The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-04
PETER NIssEN's .FOoL KILLER

AANANs
her glass on high:
Here's to you, Jack. May your
married life be as free from care as
your bachelor days with the crowd"
Jack didn't want to drink any more,
but then it was a toast. and to him.
Don't take more than one SIP" whis-
pered little Maudie Faunce. And he
did as she told him.
Then Mabel Zane drank his health,
and so did Ella Carter and Nell Fos-
ter.
Aren't you going to give him a
toast, Maudie?" shouted Tim Morton.
If you go back on Jack, then he'll
never have a friend in the world" AT
which the crowd laughed. Yet there
was little humour in the remark.
And SO Maudie Faunce rose to her
feet. Her voice was unsteady, but it
was not from drink. Here's to the
luckiest woman in the world" she
said.
well done. Maudie!" shouted
Brooke. THE cleverest speech of the
night, grille" And the crowd APP
plauded.
But little Maudie Faunce, her face
as white as the cloth in front of her,
sat down and did not even smile.
Now the whole crowd must drink
Jacks health-and in gobets" The
I suggestion came from Monteith.
And so more champagne was
brought, and this time Jack Bagot
drained his glass. And then nothing
would do but that he must drink to
the crowd since the crowd had drunk
| to him. He tried to fight off the issue
but he was their guest. Then, too, this
was the last time.
I Was that Nell Foster turning soner-
saults on the floor? Surely not. Yet
1t looked like her. Did he see it, OF
only think he saw 1t? Some one was
helping him on with his overcoat. He
felt very sleepy.
Then the crowd began filing out,
making a great racket, and laughins
and Jostling. and calling names and
initiating animals. And as Bagot, who
was last to go, turned toward the
I stairs, he felt something moist and
warm touch his hand. Sleepily and
lazily he looked down. Little Maudie
Faunce was on her knees beside him
She was kissing his hand. He almost
! stumbled i'll his effort to raise her
She looked up into his face, and hi
noted in his dumb, impotent way that
she was crying. "Once upon a time
Jack" she said. land 1 thought you
/ were going to" she stopped. The
laughter from the crowd in the street
came mockingly UP the stairs She
shivered and drew closer to him.
Would she care if you kissed me
good-bye-the last kiss? Oh, the kisses
that we have wasted in one little hour
and now this last kiss must do for ali
the many, many years to come" She
threw her arms around him wildly, and
kissed him with all her might and
heart and soul and passion. The she
tore a pink from her hair and put II
in his hand. "Oh, Cod" she sobbed
and caught at her throat. Down the
stairs like wild creature she flew.
Jack Bagot looked at the pink in
his hand, looked at the empty room
and blinked. He put the flower in his
overcoat pocket and walked slowly
down the stairs.
He was greeted with a fusilade of
snowballs. Then he saw the crowd
pushing it's way into two cabs-six
people to a cab.
Come on in. Jackl" shouted Jim
Morton. There's room on Elias lap.
We're going to run the girls home. and
then we'll drop you at your lodgings. 4"
Rather walk" said Jack thickly
walk, and be damned them" cheer
lily shouted Tim Morton.
The drivers chirped to their horses.
where's little Maudie Faunce?"
shouted Jack.
I'm in here. Jack" came her voice
from Morton's cab.
Goodnight. Maudie."
Goodbye, Jack"
Then there was a great shouting OF
adieux, and of admonitions, of taunts
and of drunken raillery. Then the
cabs drove off.
Jack started straight ahead. His feet
were unsteady. and the falling snow
blurred things; but the crunch under
foot was soft, and Just to his liking
He felt very contented. A clock from
neighboring steeple tolled three.
When he reached the first crossing
he wasn't quite sure which way to GO
He came to the conclusion, that il
didn't matter much.
After he had walked fifteen minutes
he felt very sleepy indeed. His storm
coat was good and thick-what mat
tered 1t which way the streets cared
to run? Then, again, the air was not
cold, and the snow was soft. And so
he sank sleepily down.
Somebody was shaking him-shaking
him roughly. too. Get out of that,
you drunken sotl" said the voice.
Jack Bagot looked around him. II
was daylight. and a policeman stood
over him Slowly he got to his feet.
Merciful God--that house oppositei II
was the house she lived I'M And he
had slept in the gutter opposite her
housed He was sobered in a second.
1T haven't been accustomed to drink
ing" he said alphabetically.
"They all say that" answered the
policeman.
''T'il never drink another drop"
''They all say that, too" said the po-
liceman. vawninz.
Jack stood irresolute for a second
The policeman started TO walk away.
''What time IL it?'
"Just struck seven"
"well, at noon to-day I'm TO be mar
RED"
The policeman looked at the man
contemporary from head 10 foot.
God help the woman" was all he
said.
Jack Bagot turned and walked slow
lv 10 the street. Mechanically he put
hfs hands IN his overcoat pockets. His
right hand touched something soft, and
ne drew out the pink that little Mau-
die Faunce had given him. Re stop
ped 10 think where he got H.. Then he
threw II into the street, and Il sunk
swiftly out ~ sight IA the white. soft
snow. God help the woman" be said
aolomnly. looking az che stem sticking
up from the place whore the flower
had sunk. God help the woman" he
repeated.