The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-06

And now, Joseph" Alderman said to the waiter. you may bring the coffee, and with your permission We will have the stove served with it," -
 As Alderman delivered himself of this desire in pleasant manner, Joseph bent over him solicitously.
 Has the coffee not been right? I am"-
 "Desolate-I know. Don't let it fret you, Joseph but coax things along out there and have it hot" Joseph withdrew in the direction of "out there," and Ack- erman turned to one of the two. men who were dining in his company.
 man like you. Wambsley. with no gastronomic prejudices. has no business be on the House Committee of a club whose members enjoy feeding as this clubs do."
 ''Is there anything wrong?' asked Wamsbly, anxiousiy.
 Lord. yes! Pretty much everything. The"--
 There's Watson just sitting down over In the corner Looks as if life were cold CT than club coffee a blamed sight, said the third man at the table,
 Tt is. Watson's a disappointed man, murmured Alderman. glancing at a long, loosely jointed man who in twenty years had not lost look of the West nor had acquitted the habit of camaradcrie.
 Watson was nlisanthropical and nobody liked him while most people were cur1s ous about him.
 Do you know anything about him. more than anybody else knows?" Cross man asked. staring at Watson.
 T don't know what 1t is others know, but I myself have some little acquaint- ance with his past Went out West sell ing pumps." -
 "Pumps?"
 "M-m-m! Alderman nodded as we'll as he could and lighted his cigar at the same time.
 Meantime Watson at the corner table had put on a pair of eyeglasses, had looked dissatisiedly at the menu card. had scowled, had removed his eyeglasses and had leaned back in his chair while he polished his eyeglasses with dollar bill which he took from his change pock- ct, where something else belonged. He was entirely self-absorbed and didn't ap- pear to care who knew it.
 That was the time you married out there, wasn't it7' asked wambsley, feel ing of the coffee pot. which Joseph had just placed upon the table.
 "Yes."
 Go ahead. Once you said you'd tell us about that'-E
 1Cos BOf hHc6ust Sdlu Alll0 0EOESIHdEl, feeling of the coffee pot in his turn and nodding in approval at Joseph. The cof- fees O. K.'' <
 '.No; but I'll tell you- about Watson. if you like. You belong on the House Committee. Joseph, Alderman said to the waiter, rising, let us have it inside, where we'll be little more private. and I'll tell you. Don't want to tell you while Watson's looking on." They moved of. and Watson drowned and nodded at Alderman as the men passed.
 T don't think Watson likes you" re- marked Wambsley.
 ''I don't think he likes anybody" Cross man muFmured.
 Hes afraid I'll tell on him, just as I'm going to-" Alderman laughed. Then he pulled out chair and sat down, as did Grossman and Wamblsley. Joseph depos- ited the coffee and what went with 1t. Alderman took a queer combination of Roquefort and brie and sherry, mixed together with an immodest dash of pap rika.
 Now said the third man.
 Well. it was thirty years ago; If it wasn't I couldn't tell it.. Watson and went West together. Watson had pumps. His mother lived in Philadelphia and had bought em for him to start life with and to enable him to grow up with the West. didn't have pumps; I had blows. Watson and grew up in the same town and had about the same ambitions and started out at the same time, and we went just beyond the Missouri. Wa fetched up in Kansas. on the west bank of the river. and went into business to- gether. more or less.
 ~Watson lived at a hotel called the Massasoit House. There were other chaps there who meant to grow up with the country besides ourselves. and in those days there were no monotonois IS moments. When q man wasn't selling pumps or something equivalent. he WAS lynchlng niggers off the bridge that crosses Clay Creek on Kansas Avenue I recall that was the name of the May fair part of the town-or else he Was making love or raising some other kind of devil.
 Watson wasn't then as you see him now. He was L good companion. gay as anybody-I guess gayer. Tn his youth remember, he had sort of magnetism that was rare. He led in most of the devIltry, and in the way of brains, fjl that matter. He made money and was strong on jokes-practical jokes. If they