The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-21
The NEW RoMmMAIE-

on his bare toes. Ouch. You're going
| TO do what?''
I'm going to move said Carson. awk-
! wardly. avoiding Henry's eyes. SOS you
can get another roommate.
Yes. but I don't want another one.
/ What's the matter with you2''
| 'Nothin'. except that I'm no good. I'm
| always getting you into trouble. You're
on the second delinquency now on my
account. You ought to be sergeant ma
| jor next year. but you won't il you stay
with me, so I'm going TO pull my freight
and give you a fighting show
| NOW, look here Shorty" don't be a
blooming idiot Just you attend to your
own affairs and never mind what delin-
| quency I'm on. There goes taps. Quick.
| put out the light And now shut up
| about changing your room. You were only
| fooling, anyhow, weren't your
| You'll see tomorrow" came the reply
| from out the darkness. I've spoken TO
| Colonel Wells about it and it's all ar
ranged. Goodnight
| Now. look here. Shorty" began Hen
ry in protest, but he was not permitted
| to finish.
"Close your sweet eyes in dewy slum-
| ber Woo Morpheus. Rock your self in
the cradle of the deep. In short, shut
up,
| thing further.
Moreover, the next day Henry learned
| that shorty had not been merely bluff
! ing, as he had at first imagined. but that
| the former sailor really intended 10 desert
him.
I'm resigning for the good of the ser
vice. was the only reply ne would vouch-
safe, and at last Henry gave UP in de-
spair and accepted the inevitable.
The removal was made after dinner be-
fore the afternoon session, d" 'Shorty's eff
fects being transferred into the room of
a boy named Fahnestock, who had hith-
erto lived in solitary bliss. That evening
and night Henry passed alone, but the
next day. threatened by melancholy, he
invited ''Dutchy" Schmidt to share quar-
tiers with him, and, permission having
been granted, "Dutchy' moved in with
all his possessions, accent and all. For
a while Henry sadly missed '-Shortys'
sea tales and his amusing pranks, but
there was undoubtedly some comfort to
be derived from the fact that he now no
longer found himself On one of the delin-
quencies at the weeks end, and that,
thanks to ''Dutchy's' assistance in math-
ematics. for which the boy possessed
genius, his average in these branches
was rapidly improving, and Herewith his
chances for a high appointment next
year.
In the meantime Shorty and his new
roommate were jogging along in quieter
manner than ever before known in the
history of the peace destroyer" as
''F'renchy' had chrstened him. The i'm
provement, however, was due entirely to
Fahnestock, who was quiet, silent boy,
more likely than not to pass the entire
study hour without speaking. At first
this annoyed Shorty" but gradually he
grew accustomed to the new state of af
fairs. Moreover, unconsciously he grew
attached to his silent companion, and he
fell to wondering why Fanny" as he had
been nicknamed by the class, should be SO
shrinking and self-contained. There was
something not quite natural in his tact
turnity, a touch of sadness, as though he
were conscious of a barrier between him
self and the others. At least, so it seem
ed to Shorty" whose eyes were a good
deal sharper than they were sometimes
credited with being.
Fahnestock was a handsome boy, tall
and slender and of distinguished figure.
Furthermore, evidently he belonged to
rich family, as everything he possessed
was of the finest and he always had plen-
" OF money to spend. That he came from
New York and that his sister. who had
come twice to see him. was a winner"
OF his schoolmates' knowledge concern
ing him. Tacitly, however, the belief had
formed that his father was a large dealer
in real estate and that most of his time
was spent aboard his palatiai yacht. Ger
tainly these stories did not originate with
Fahnestock himself. for, as "Frenchy"
said. who did not like the boy, Fahne-
stock never said nuthin'." AS time pass
ed, 'Shortys' curiosity concerning his
ed little likelihood of it's being salts
fed. The other boys spoke of their fami-
lies, Of their plans for vacation time and
of the visits they were to make each
other at Christmas, but Fahnestock might
have had no family for all the mention
he made of them; that is, until certain
evening. when, most unexpectedly, he
took shorty into his confidence.
4 say, Shorty" he said, suddenly,
looking up from the book he had been
pretending to read, I've got something
TO tell you
well. what is It? Fire ahead
Il guess you've often wondered about
my family. haven't you-who my father
was, and so on?"
We'll. yes. Shorty" admitted; 1t
has occurred to me sometimes to specu-
late on your origin of species"
II thought you had" said Fahnestock
quietly. and it's only right you should
know. if we're to room together What
did you think my father was?'
why. l thought he was a millionaire"
said shorty" as though that were a
profession.
80 he is, but do you know how he made
his money!"
NO how did hep
Hes a pawnbroker."
a what?" cried Shorty"
"A pawnbroker." repeated Fshnestock
''Whew!' whisled Shorty, deprived Of
speech.
For moment there was silence.
Il say" suddenly cried Carson excited
ly. where does he hang out--not down
on the Bowery?"
Fahnestock nodded.
What, Your fathers not old Skiniint
Fahnestock, with the big nose and a glass
eyer
Again the other boy nodded.
"Je-ru-sa-iemi why, I've pawned my
watch there often when ! was hard up.
In fact. it's there now"
We'll. I thought I would tell you be-
gan Fahnestock. Il thought il only
fair"
7 see. I see" said Shorty" cutting
him short. and he began 10 drum abb
scently on the desk lid.
None Of the boys would have anything
more TO do with me. I guess, II they
knew" continued Eahnest0ck. in the
same Unconditional voice Are you going
to tell emf
Now. look here cried .-Chorty" turn
ing fercely on him, what do you take
me for2 1 aIn't that sort Of sharH
guess it's not your fault that ED skin
ny's your father. He didn't ask you I
reckon, whether you wanted - be his