The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-10-03

WY
LET Us DRINK TO THE-TO THE LATE DE-
CEAsEDp
left good bit of money, and the way
he 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 fiat
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 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 man Of his temperament
would not try to outliye the disgrace.
About week after Queen had been
officially notified of his expulsion he
met a 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 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 individ-
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
we were ushered into his sitting room,
from which most of the furniture had
been removed. 1t was being packed
for storage during his absence, he said,
but we knew that it had gone to the
auction rooms instead. Had there
been 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 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 as
we got seated, and as we smok-
ed and waited for the dinner
Queen was bright and chatty and
something like his old time self. He
had said that he was going away, but
he did not give further particulars, and
of course no one asked him. We some
how gathered the idea, however, that
he was going out to South Africa
Dinner seemed long time in coming
when Queen himself brought in wine
and glasses and explained that he
wished us to drink to toast he would
give. 1t struck us as strange, but he
had always been a queer fellow. We
| sat in half circle about the table, and
as the glasses We're filed and we wait
ed for the signal to rise to our feet the
man, glass in hand, stepped back until
he could lean his elbow on the mantel
and then quietly said:
Gentlemen, keep your seats. have
nothing to say regarding the action
of the Pace club or any other club, and
/ am proud of the fact that a few of
you are here to see me off, 1t was kind
of you to come, and rest assured that
fully appreciate 1t. The toast ] pro
pose is rather odd perhaps, but every
thing goes, you know. Let us drink
let us drink to the-to the late de-
ceasedw
Queen was a left handed man He
held the glass in his right hand, and
as he hesitated over his words his left
went back to his hip pocket and out
came a pistol. We realized in flash
what he meant to do, but it came SO
suddenly that no one could put forth a
hand. There was grim smile on his
face as he placed. the muzzle Of the
weapon to his temple, but he did not
pull the trigger. Outside a thunder
storm had been working up over the
greatcity. We had heard the lowrumble
of thunder and caught fash or two
of lightning through the windows. AS
the pistol went up to the mans temple