Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-02-10
TEDDY'.S AIRS AND GRACES

"G-good Lord" said Teddy, and /
th-thought you were gentleman"
Wifred dc Bohme Files niclcd the ash
from his cigar the cigar with which, ten
minutes before, Teddy had provided him.
oh" he said. y make few pretcn-
-ions. The men 1 meet take me at their
avn valuation
"N-not very high one should think"
yenturcd Teddy.
The man in the armchair looked at him
lehectivcly. chat depends" he said.
you, at least, valued me as gentle
man. and / expect the word gentleman
signifies to your mind everything OF the
most desirable?'
He leaned back in his place, blowing q
cloud of smoke toward the ceiling. Ted
dy threw the window open and thrust his
head into the cool night air. He fclt
chollcd, sitting; like stunned child
who suddenly and without proyocatiol,
has been slapped on the cheek by one
whom it held in confidence and esteem.
Any anticipation of i'll usage was utterly
foreign to Teddy's sunny, optimistic ma
turc; all the harder, then, this first les
son, rendered by man for whose social
qualities he bad entertained Il genuine, ii
boyish, enthusiasm, Even now, in spite
Of rciteration, he could hardly conceive
Ellcs' threat a genuine one.
1t was a lovely night; q great. clear
moon rode in the sky. Below, the close
shaven lawns lay pool-ike dim and
shadowy. Teddy jerked his shoulders
Into the room again. Then You really
N mean" he said that ii | DIDN'T pay
that two hundred before next week is
over yon'I tell my father and ask him
for the money!
That's what | said" responded Ellcs
quietly.
"B-but it was d-debt of homer, and
t-told you how my father hates gam
bling" said Teddy, his stammer acceR-
tuated by nervous perpleXity. Even now
he doubted the evidence of his senses
Fellows weren't blackguards, he argued
therefore Files couldn't possibly mean
what he said; some explanation must be
Forthcoming other than that so glaringly
apparent.
Wilfred dc Bohme Files took the cigar
from between his lips and examined it
critically My dear boy" he said, you
have mentioned your parents little pc
culiarity more than once i'll my hearing;
| am also aware there exists only one
person upon earth for whom you enter
tain the smallest feeling of fear or of re-
serve. That person is your father, and
upon his dislike for gambling | propose
TO trade. | want the money ana mean
to have it."
,t,I
was 50 young as to be incredulous of
misfortune before it fell upon him, yet
not old enough To know that somehow
or other our greatest perpleXitics solve
themselves in the course OF time. Two
hundred pounds! lie had already this
year outrm the constable Aubrey might
be able to lend him little ready money.
but such sum a. this was beyond even
his brothers generous resources. Teddy
was unaccustomcd to debt he Writhed
in its degrading clutches.
is there no such providence as a
money -lender!' suggested Files, breaking
a protractcd silence.
No" said Teddy dccisivcly. I'd rather
be shot than tell the governor I've been
gambling; but even that would be b-bet-
ter than h-bowowing from the Jews"
lie squared his shoulders against the
window frame and fell into calculation
The elder man got ont of his chair and
strolicd round the room, watching him
fWtWely, yet with keen curiosity
Presently he stopped before the mantel
shelf to examine the photographs grouped
upon it. dozen prominent crcketcrs
aud athletes. signed for the most part by
the originals; an equal number OF pretty
girls in every diversity of fascinating
costume, and, set apart from the rest
the portraits of two women. neither OF
them Young, neither of them particularly
beautiful yet possessed Of an individual
ltN impossible to overlook. Each of these
photographs unlike the rest in the room,
WAS mounted in tligrec silver frame.
WIFI" between them, from a slender Nene-
tlan vase. 4 couple of La France roses
droopcd their pcrfumed heads. The Of
feet almost shrjnelke, afforded Il smile
to reddy's creditor
If net the Jews, how about these fos-
mothers - he suggested lightly touch
ing one of the frames with cigarette
stained finger. Their ;oiyicc. as | I'M
der>tand from your condolences. inyaria-
bly, proves excellent; why not test the
quality OF their com? For my benefit,
bicn entendu!"
In moment Teddy WAS standing over
lin. Take your dirty hands off that
portrait" he sand, without the trace of a
stammcr. And here"-hc strobe to the
doorway get ont Of this. and never
show Your face in my rooms again. If
Nou do"
He flung the door wide and waited. his
NplIur fars -pt anil J,p,v,t.,,t,- Il