Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-01-22

fling q remark at him. Simmons, in
answer merely lifted his free hand
with gesture for silence and slowly
let it drop again.
Drop by drop the mud Of argument
yielded the pure water of true philos-
ophy, which crystallized as it fell into
two luminous ideas:
IA man who will beat the bank
where he works will surely beat
stranger.
2.-Such a man is fair game. lsAA
The next. day new boarder took
up his quarters at Nichols's boarding
house. He arrived shortly after Mich
OILS had left for his days work.
The new boarder was very particular
about his room, and the one over Mich
olss was the only one that suited him.
The new boarder was given to rheuma-
tism, and southern exposure was es-
sential. He paid double price for the
room, and the landlady was charmed
with him-so exclusive, so refined and
such beautiful references.
The new boarder had a hobby. What
truly great character has not? The
new boarder's hobby was to play with
a brace and bit. He also had a pen
chant. He was given to boring holes
in the floor of his room above the gas
chandelier of the room below, where
they We're quite unnoticeable. He
also had q little failing-inquisitiye-
ness. He lay on the floor of his room
by the hour, with his eyes glued to the
holes he had bored, watching for any
ols's room below.
If Nichols had seen him lying there
he would, with the readers kind per-
mission, have given a correct imita-
ton of a petrified man, for the new
boarder was none other than Simmons
the philosopher.
At 4 o'clock that afternoon Nichols
| entered his rooms Simmons saw him
! Nichols carefully locked his door and
| hung a towel over the keyhole. He
| then unscrewed the cap Of one Of the
l
his eye on him. Nichols also unscrewed
a little brass plate that gave the pos
the appearance of solidity. He ther
drew 4 nice large wad of legal tendel
from his inside pocket. Simmons made
a desperate effort to get both eyes t
bear on the same hole. Nichols sep
arated the wad into rolls of convenien
size and stuffed them down the nol
low post. Then he screwed on tht
brass plate and the ornamental cap.
After Nichols had left his room Sim
mons swore q mighty oath that it wa
as good as a play. He was an ambi
tious man and wondered whether il
similar circumstances he could &C
the part of Nichols. He determine,
upon a trial rehearsal. UnfOrtunatel.
his bedstead was wooden affair. H
therefore had to go to Nichois's room
to get the proper staging for the piece
Simmons was conSummatc actor, fO
at Nichols's door he temporarily tco
the part of the little di:npled god tha
laughs at locksmiths. Then he III
screwed the cap and the plate. The
he removed the rolls of bills with
bent wire. Then he felt sudden. IL
governable yearning for Third avenue
Amid the strenuous strife Of thi
greedy, grasping world. it is alway
both edifying and refreshing to conten
plate pure and limpid love OF home.
** s.
At o'clock that night Nichols T.
ceived a telegram from Simmons
Cannot come tonight. VIII to-nlo
row night do?"
This was facetiously signed by {
: jenkins.
r Nichols nearly had a fit.
r Il suppose I'll have to get this mone
;. back into the bank somehow" !
: grumbled. He unscrewed the bra:
cap and the plate. Then he had the
nearer than before. He felt gone.
q The fits that Nichols nearly had we
: forerunners of an epidemic. The Boar
;, of Directors of the First National Bar
= | Of Warrington were taken with tt
! infection next day. An aching 70
in bank vault is an upsetting spe
n tacle. They looked for Nichols, b.
;, all in vain.
. Nichols's gone feeling had becon
;, chronic.-New York Evening Sun.
:, The Necktie il the Man.
7, Houcpforxyard Won no,1Ct not ind re