New-York tribune., 1903-07-09


Yourself for instance"
"Yes-I am faithful thank God." A swift
fash of memory made Bradford blush a little
here. but mis- voice determined.
And myself"
Not you, Kate You never mentioned Marion
Craven to me. all the letters you sent in
year"
Kate, too reddened; and unfortunately for
him he under the eyes of both Slim and
Shedsy Yet he maintained stoutly:
Myself. I say. And Shedsy and Slim"
We'll. I'm glad there are even four righteous
in this hymenea1 Gomorrah. And a spirit in my
feet hath led me- the voice died away.
The three outside exchanged glances. He'll
go in"' said Shedsy. triumphantly.
At dinner he told them all over again about
his singing. That was a most unpretentious lit
tie dining room. At the side it looked out across
a waste of lots and streets, fat and ragged, but
with outlines softened in the coming evening.
Beyond glittered white and green the cotton
woods, those complaisant trees which will grow
in any soil. and demand only the privilege of
showering just and unjust with their futtering
fuzz Within there was table. sideboard and
four pictures-armored young Sir Galahad star
ing pensively into the dirnming woods; two petu-
liant looking lions issuing from an enormous
cave; a sepia sketch of a girl, and framed
photograph of Borden Hall. But three. at least,
OF these men were used to the bare drear1ness
of Borden from the inside; it stands mellowly
enough in the shadowy photograph. but within
are many crack and many a soied wall. And
all of the four knew well the dreary inhospt-
taIity of the Carfax boarding house. This spot
was far more to them than the glory OF gilt
or the grandeur of horsehair. The napkins were
their own ma pkins, the dishes their own dlshes-
some by right of purchase. and more by virtue
of the quick fingers and easy morahty OF the
undergraduate. 1--WE fed for many years.. SAID
Shedsy, "and now. by G-Gosh. I'm going to eat
I'VE three" said shedsy "are believers IN
Observation-Disclosures we have our doubts ABOUT
Kate. But we can't see why, because we drS
bachelors, we should therefore be de-deprived OF
all the comforts of home. So we rented tnls
palatial residence, securing a m-rnlnlsterlhs
angel in the shape of h-housekeeper' ana
named ourselves the Residuum. We counted on
you, of course. VIII you join u.s."
why the Residuum, shedsyF
'rWeu. because we th-think we're ike the g
gold that's left when all the less valuable stun
is drained away, don't you seer"
Graded away you mean"
"S-since I'm speaking of marriage suppose
I do
"ru come in, of course
.orbree cb-cheers for you'll Let's drink to our
selves-with one foot on the table. In sickness
or health in poverty or wealth. till death do US
part-to the Residuum!"
ITO the Residuuu!" they cried, standing ana
waving their glasses. Thus easily was rorneo
what Shedsy fondIy imagined would endure.
Poor Shedsy! Any philosopher could nave told
him that he was opposing his puny Efforts 10
the forces of the universe. Kate. even. might
have confessed-but Kate would have been the
first to deny that he had anything to confess.
And Bradford was so far from suspecting the
1aJ7lXy la m
he began to speak carelessly of the girl he had
met that day
7 suppose" he said there is no country like
America for royal roads-royal roads every
where; short cuts to learning, and to wealth.
and to power. and to fame Once, when man
wanted an education, he devoted the good years
of his life to getting it; now he reads the nftn
page of the newspaper. A woman turns over
the sheet and finds out in five minutes now 10
be beautiful though ugly. and how to be mar
rfed though poor. In Europe a man makes
hundred thousand dollars in twenty years. here
he picks up a million in half an hour While
Won wait YOU can be provided with full set of
teeth or A full set Of ancestors. l talked with
man to-day who boasted that eleven years ago
he hadn't cent. and now he doesn't know
what to do with his money. He Is ignorant
blatant and rich as Croesus. He had orlgl-
nally I think, all the virtues; he hasn't added
single grace. He makes pickles; he confers IA
vors on poor young men with the air of king
and the tact of an Afghan, and his name is
Murdoch"
"What-the hero Of the accident"
Precisely so. the hero of the accident. Un-
derstand lust admitted that he had all the
virtues All I say IS that he has come to his
present place by a short cut, like ten thousand
others, and what he has gained in speed he has
lost in knowledge Take two men who set out
for the same spot; one has plenty Of time, sees
the countryside hears the birds singing, picks
a few flowers. and by and by in the twilight
comes to his rest, peacefully and full of pleas
ant memories The other never gets out of the
dust he makes himself He arrives; that is all
you can say for him. Well-thats Murdoch
Did he tr-tread on your corns. my saun-
terer?'
"On the contrary. he was very nice to me.
am merely moralzing, Shedsy. 1 haven't yet
got to my point-which is this OF all the
American short cuts. there is nothing to COM
pare with the American girls short cut to style
Did you fellows notice little girl at the sta
ton to-day who wore gray. and had Eyes?"
Was she with st-stupendous friend in al
paca?''
She was [ saw her yesterday on the train,
and / thought Here is some princess in dis
guise, Here is a girl who can give Lady Clara
We're de We're the daughter Of a hundred earls.
half the pack and beat her. She looked to me
like the real thing. Do you want to know who
she is? She is none other than the niece. as
learned to-day of my pickle maker"
rs she any the less the real thing, Frank?'
7 wonder! Can the American girl take the
short cut and still gain all the advantages of
the long way round? She is hardly one remove
from the vinegar. Kate; will one generation do
away with the odor? Is she the real thing?