonchalant
and blase friend had met with some mis-
hap of more than usual moment
Whats up?" 1 inquired l stepped
up to him. he not noticing me in his pre-
occupation. You look as if your moth
er-in-law had eloped.''
This gray bearded, prehistoric 'chest-
nut evidently fell short of its purpose,
for he looked at ME with a sickly smile.
After what / took TO be something Of an
effort he replied:
''Oh. nothing. I suppose it must be
the weather; it affects everybody"
For the first time since 1 had the honor
to be favored with the volatile young
gentleman's acquaintance I noticed a dis
position on his part to taciturnity, and,
led by burning curiosity. 1 determined
to persevere in my interrogations.
Now. my dear boy" 1 continued. en-
deavoring to become facetious for the
purpose of drawing him out, ''in the florid
and sententious language of the small
boy. come off The weather. 1 admit,
is depressing. but it requires more than
a spell of unpleasant atmospheric cOndi-
tons to upset your moral equanimity."
He fidgeted. hesitated and finally said:
"Well. to tell the truth, I'm completely
out of sorts. An unfortunate occurrence
Of recent origin has upset my calcula-
tons and plunged me into the slough of
despond-"
"Was it something out of the usual
rut?" l ventured to inquire, a vision OF
"cops" and cells suddenly looming up on
my mental horizon.
He Immediately relapsed into his for
mer condition of preoccupation, and, aft
er staring at nothing particular for
awhile. he said by way of answer to my
query:
'It was just this way: Ny pal and I
were mourning the other day over the de-
generacy of the times and the marked
paucity of desirable suckers when a
gentleman whose appearance was strik-
ingly suggestive of pastoral associations
hove in sight, and, exclaiming simultane-
OusIy, There's our pier we started for
him with the laudable intention of APP
propriating his plethoric leather.
The confidence man was rapidly regain
bility under the stimulus of my interroga-
ions and attentive attitude.
"Our friend,' he continued, had just
turned into Broadway from Chambers
street when 1 rapidly approached him,
and, with the usual counterfeit Of sur
prise and gladness. said: We'll, Mr..
Hodgson. this is a surprise indeed! Glad
to see yout How are all the folks In
Gophertown?'
MY verdant friend assured me that
his name was not Hodgson, but Williams.
and that his genealogical tree bloomed in
Boulderville- l muttered something about
a striking resemblance and took my
leave.
MY pal being close at hand, 1 tipped
him the gentleman's proper patronymfc
and place of abode and Jagged behind to
await developments. My pal. after
cordial greeting by his bucolic friend.
walked arm in arm with him toward
Park row. I follow. ing closely
AT the lower end of the postoffice an
old lady asked me to escort her across
the street. the policeman delegated for
that purpose at this spot being off his
post 1 was thoroughly aware at the
time that gallantry is invariably an at
tribute of the true gentleman, and here
was case calling for all of that article
that l possessed. But 1 refused to assist
the old lady. You see, my recent lack
of the needful and continued hard luck
had awakened all that was sordid and
mercenary In my nature.
Il had not gone 20 yards, however.
when l heard a scream, and, quickly
turning, / beheld the old lady under the
wheels of a passing wagon and a crowd
endeavoring to rescue her. l, however.
kept on, feeling some remorse of con-
science for my base conduct, and closely
watched my men.
"My pal, by personal magnetism and a
trick or two known to the trade. succeed
ed in reducing the surplus in the bucolic
leather and gave him some
thing to talk about when he got back to
In the meantime he re-
paired to a restaurant. I Joined him in
about an hour.
while seated in a favorite resort that
evening over our wine, the amount Dor
rowed rendering such luxury possible,
my pal and l read an account of the at
fair in the newspaper. OF course, we
laughed heartily and proceeded to Scan
the menu in search of choice morsels, we
being connoisseurs in matters gastronom-
c when our means allow us 10 indulge
our tastes. We made our selections,
when an item in the same paper arrested
my attention. 1t was an account of the
accident to the old lady whom l in my
haste refused to escort across from the
federal postoffce. After reading the
,icle over several times 1 hastily left the
place, or, rather. ran from it. and pro-
ceeded to Bellevue hospital, where she
was confined.
II entered the dimly lit ward where
he surgical cases are confined, and. I'M
der the guidance of nurse, proceeded
10 the bed where the old lady lay. She
was breathing heavily: the car Of life
was evidently about to give out on its
-ugged road. She opened her eyes as
approached and-and"-
The confidence mans voice became