The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-03
CHAPTER Viii.
Where Friendship Ceases.


ington square, and even II they go out
to meals and leave their cook to a life
of inglorious ease, they are fairly sure to
fall over each other in the hall, several
times day.
The obvious moral Of the tale seems to
be that no Damon and Pythias should
strain the bonds Of mutual liking to the |
point Of living together. s. The Elyslan
fields could never. live up to their reputa- |
stion If the blessed were expected to break |
fast in company. Still this Washington
square apartment scheme worked beautt- |
fully for months. 1t would still be run
ming smoothly. on pneumatic tires, were
1t not for Vanguard tho that young
woman isn't to blame she will be held
responsible for the trouble. The woman
Us always held responsible for the trouble.
eAdam and the man who perpetrated
F'.cherchez Ia femme" have established
tprecedents infinitely soothing to their sex.
ENancys plea of not guilty would influence
mo masculine jury; but In point of fact,
1.-THE fates and the telegraph company
worked Rollins undoing.
There have been many festive dinners
rat the bachelor apartment. Rollins and
= lOrmsby gave them together, or thought
they did. In reality, Watkins the Eng
lish butler. gave the dinners. He allowed
the other two men to invite the guests,
Ebut reserved critical rights even in regard
ito that detail.
The dinners did Watkins credit. Wat
lkins did not feel that the chosen guests
invariably reflected credit upon the hosts.
LAS he once remarked to a sympathetic
cook, Young men will be young men,
Mrs. Ruggles, and the ladies OF the stage
can understand, ma'am. but them liter
airy people," Rollins himself Is guilty Of
poetry in his irresponsible moments, but
Watkins overlooks that-"for his father
was q gentleman, Mrs. Ruggles, and, no
matter what goes wrong, blood will tell
It was only a month ago that Miss
Reynolds name drifted into the bach
elor apartment conversation. Rollins was
responsible for it's debut. Many feminine
names had dawned and faded upon the
apartment horizon, and in Reynolds alone
there was nothing portentous; but taken
in conjunction with an unwonted anxiety
as to neckties and a forced and unnatural
blossoming of sonnets, the name was
alarming. Ormsby became interested.
Rollins peculiar uncOmmunicat1veness
Increased the interest.
Miss Reynolds was, apparently, the only
bona fide specimen Of the real thing in the
lboroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx,
but Rollins air suggested that she was
, tput away surely in a time-lock safe of
which he alone knew the combination.
When the respective stars Of Rose and
Margaret and Ruth and Gladys and their
sisters were In the ascendant Rollins had
sung the young women's praises early and
late; had talked of the loved ones ad
that he, too, might worship and adore.
But until a week before the peace and
harmony of the apartment were rent
asunder, Ormsby didn't know whether
Miss Reynolds had given name. He had
labored for weeks before finding out
whether she was blonde or brunette. Her
K local habitation was a sealed book. To
suggestions that she should be included in
dinner invitations Rollins was deaf.
Ormsby concluded that the matter was
serious, and felt f1attered by the logical
conclusion that Rollins considered him
dangerous. He even studied his good
looking face carefully in his mirror and
decided that Rollins really wasn't such an
ass as one might think. Then, one day
lOrmsbys father came to town.. Now Orms-
by's father is an institution-an institution
for which his son and heir entertains a
profound respect. The amount of his for
kttne demands respect. So does his govt.
But, as Ormsby, Jr., often says, it IS the
old gentlemans vocabulary as adapted to
his equity hours that commands enthusi-
astic admiration It would win humble
reverence from a cigar-store Indian.
bat When Ormsby, Sr., comes to town,
Ormsby, Jr., dances to strings attached
to the equity l., foot. He forsakes
everything and cleaves to the gov
closeness of his cleaving sc
does the size Of the check which he will
receive at parting grow and increase. .
Rollins usually protests against the pa
ternal visitations. Having a tailor Of his
own, he recognizes the exigencies Of the
situation. but he objects to being de-
prived Of his churns society. However,
N when on this particular occasion a dis
patch announced to Ormsby that his
father would spend the week in New
York, Rollins bore up like a hero. He
81 even seemed to take on new cheerful
ness.
1.-THE old gentleman will get In tomor-
row afternoon?' he asked.
YES said Ormsby.
"Then, Of course, you'll have TO dine
with him tomorrow EVENING""
"Sure thing"
They separated for the day.
The next morning, at the breakfast
table, Rollins mentioned casually that he
expected a young married couple Of thei1
acquaintance to dine with him in the
evening.
Sorry you can't be here, old chap u
he added genially.
Ordinarily Ormsby leaves his office al
- O'Clock, but that afternoon as luck
n and the typewriter would have it, he was
shockingly delayed He had promised tt
Join his father at the hotel at 6 o'clock
AT 6:45 he rushed home to dress re.
flecting gloonlily the while that the gov.
ernor was probably making the air around
him violently ultramarine and preparing
& 1or the prodlgal son variety Of veal that
es& would be swallowed with difficulty
In the hall he met Watkins. There
were no signs Of prospective festivity ir
the diningroon g.. -
where's the dinner party?" he asked
as he damned pearl studs into dress
shirt.
1.-THE cook left at noon," said Wat.
kins, with the solemn joy Of one whe
announces dire calamity. -
THE deuce she did! Then the din.
ner's off?, @-- -
Mr. Rollins telegraphed to the guests
SIR - .,-0s
where's Rollins 90
He's gone to get the young lady whit
was coming, sir. He's going to take he1
to dinner and to the theater." "
Young lady! Why, he didn't say-wht
was she. Watkins%' t.. III
Il couldn't say, sir. Mr.. Rollins didn'
mention the name" az &-~ -.
Ormsby was struggling with his tie H
dropped the conversation. also several ex
pressions more forcfble than Christian /,
regard to the man who first invente,
necl<ties. ~. -
The doorbell rang. ~ $
Watkins disappeared.
Ormsby, picking up his overcoat an,
looking around hopelessly for his oper;
hat. heard soft feminine voice saying:
Mr.. Rollins lives here?" ~a
Yes, miss came In Watkins hes
<HyH.N oyDry ont,{e g~.,4 I