Connecticut western news., 1901-05-16

CEASEDp
left good bit of money, and the way
be made ducks and brakes of it was a
caution. About the time l came into
the club he had run his race and was
tangled up with the note shavers. Six
months later he was known to be fat
broke. The man had a keen sense Of
humor, though obstinate as a mule
about taking advice, and it was doubt
less his desperation that drove him
into cheating at cards. The incident
did not happen at our club, but at
another, though we were speedily In
possession of the proofs. 1t meant his
doom. Even If he had not been down
to his last dollar he would have been
tabooed everywhere. AS it was, with
| no hope for the financial future, he
had only to sit down and plan how he
| should disappear from the sight Of
men.
Queen had been a hot favorite in the
club, and many of us hoped he might
bring forward a good defense, but as
matter of fact he made none. There
was no other way than compulsion,
and while some of the voters thought
he might drift out to the colonies and
make a new start others were con-
| fident that q man of his temperament
would not try to outlive the disgrace.
| About a week after Queen had been
officially notified of his expulsion he
| met q member of the club on the street
| and through him extended an invita-
ton to five or six others Of us to par
take of a little farewell dinner with
him, as he was on the eve of going
away. 1t seemed a queer move on his
part, and you may think it queer in
our accepting the invitation, but We
who had been most chummy with him
could find excuses for him. 1t was
decided to drop in on him as indiyid-
uals and In no way binding the club,
and when the evening came around
five of US were on hand. Queen had
spacious apartments in a fashionable
thoroughfare, and he welcomed us
with the utmost heartiness. The five
OF us went in together, and we found
ourselves the only guests. On arriving
Ne were ushered into his sitting room
from which most of the furniture had
been removed. 1t was being packed
for storage di.ring his absence, he said,
but we knew that it had gone to the
auction rooms instead. Had there
been a suspicious man among us he
would have wondered that no odors
came from the kitchen or noise from
the dining room, and he would have
noticed that Queen seemed a bit nerv-
GUS and uneasy and was doing his
best to appear serene. We had gone
in friendly spirit for pleasant hour
and why should we feel suspicious OF
our host?
We were offered cigars as soon a:
we got seated, and as we smok
ed and waited for the dinner
Queen was bright and chatty ant
something like his old time self. II,
had said that he was going away, bu
he did no: give further particulars, anC
of course no one asked him. We some
how gathered the idea, however, tina
he was going out to South Africa
Dinner seemed a long time in coming
when Queen himself brought in win,
and glasses and explained that h
wished us to drink to toast he woul,
give. 1t struck us as strange, but b.
had always been queer fellow. w
sat in a half circle about the table, an,
as the glasses were filled and we wait
ed for the signal to rise to our feet tn
man, glass In hand, stepped back unit
he could lean his elbow on the mantle
and then quietly said:
Gentlemen, keep your seats. hav
nothing to say regarding the actor
Of the Pace club or any other club, an,
lLAW QxnEA. n ths. .fsat. that 4. fsH q