The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
STRANGE WILL OF
ALEXANDER 4. ALEXANDER.
His Remarkable Manner Of visiting the Paris
Exposition. Changing tho Coarse Of = YES
sci Bound for Southampton. and Fore
ing the French 8. 3. vile do Dreyfus
to Save All Hands on Board the
RsA Cr>.csut Ulua ll0at.

Ing the French 3. \. vile dc Dreyfus
to Save All Hands on Board the
Red Crescent Line boat.
Copyright, 1900, BY C. B. Loomis.
Alexander A. Alexander was his full name,
What the middle A.. stood for no one knew
but many thought that IL must be Alexander,
for they said that a parent who was foolish
enough to double his sons name would be
as likely to treble il. Those who knew the
boy well enough called him by his first name,
but strangers generally called him by his last
name until they got better acquainted. Alex
ander looked like a Russian. and he had as
imperious a nature as that Of any Car that
ever lived. Before he was II years old there
was no one able 10 cross him. II he had been
wicked or even ili-tempered he could have
made il unpleasant for the world in which
he lived which was this world by the way
but despite has power over people he seldom
exercised 1t unduly. and so II was possible
to live in his vicinity and enjoy life,
Once in a while he exercised his power for the
good Of the public. Almost everybody has
heard OF the strike Of the painters of Paulton.
Some Of them were portrait painters and some
were landscapists, and they were all in the
employ Of a very rich art patron. They made
up their minds one day that he could AFFORD
to pay them more than they were getting.
and so they struck for higher wages. OF course
they had n right TO strike, although I dare say
that they were receiving all they were worth,
as many Of them used stencils in painting
portraits in order TO save time. But they
had no right to stop other painters from work
Ing. as this has been a free country since 1885,.
And yet that is what they did. They told the
new painters that they would upset their
pals of paint and destroy their brushes If
they attempted to paint any portraits or land
scapes In Paulton. And then it was that Alex
ander used his authority with good effect.
He went to where the band Of striking painters
had assembled They stood around in their
blouses with their long hair waving in the
wind, and he said:
Say, painters, II you want to strike you'll
have to do It In some other town than Paul
ton. l always have my way, and you've got
to go"
And go they did. They walked on in n body
dow to the railroad station and took the train
to New York. And now they are glad to work
at any price. And the other painters were so
grateful to Alexander that they all united in
doing a crayon portrait of him for him. and he
didn't have to pay for the frame-which is
very unusual.
Alex ander wanted to go to the Paris Expo
sition. but he knew that his father could not
afford to send him. II he had told Mr.. Alexan-
der TO do it that man would have been impelled
to do il by the boys strange power. but Alex
ander knew that his father was n poor man. so
he determined to get there by some other means.
And right there he made his first mistake, TO
call it nothing worse. He ought To have made
w his mind to do without going to the Expo
sition, IA SO many boys will have to do. But
that would not have been like Alexander. What
he wanted he must have.
So one evening after his parents were asleep
he stole into their bedroom and kissed them
both afYectionately. and then he left the house
and made his way to the station. He had packed
a few clothes in a hand satchel and he had taken
all his savings for three years. which amounted
to 90. He took the midnight train for New
York and despatched from there an afYectionate
letter telling his parents that he was going to
the fair and that he would bring them each a
BY noon OF next day he was sailing out OF
New York harbor on the Bucoic Of the Red
Crescent Line.
Long before they were out of sight Of land
he had made friends with several OF the pas
sengers, and he would need them, too. for the
a stateroom, supposing that a day would suffice
to take him to France. One OF his new acQuaint-
ances vas the Bishop of-well. | can I think now,
children. so that he and Alexander got along
famously. although Alexander was a Congre-
wei, where are you going all by yourself?"
said he. TO visit an uncle in Southampton"
NO, sir," said Alexander. Il have no rela-
Not that Southampton Ia in France" said
.6ht, isn.t III Wen, I'm going to the Worlds
Fair IN Paris, and that's in France"
but you can't go straight to it; you'll have to
stop at Southampton and take another steamer
across the Channel to Havre and then take train
Alexander was yexed and he showed II.
An the way by water, but not in a steamer
Of this size. You should have taken n French
liner II you wished to go direct TO France"
Alexander was tempted to use his power,
and I'm sorry to say, that he yielded. 1t would
have been so much better If he had swallowed
his chagrin and gone TO southampton with
the good Bishop and then crossed the Channel.
But no, he had set out TO sail to France, and he
was going to do 1t no matter how much he put
out the rest Of the passengers.
I'm sorry, but this steamer has got to take
me 70 France, Are you sure that she can't
Not unless you deepen the Seine"
"Oh, ! don't want TO do that, :" said Alexander.
quite as If he could. and the Bishop was much
But tell me-, II you've made a mistake about
the steamer what are you doing to do about a
stateroomr"
"A what?- asked Alexander with a puzzled
expression.
"A stateroom. A place to live in and sleep
in while you're on your way to Southampton. -"
I'm not going 10 Southampton" said Alex
ander with heat, Why does II take over night
TO get to France?"
My dear boy, Wen be the best part Of six
days making the trip, and you wont be allowed
TO sleep on the deck or in the saloon"
Il should hope / wouldn't sleep In a saloon"
said Alexander with dignity.
"Of course not, said the Bishop with a straight
face. Now, | have a whole stateroom. and
you may use the upper berth, and welcome, IL
you wish"
Why. thank you, sir. I'll be glad to, but I
had no idea that 1t took so long, You see, !
had the measles when our class had the Allan
tic Ocean. and ! had the humps when we had
France, and so ] don't know much about that
part of geography"
well. you'll know more before you return.
Do your parents know where you are?"
BY now they do. | left a note. But wont
go to England. The ship will have to let me
out at France"
A steward happened to be passing,
Here" said Alexander, In his most auto
cratic manner. Send the captain to me-"
The steward looked astonished. but hr obeyed.
In a minute he came back. The captain says
It's out Of the question. You must 20 10 him.
Al this Alexander flushed scarlet, lie made
a trumpet Of his hands and called out" Cap
tain, | want you TO come here at once, | want
10 speak to you.
Everybody within ear>hot gasped for breath.
for the captain was one Of the hottest tom
pered and one Of the most dignined men on the
NJ