Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-10-22

fIOrlQd. he was plannlg 10 turn the
island around until it filled the gap,
then open passages at both the north
and south ends, and build great sluice-
gate at the north. In this manner he
intended to intrap the gulf stream,
and, as he cheerfully explained, to
charge the British government for
heating England.
The coming of Jones. copy reader,
marked an epoch. Jones furnished still
life. He would fall asleep under the
most distressing circumstances. and
in any position. He invariably over
slept, and blamed others for his weak
ness. Finally he issued sweepin" re-
quest for us to call him when we
thought he was oversleeping. For two
| months our chiefest JOY consisted in
| calling Jones. We called him when we
arose. and we called him when we went
| to bed. Often we hurried home espe-
cially to call him. Jones stood it two
months. Then he slipped out between
calls and came no more.
For almost two years we were happy,
| except when the rent came due. Then
| the first shadow fell. Brady COM
menced to have social aspiratiC He
was seen at Bohemian" gath rings,
which advertised themselves as such.
He commenced to get into debt to his
| tailor: and his verse changed in tone.
Harris and I watched him in sJrrcw.
Presently he deserted us when we
| had night free from work Then he
| began complaining of the havoc moths
had wrought in his dress suit, and he
feared the worst. Within two months
| the attack reached its eliminating
point. One night he came back To US
radiant: he wanted us TO congratulate
him, and said he was the bappicst man
on earth. Then he locked himself in
his room and wro'e poem.
Dutifully we gar5e,i ourselves, at
tended the wedding. and robbed the
tobacco jar to adorn Brady's fiat. Then
we disowned him. We lighted candles
at. the head and at the foot of Brady
! deserted bed. and mourned him IS one
/ lost. Brady came to see rs at rare
intervals. but refused the preferred
stein on the grounds his wife objected
to drinking.
Two months later Harris went away
! on his vacation. He returned a changed
man. He called on Brady and his wife
and when he returned he had an in
sane. idiotic look on his face. He
went into raptures ovAr I'll e happiness
which, he said. flooded Brady's life
l listened to his heresy and watched
him sorrowfully. After awhile when
Iwould search through Harris clothts
I would find heavy letters sealed an
| lot IF n
with violet. / hoped that would suf-
flee to dispel Harris illusion, but ii
did not
Matters stood that way for two
months more. One night in the miGGlc
of June Harris came home early in the
evening. l was enjoying a night free
from work, and was propped up in q
chair full of pillows, and my pipe OF
stool, gloating deep with Murger ant
his students. ! saw at once Harris haC
something to tell. He assumed care
less air and finally. after many feint:
and twists, fatty asked me to be best
man.
/ said never a word. l rose up
dragged myself into street clothes. ant
went away. I came back at four o'clocl
in the morning. Harris says | wa.
bowling drunk. That is not true
was merely bowling over Harris
weakness.
Feeling hypocritical, I went down
country, and attended Harris wed
ding He married doll-faced countr,
girl who was proud of him. He mad
a fool of himself when he carried hi
personal property from suite %. II
, almost cried and said: "Get SOM
good fellow and keep the old place a
it is.''
Since then I have lived alone. Some
times Mr.. and Mrs. Brady and Mr.. an
Mrs. Harris come, and the women raw
over the place. They never seem t.
think we could have been happy blu
, for them. Sometimes they invite m
to their apartments. but | never gc
At first / went out of sense of polite
ness. but the women always wer
: dragging pretty girls around to NEE
i me and making opportunities to fore
S us to like each other. Sometimes
: half believe even Brady and Harris cor
T spired against me.
q Sometimes when I write I look up, a
e the photograph she sent me one Chr;.
mas and think, perhaps, after all,
: Harris or Brady could have found
d girl like her their actions would nc
f have been so urprising.-Chicapo Tril