The Red Cloud chief., 1901-05-03

THE GENTLEMAN

BY Edwin l.. Sabin.


"- didn't know enough to take of
his hatw
As the elevator sedately moved up
ward. bearing Miss Hallowell to the
eighth floor, these words were spilled
from 1t directly into the burned
ears Of John Peck, Of the sixth floor
lie realized that IL was his hat which
had not been taken OF" and that
through the medium Of this hat he had
incurred the dlspleasure and scorn OF
Miss Hallowell.
He inserted key In the keyhole OF
Apartment 6O3. entered. and strode
noisily through the inner hall until he
reached his room. He was angry and
hurt Nothing 30 cruel as woman's
tongue, and nothing that leaves man
so defenceless.
John removed the offending hat. and
examined 1t critically - even apprOv'
ingly. 1t was sombrero. The
chances were that no hat In that whole
great city could equal II In fineness 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 hat IL of supreme impor.
tance. A hat IL actually an integral
part. not merely an adjunct. OF a
wardrobe. 1t Is carefully selected
jealously 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.
However, despite the evident fact
that this was a hat to be esteemed
among all rival hats, John admitted
to himself that he ought not to have
kept It on his head while he was In the
elevator with a woman. 1t dawned
upon him that there IL n distinction
between private and public elevators
He had committed an error agains,
society. Take man who has been OF
the range for seven or eight years, and
In that period scarcely has seen d
woman. ana transplant him to city
and although at heart he Is II gentle
man he Is likely at first to scratch the
polish of metropolitan civilization.
Thus to oblige IA woman, whethe,
pretty or ugly, John Peck might bray,
II norther, but he might meet her the
next day In an elevator and forget I,
doff his hat.
Miss Hallowell had learned only tn,
latter portion of this hypothesis, an,
now up on the eighth floor she wa,
graphically recountlng to her friends
her truly narrowing experience. Mis-
HallOwell maiden lady, was larg'
and angular and severe, but she ha,
u little mind. easily disturbed.
II Just glared at him all the way,
she recited, with proper emphasis
"yet don't believe he even thought o
his hat! never heard of such per
fOrmance! He looked like a cowboy
and the little fellow In the elevate
says that he rooms on the sixth, In tn
Morris apartments, l shouldn't thin
the Morrlses would take II lodger lik
THAR
Hes a relative Of Mr.. Norris" eS
planned one friend. "and understan
he's from Arizona. Anyway. he
come to the city to stay awhile. and @
course Mr.. Morris felt obliged to Civ
him room until he found permaner
quarters"
"Well. he isn't gentleman Al
serted Miss Hallowell, conclusivel.
For Miss Hallowell was quite SUI
that she knew gentleman when sl
saw him.
While on the top floor of the bull,
ing Miss Hallowell had been vigorou
ly narrating and condemning; whi
two floors below John Peck had bee
sitting on his bed wrathfully broodin
over criticism by effete society; Will
later. Miss Hallowell had descende
to her own apartments AT or. on Il
same floor with those OF the misb
having Norris family, far down In Il
basement tire had been born, aI
from moment to moment IL had be,
growing.
Brought forth In stealth. in stealt
II sought to live until Its stature W,
assured. Al o CLOCK tnat night
had been only tiny flicker of fan
which the breath Of babe might ha,
overcome. At o o'clock two buckets
water could have prevailed against
At 10 o'clock n single eXtinguish,
wisely welded, could have subdued
At IL o'clock 1t still was afraid to
seen. So slowly and so craftily was
eating into the Granny leading betwe
the walls.
But at IL o'clock 1t had arrived
its manhood, 1t had established
stronghold, and II was ready to tiau
the red banner OF defiance n the ia
of thousand people.
Therefore ii recked not that durl
the midnight hour the en- n;ineer. t,
dily traversing the corridor, SUI