The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-19
CHAPTER III.
A Morning at st. Paul's.


after the ball broke up.
He pleaded the necessity
of early rising and went home and
to bed, where, however, he slept little,
but lay dreaming over the incidents
of the night particularly those in
which he had figured. Many people
had congratulated him, and while
there was an irony in much of this, as
if the whole proceeding were joke,
he had taken it all in the spirit IN
which it had been offered. He felt a
trife anxious as to his reception at
the breakfast table as he dressed, but
his mirror gave him confidence. The
night had been an important one for
him, and he could afford to bear with
his fellows, who would, he knew,
spare him no more than they spared
any one else in their chaff.
They Haunted at him the morning
papers with portraits of the king and
queen Of the ball bracketed together
in double column. He took the pa
pers from them as he replied to their
ironies, and casually inspected them
while the Chinaman brought In his
breakfast.
Didn't expect to see you this morn
ing" said Caldwell, the TRANSFORM,
mental agent, stirring his coffee and
winking at Brown, the smelter man
ager. You society men are usually
shy at breakfast. ..
Wheaton put down his paper care
lessly,, and spread his napkin.
"Oh, a king has to eat said Brown.
We'll" said Wheaton, with an air
of relief, Its worth something to be
alive the morning after"
But they had no sympathy for him.
Listen to him. said Caldwell de-
risively, Gust as If he didn't wish he
could do it all over again tO-nioht.
Not for million dollars" declared
Wheaton, shaking his head dolefully.
Yes said Captain Wheelock Il
suppose that show last night bored
you nearly to DEATH
I'm always glad to see these fell
lows sacrifice themselves for the pub
lie good" said Brown. "Wheaton's
a martyr now, with a nice pink halo"
well, it doesn't go here" said the
army officer severely. we've got to
take him down a peg if he gets too
gay 49,
why, we've already got one sas-
siety man in the house. said Cald-
we'll, land that's hard enough to bear"
He referred to Raridan, who was
breakfasting in his room.
They We're addressing one another,
they affected to ignore.
Il suppose there'H be no holding
him now said Caldwell. TITS like
the taste for strong drink, this socie-
~ business. They never get over it.
It's ruined Raridan: he'd be a good
fellow If it wasn't for that
'Humph! you fellows are envious,'
said Wheaton, with an effort at swag-
ger.
"Oi1. I don't know" said Brown,
with rising infection. II suppose any
OF us could do it if we'd put up the
money -
Well" said Wheaton. eff they let
you off as cheaply as they did me- you
may call it a bargain -
Oh he JeWed EN- down. persisted
caldwell, explaining to the others,
and he has the cheek to boast of it,
LII see that Margrave hears that"
Yes, you do that" Wheaton re-
torted. Everybody knows that Mar
graves an easy mark This counted
as palpable hit with Brown and
Wheelock. Margrave was notorious
dor ms nara bargains. Wheaton gath
efeu up MS papers and went out.
At the bank Wheaton found that the
men who came in to transact business
had knowing nod for him, that i'm
piled common knowledge of matters
winch 1t was not necessary to discuss
sood many VINO came to his desk
asked him If he was tired. Thev re-
ferred to the carnival ball as a push
and said 1t was great with all the
emphasis that slang has impaired ia
these words.
Porter came down early and en-
d
This in the bank was the outward
ana visible signs of a Crouch" When
ne pressed the button to call one Of the
messengers, he pushed it long and
hard, so that the boys remarked to one
another that the. boss had been o1,1
late last night and wasn't feeling good
Porter did not mention the ball tc
wheaton In any way, except when he
threw over to him a memorandum OF
me bank 8 SUBSCRIPTION to the fund, re,
marking; Send them check
That's all Of that for one year."
Wheaton made no reply, but did a.
Porter babe him. 1t was his bushes:
to accommodate himself to the presi
dents moods, and he was very sue
cessful In doing SO. A few of the
Dank customers made use Of him a!
kind of human barometer, tele
phon1ng. sometimes to ask how the ole
man was feeling, and whether it wa
good time to approach him. He at
Eibuted the presidents reticence thi
morning to late hours, and was yer,
Porter spoke to him. He knew tina
there would be no recognition by Por
ter of the fact that he had participate
IN public function the night before
He would have to gather the glory o
it elsewhere. He thought of Evelyl
in moments when his work was no
pressing, and wondered whether h
could safely ask her father how sh
stood the nights gaiety. 1t occurre
to him to pay his compliments by tele
phone; Rartdan was always telephon
ing to girls; but he could not quite pu
himself in Raridan's place.
After a few days the carniva
seemed to be forgotten; Wheaton
fellows at the Bachelors stopped jok
ing him about it. Raridan had neve
referred to it at ALL On Sunday tn
newspapers printed a resume of tn
social features of the carnival, an
Wheaton read the familiar story, an
all the other social news in the paper
in bed. The bachelors were yer
lazy on Sunday morning, excepting
Raridan. who attended what he calle,
"early church" This practice his fel
low dodgers accepted in silence as on
Of his vagaries. That a man shout
go to church at 7 o'clock and the
again at IL, signified mere eccentric
ity to Raridan's fellow boarders, VIII
were not instructed in Catholic prac
tees, but divided their own Sunda
mornings much more nationally be
tween the barber shop, the postoffic
and their places of business.
It was a bright morning; the wee
just ended had been, in sense
epochal, and Wheaton resolved to g
to church. It had been his habit
attend services occasionally, on Sun
day evenings, at the Peoples church
whose minister frequently found oc
,sr,v1 t<,s~ - -