The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-26
THEIR LITTLE CHAT.

Il am sorry to hear that report about
Smithson,'' said Mastiget, hitching his
chair nearer to the veranda railing for
the better accommodation of his feet
Il wouldn't mention it to everybody,
but know you'll never let 1t go any
farther. They say he's been playing
ducks and brakes with the children.
There was something like $4,000 of II,
1 understand, and the sister-in-law
called for an accounting. Then it came
out that he'd sunk il all i'm some spec
ulation or another and If his wife's peo-
pie hadn't come to the rescue there
would have been a pretty scandal
"Smithson never seemed like that
kind of man to me- said Scamgel But
them" he added, you never can tell
suppose he was living beyond his
means"
well. he never seemed to put on
much style, but there was something
behind it, you can depend. Wilson told
me he thought he had been playing the
races pretty hard
You can't go much on what Wilson
says. II ever there was an out-and-
out scalawag it's Wilson. Still, he may
have got hold of the right end of the
stick this time. l hear his wife intends
suing him for divorce"
'Smithson's?"
mo, Wilson's. l know that he was
blackballed by the Oxtail Club and If
those fellows couldn't stand for him
he must be pretty rank"
1T is a snide organiza ton, isn't it?'
"Snide's no word for it. l don't see
what holds it together. unless it's the
gambling features. The police ought to
raid it,
They'll never do that as long as
Johnsons the president" declared Mas
tiget. He's got too much of drag.
He's a sweet-scented individual, too.
He got his start In the saloon business
in St. Louis, l hear, and was indicted
for something or another. l don't re-
member just what 1t was, but 1t was
something disreputable. Well, he's got
money now, so / don't suppose it mat
ters"
Not a particle" asserted Scamgel.
at doesn't matter what a man does
or what he is as long as he's got the
wherewithal. That's the only question
societys going to ask. If it wasn't for
that such men as Thompson couldn't
hold up their heads and swell around.
| You know Thompson"
II should say did Yes. I was at a
reception at their house only last week.
l didn't want to go, but my wife in
| sisted, and you know what women are.
| They've certainly got palatial sort OF
| place down there at Hickoryhurst- The
stables must have cost a small fortune
| and they've just added one Of these
| whatd ye-call- 'ems-gargss, for the
automobiles He has his cigars made
for him in Havana specially, with the
Thompson coat-of-arms on the ribbons.
Pretty rich that, isn't it? And l don't
suppose Bill Thompson would know the
difference if they pushed two-for stock
yards zephyrs on him instead"
Il guess he'd prefer EN-"
We'll, he's got the best part of his
stock in the window, all right. It's
AfaIu min ~ q
none of my business, 1 guess"
You mean---
| Yes, on the verge of a complete
smash, / should say. I'm a little on
! the inside, you know, and it comes to
me pretty straight that he got let In
heavy on Caraways and he's been buck
| ing Occidentals in an effort to get
even until he's over his eartips. II
| that's the case Jilkerson has got him
! in the hollow OF his hand, because he
! Is right in with the Jackson crowd
and Occidentals will go just about the
way they say. No, II / had any money
I wanted to invest I'd as soon think of
| dropping IL into the Chicago river as
putting it into any of the Thompson
concerns. You needn't give that out,
| of course, but just you watch. BY the
| way, our friend Simpson Is still off on
| his vacation. He's been taking a pref
| ty long one, hasn't he?"
| Scamgel smiled knowingly. eS, 4
| guess he has" he replied. but then
| some cases take a good deal Of time.
| II Simpson had taken that sort of va
| cation five years ago he'd have saved
himself a whole lot Of family troubles.
| Still, I don't know that 1t would have
| done him any permanent good. don't
believe in those drink cures myself.
| Did Simpson drink"
| "Oh, no. He just poured 1t down.
Do you mean to say you didn't know
| that? Why. yes. He was just letting
| his business go to the dickens. Mar
ried quite nice girl too. Pretty tough
| on her, but she never let on. Tried
| to hide It, and 1 don't know but she
| has succeeded pretty well. Simpson
never showed IL much, but / believe
! 1t ran in his family. There's another
! case of that kind. You know the party.
/ Parsons
Mrs. Mastiget came on to the We
randa. Don't you gentlemen want
! some tear" she asked. We've been
wondering where you were. See II you
can't find the rest Of the men folk and
| bring them in. We woman are getting
/ lonely"
Tea, chr laughed Mastiget. rs
| that what you ladies are doing? Tea
| and tittle-tattle. AT every sip a repu-
/ tation dies, eh2 Well. we'll, I think
| 1t is about time we joined you
/