Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-01-03
T 0 U C H E D.

JeCJ 10 Jne way Ill WHICH he spent MS
pay, or to give him advice upon how
he should conduct himself in the eyes
of the world. SO he spent his money
in carrying out his own particular am
bition. His hearts desire was to be
Stylish" his hobby was sport" He
used to wear cheap shirts that as
tonished his fellow operators. They
would eXclaim "Whew" and "Um-um"
when he took off his coat Such
shirts Pink, and blue and purple.
He always wore rainbow neckties with
a very imitation diamond pin thrust
through the corner. No one could ex-
eel him in the gaudness of the rib
bon that adorned his straw hat in the
summertime, and no one could quite
get the angle at which he used to wear
his plum-colored derby in the winter.
His silver watch had fine goldplated
chain with huge agate charm. When
ever he had a half-holiday he used to
go to the trotting track and walk
around with a straw in his mouth. He
knew half a dozen drivers and some
stable men who allowed him to call
them by their first names. He talked
learnedy of records. sires and dams.
and would make believe to take the
lllllt VI llt HedlS WIFI an air Ol all
Xiety. If he had had anything to do
with the financial part of the Office his
habits and habiliments might have
excited his employers suspicious. He
had little part. however. with the
crowd that showed their money over
Schultzs bar on payday nights and
he was regarded as rather close, for
what money he lavished he lavished on
!, IL; l..
sport" behind his back He had one
vice that his companions had no part
in. however-he was systematic
gambler on a very small scale. Every
month he invested three dollars in
Policy-never more, never less. He
had a Dream Book and read it con
scientiously. Two or three times he
nearly caught a number. He knew
three or four good places where slips
in the great unlicensed secret lottery
were sold.
The doorkeeper at the opera house
was familiar with young Mr.. Lothrop's
face-he had seen him standing at the
stage entrance many a time. But he
! had never known him to speak to one
of the chorus girls. He liked to be
| there, that was all to watch them
come out. But the landlady from
whom he rented his little hall bed
room could scarcely move about the
! eighthy-ten apartment without dis
arranging his gallery of photographs.
Although he never INDUCED in ath-
! letics. pugilists shared the walls with
| the sirens of the footlghts. He was
! quite an authority on fistiana.
Now, one day Mr.. LothrOp struck Il
| rich His gig" hit divisional num-
/ Der in Policy-it was the potato gig"
| 1-34-S. The man from whom he
| bought his slips in the back of the
| cigar store greeted him with a smile.
you caught it this time young fel-
! low" he said, and Mr.. Lothrop flush
! ed red and his breath went from him
! But the man was right; he had caught
! it for once. Hurrying to his lodg-
ings he counted out on the bed two
hundred and sixty dollars in crumpled
! greenbacks.
He had long had his eye on a gray
overcoat with a brown velvet collar.
Visions of a silk hat and prince
Albert made him shudder with de
light. His ideas of good taste in
dress had been gathered from the cos
tunes of the heroes in society" plays.
The next night he adorned himself
in his new ready made apparel before
the little lOoking-glass in his room
and then sat down to think.
1t seemed a cruel waste to wear
these things in Troy. True, he might
go down to Albany and walk around on
Sunday. as he had often done before
(rather disturbed in his mind as to
whether the smiles that he had caught
were those of appreciation or amuse-
ment; but that would be tame EN-
ployment for such effulgence. He
searched in the top bureau drawer and
under tangle of gaudy neckties. drew
forth the roll of bills and counted
them. There We're still one hundred
and eighty-fye dollars left. With a
bound of his heart he remembered
that the chief clerk had told him that
he could take his weeks vacation. be
ginning the following Monday, if he
chose.
New York" The word flashed
before him like a huge starred head
line. That was it! He would have
one fling in the prOperest, fastest way
If it cost him every penny in the world
He had never been to the metropolis;
had dreamed of it time and again. II
had tempted him more than once, ant
now go he would
Monday saw him at the station. He
had forgotten to buy a travelling bag
so three eXtra-garish shirts and a few
personal belongings he had tied up il
a neat brown paper parcel. His eau
ton, however, asserted itself when he
bought a ticket; for he purchased il
both ways and slipped a two-dollal
bill into the envelope. The rest o.
the money he pinned inside his waist
coat pocket That he was determined
to blow" although he rather doubt
ed in his hearts of hearts his ability
to get away with it. He placed the
bundle beneath his seat and sat in the
smoking compartment, putting away a
a black cigar with red and gold sur
cingle. There was no one else in tn,
car with a silk hat on that he could
see and he felt quite distinguished
Two young chaps a seat or two aheaC
turned around and looked at him.
"The bride must be back in the
other car" said one, and then boil
chuckled.
But Mr.. Lothrop, unconscious of hi
wedding-day appearance, smoked Sc
renely on. Twice he declined an in
vitation to join in a game of whist
and he moved his seat because ;
drunken man with a clay pipe insistet
on brushing imaginary dust from hi