Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-01-18
By Harold MacGrath -

lie put quotation marks AROUND J.,
| answered. Il wanted To see you par
ticuiaIly They told me that YOU were
rolling down hill so fast that IL some
one did not put fulcrum under you
you'd be az the bottom in no time at
all. I'm going to he the lever by which
you are To be rolled up hill again"
lie smiled grimly. IF any one could
do that-well. here we are" And we
entered the ch0phouse aud took Ia
BILE in one If the side rooms. Woods"
he said tn the waiter ''chops for two,
Clipped potatoes, and fill up those
stems of mine with ale. That will be
all. | brought those stems from across,
Jack. You'll 20 crazy over them, for
they are beauties"
4 college bred bachelor nine times
out of ten has a mania for collecting
pipes or stems or both. Dan and |
had been affected this way. During
the year | had studied at Heidelberg
| had gathered together some fifty odd
pipes and stems. have them yet, and
many pleasant memory they beget
me. As for the stems of Dan. they
were beyond compare.
"I'll tell you a story about them
said Dan after he had taken deep
swallow of the amber ale. Few men
can boast of stems like these. Not
many months ago there was a party of
men and women. belonging to the capt.
tai of a certain kingdom, who attended
a dinner. 1t was one of those times
when exalted personages divest them
| selves of the dignity and pomp of
! court and become free and informal.
| There were 20 of these stems made
/ especially for the occasion. BY cir.
| cumstance over which | had no con.
| troll | was the only alien at this din
| ner. The stems were souvenirs. How
| | came by two was due to the lady
| whom | took down to dinner and who
/ presented hers to me after having
| after having-well, kissed the rim. Do
you see the crestT' pointing to the ex'
! quisite inlaid work.
why" | said eagerly, "it is the
crest Of
Yes, noted king" Dan completed,
land these We're made by his express
command. But never mind" he broke
off, Its merely part of the story
| am going to tell you when we get to
my rooms. | am always thinking of
it, night and day, day and night Talk
to me or I'll be drinking again. This
is the first time I've been sober in a
month. It's drink or morphine or
something like. Do you ever see any
thing of the old glee boys"
Once in awhile. You know" said
|, lighting cigarette, ''all the fellows
but you and | had money. Most of
them are carrying on the business OF
their paters and ornamenting dinner
parties and cotillons,"
II thought that you had rich un.
Gle" said Dan.
Il did have, but he is no more" And
| told him all about the beuuest.
He laughed so long and heartily over
it that | was glad for his sake that II
had happened, Already | was begin
ming to look wholly upon the humorous
side Of the affair.
ut is almost too good not to be print
ed he said, But his son may square
matters when he dies"
Il do not want matters squared"
growlcd Il can earn living for 0
few years to come. | shan't worry"
by the way, is that Miss Landors
whom you used to rave about in YOU
letters married YETI"
No" Miss Landors was Phylli!
, only to her intimate friends. | called
the waiter and ordered him TO replen
ish my stein, Dan watching me curl
| ously the while. mo, Miss Landors il
not married yet"
Il have often wondered what sh'
looked like" he unused.
when do you go on your vacation 2
| asked irrelevantly.
I'm a week or ten days-maybe to
morrow. It's according to how long
, stay sober
t l was sorry that he had recalled t
, me the name of Phyllis. 1t dampenet
: my sociabilty. | was not yet prepared
W laht Hin IHtO lily i H'
ale. however, loosened our tongues
and, though we did not talk about on
] present affairs, we had pleasant TIM
? recounting the days when we wer,
) young in the sense that we had no rea
, trouble. Those were the times whel
we were earning SIS and $40 the week
s when our watches were always in dur
; ance vile; when we lied to the poo
7 washerwoman and to the landlady
. when we would always be around to
1 morrow" and 'settle up" with our cred
? itors.
g "There was no ennui those days,
e laughed Hillars.
. True. Do you remember the da
! you staid in bed because it was CHEAP
a er to sleep than work on an empt
: stomach?"
e And do you remember the time
a saved you from Jail by giving the shel
iff my new spring overcoat to pay
, washerwoman's bill of six months
! standings"
Il hung around Jersey City tina
e day." said l. And then there was NOR
ale, and so on. 1t was 8 when at las
i we rose.
b We'll, We'll go back to the office an
get your case" said Dan. "Where'
It your trunkY'
"At the Victoria"
$ "All your luggage must be sent t
l. my rooms. will not hear Of your &C
$ ing elsewhere for lodging while /
9 town. | have a floor, and you sha
T share it. It's bachelors ranch frol
u basement to garnet, inhabited by ar
+ lists, journalists, one or two magazin
y men q clpYnr nnunlict a nd fhrnn Of o.,