Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-07
THE GENTLEMAN
BY Edwin l.. Sabin.


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e. didn't know enough to take Off
his hatw
AS the elevator sedately moved up
ward. bearing Miss Hallowell to the
eighth floor. these words were spilled
from it directly into the sun-burned
ears Of John Peck, of the sixth floor.
He realized that II was his hat which
had not been taken Off" and that
through the medium of this hat he had
incurred the displeasure and scorn of
Miss Hallowell.
He inserted key In the keyh0le OF
Apartment 6O3, entered, and strobe
nOislly through the inner hall until he
reached his room. He was angry and
hurt. Nothing so cruel as woman's
tongue, and nothing that leaves man
so defenceless.
John removed the offending hat, and
examined 1t critically - even approx
ingly. It was sombrero. The
chances were that no hat In that whole
great city could equal 1t In tineness Of
texture and In genuine worth. "Out
West" from where John Peck recent
ly had come land where at this mo-
ment he heartily wished he were), the
quality Of a hat is of supreme impor-
lance. A hat is actually an integral
part, not merely an adjunct, OF n
wardrobe. 1t Is carefully selected,
jealousy cherished and proudly worn
as thing of art.
The cowboy is more tender Of his
boots and Of his hat than he is Of his
pony. st
Howeyer. despite the evident fact
that this was hat to be esteemed
among all rival hats, John admitted
to himself that he ought not to have
kept II on his head while he was In the
elevator with a woman. 1t dawned
upon him that there is distinction
between private and public elevators.
He had committed an error against
society. Take man who has been on
the range for seven or eight years, and
In that period scarcely has seen a
woman. and transplant him to city,
and although at heart he Is gentle
man he Is likely at first to scratch the
polish of metropolitan civilization.
Thus to obllge woman, whether
pretty or ugly. John Peck might brave
a norther. but he might meet her the
next day in an elevator and forget to
doff his hat.
Miss Hallowell had learned only the
latter portion Of this hypothesis. and
now up on the eighth floor she was
graphically recountipg to her friends
her truly narrowing experience. Miss
Hallowell. maiden lady. was large
and angular and severe. but she had
a little mind. easily disturbed.
II just glared at him all the way"
she recited. with proper emphasis,
''yet don't believe he even thought of
his hat! never heard Of such per-
Torrance! He looked like a cowboy,
and the little fellow In the elevator
says that he rooms on the sixth. in the
Morris apartments. l shouldn't think
the MOrrises would take Il ledger like
that.'
Hes a relative of Mr.. Norris" ex-
planned one friend, land l understand
he's from Arizona. Anyway, he's
come to the city to stay awhile. and Of
course Mr.. Morris felt obliged to give
him room until he found permanent
quarters"
"Well. he isn't gentleman" as
serted Miss Hallowell, conclusively.
For Miss Hallowell was quite sure
that she knew gentleman when she
saw him.
While on the top floor Of the build
ing Miss Hallowell had been vigorous
ly narrating and condemning; while
two floors below John Peck had been
sitting on his bed wrathfully brooding
over criticism by effete society; while,
later, Miss Hallowell had descended
TO her own apartments at GIT. on the
same floor with those Of the misbe-
having Morris family. far down In the
basement n fire had been born. and
from moment to moment it had been
growing.
Brought forth in stealth, In stealth
1T sought to live until its stature was
assured. At s o'clock that night 1t
had been only tiny flicker of flame
which the breath Of babe might have
overcome. At o o'clock two buckets of